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The popularity of digital badges has been accelerated in recent years. Advocates of digital badges suggest their use may improve students’ motivation and achievement, but existing empirical studies have failed to show consistent results. Furthermore, to date, no meta-analysis has been conducted on the topic of digital badges. Given this gap, the purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the effect of digital badges on student motivation and learning achievement. Our results suggest that digital badges have a significant impact on learning achievement, but the effect on motivation is inconclusive. In addition, moderator analyses were conducted to test the extent to which badge visibility, grade level, content area, and length of intervention influence the effects on motivation and learning achievement. The study provides an early summary of empirical digital badge research -- an area still in its infancy. The results of this meta-analysis provide a foundation for the future of digital badge design and development research. Furthermore, our results can inform the practice of the implementation of digital badges in that digital badges can have stronger effects in the higher education context, with STEM subjects, and for a medium duration of one to nine weeks.

The popularity of digital badges has been accelerated in recent years. Advocates of digital badges suggest their use may improve students' motivation and achievement, but existing empirical studies have failed to show consistent results. Furthermore, to date, no meta-analysis has been conducted on the topic of digital badges. Given this gap, the purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the effect of digital badges on student motivation and learning achievement. Our results suggest that digital badges have a significant impact on learning achievement, but the effect on motivation is inconclusive. In addition, moderator analyses were conducted to test the extent to which badge visibility, grade level, content area, and length of intervention influence the effects on motivation and learning achievement. The study provides an early summary of empirical digital badge research -- an area still in its infancy. The results of this meta-analysis provide a foundation for the future of digital badge design and development research. Furthermore, our results can inform the practice of the implementation of digital badges in that digital badges can have stronger effects in the higher education context, with STEM subjects, and for a medium duration of one to nine weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student empowerment is increasingly recognized as essential for fostering meaningful learning experiences and cultivating engaged citizens. This paper delves into the concepts of empowerment within the educational context, emphasizing the pivotal role of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in promoting student agency and inclusivity. By illuminating the challenges and opportunities associated with student empowerment, the paper highlights the imperative of fostering a culture of partnership and active engagement among students and educators alike. Building upon the success of UDL initiatives in Ireland, such as the UDL Digital Badge, the paper introduces a novel initiative--the UDL Digital Badge for Students. Through a collaborative design process involving students and educators, the course aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to advocate for inclusive learning environments and navigate the complexities of modern education. By embracing principles of equity, flexibility, and community, the course seeks to empower students to become active participants in shaping their educational journey and effecting positive change within their institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education, learners often look to instructors to guide their learning process along a prescribed path. This case study explores how 85 students, and their 5 instructors, experienced a microlearning system consisting of microlearning challenges and corresponding micro-credentials. These microlearning challenges were embedded in a higher education course to engage learners in brief, self-directed learning tasks that served as extensions of course content. The microlearning system in this case study, called “tech-flex challenges,” was optional and implemented across five sections of an educational technology course for preservice teachers at a public university in the United States. Findings show that students had favorable perceptions of the system, but low participation rates. Students who completed microlearning challenges enjoyed them and were more likely to engage for learning purposes than to earn a micro-credential. Instructors also viewed the challenges favorably, but suggested that they should be woven into the course as a mandatory element to foster greater attention and participation.

Clinical Research Professionals (CRPs) are essential members of the Clinical and Translational Research Workforce. Many academic medical institutions struggle to recruit and retain these vital team members. One strategy to increase job satisfaction and promote the retention of CRPs is through educational initiatives that provide training and professional development. The South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute Workforce Development (WD) team at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) developed several trainings as part of our larger educational portfolio for CRPs. In 2022 WD implemented a digital badge micro-credential for SCTR's Core Clinical Research Training (CCRT) course in collaboration with institution-wide education and technology offices. Beginning in January 2023, individuals were able to earn the CCRT Certified Digital Badge upon successful completion of the CCRT course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education, learners often look to instructors to guide their learning process along a prescribed path. This case study explores how 85 students, and their 5 instructors, experienced a microlearning system consisting of microlearning challenges and corresponding micro-credentials. These microlearning challenges were embedded in a higher education course to engage learners in brief, self-directed learning tasks that served as extensions of course content. The microlearning system in this case study, called "tech-flex challenges," was optional and implemented across five sections of an educational technology course for preservice teachers at a public university in the United States. Findings show that students had favorable perceptions of the system, but low participation rates. Students who completed microlearning challenges enjoyed them and were more likely to engage for learning purposes than to earn a micro-credential. Instructors also viewed the challenges favorably, but suggested that they should be woven into the course as a mandatory element to foster greater attention and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical Research Professionals (CRPs) are essential members of the Clinical and Translational Research Workforce. Many academic medical institutions struggle to recruit and retain these vital team members. One strategy to increase job satisfaction and promote the retention of CRPs is through educational initiatives that provide training and professional development. The South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute Workforce Development (WD) team at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) developed several trainings as part of our larger educational portfolio for CRPs. In 2022 WD implemented a digital badge micro-credential for SCTR’s Core Clinical Research Training (CCRT) course in collaboration with institution-wide education and technology offices. Beginning in January 2023, individuals were able to earn the CCRT Certified Digital Badge upon successful completion of the CCRT course.

While Higher Education Institutes have traditionally viewed awards as a result of ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credit accumulation, in recent years the recognition of smaller parcels of learning has become popular. Micro-credentials and digital badges are a relatively new concept and lend themselves to a wide variety of educational knowledge, skills and competence achievement, furthermore, they could help certify the outcomes of small, tailored learning experiences. While they are usually regarded as distinct from ECTS credits, some universities have also formalized a connection between the two. They can be used in a variety of settings and offer a flexible and reliable means of capturing continuous professional development. This article considers the development of micro-credentials examining their potential and scope while proposing a distinction between the former and digital badges. The article presents several design models for micro-credentials and digital badges including examples of use in practice toward measurable and achievable learning outcomes. Examining the scope and path to realizing micro-credentials, taking into consideration the European Commission's recommendations on micro-credentials, this article aims to inform best practice for micro-credential design and digital badge design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinion Piece. This short piece will explore my experience of undertaking the Digital Badge for Universal Design in Teaching and Learning with the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning from October to December 2022.

Badges of merit, or microcertification, have increased in popularity to acknowledge achievement of skills or proficiency in a profession-specific competency and incentivize the learning experience. Outcome criteria are rigorously established by an academic institution to preserve the integrity of the microcredential or badge. On the premise that a microcredential may be favored by future employers, stakeholder involvement in the microcredential process strategically enhances employer awareness. This article describes use of a simulation experience with nursing and medical laboratory science students to demonstrate competencies in interprofessional communication to achieve a digital microcredential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital badges are an increasingly popular way to display learning achievements, both in higher education and in professional environments. Digital badges can be used to help deliver information literacy instruction in a scalable and sustainable way and can increase the effectiveness of reaching a large audience of students. This case study discusses the work of a solo business librarian who uses digital badges to reach first year business students in a foundational level course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher Education has seen its fair share of innovations, many of which were made possible by digital technologies. Digital and open badges (DOBs) are emergent technologies that many believe could further reform, even disrupt, key tenets in higher education, including learning, assessment and credentialing. This study examined the emerging scholarship and best practices on DOB adoption in higher education through the lens of peer-reviewed publications. A content analysis explored two questions related to publication patterns and research goals (question 1) and assessment practices supported by DOBs and stakeholder perceptions of DOBs (question 2). Findings revealed non-empirical papers were more likely to focus on the reform-related potential of DOBs while empirical applications focused on traditional concerns such as student motivation and engagement, and conventional approaches to assessment. Stakeholder perception of the value and role of DOBs were also mixed. Limitations, implications, and further study are discussed.

Students' goal-setting skills are highly related to their academic learning performance and level of motivation. A review of the literature demonstrated limited research on both applicable goal-setting strategies in higher education and the support of technology in facilitating goal-setting processes. Addressing these two gaps, this study explored the use of digital badges as an innovative approach to facilitate student goal-setting. The digital badge is a digital technology that serves as both a micro-credential and a micro-learning platform. A digital badge is a clickable badge image that represents an accomplished skill or knowledge and includes a variety of metadata such as learning requirements, instructional materials, endorsement information, issue data and institution, which allows the badges to be created, acquired and shared in an online space. In higher education, digital badges have the potential for assisting students by promoting strategic management of the learning process, encouraging persistence and devoted behavior to learning tasks, and improving learning performance. A qualitative multiple case study design (n = 4) was used to answer the research question: how did the undergraduate student participants in this study use digital badges to facilitate their goal-setting process throughout a 16-week hybrid course? Results from this study contribute to understanding how to effectively integrate digital badges to meaningfully improve self-regulated learning in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital badges, widely known as alternative or micro-credentials, have gained increasing recognition in recent years as innovative pedagogical tools in higher education. Despite many anecdotal and conceptual statements of value, the effectiveness of using digital badges to improve learning performance is still largely unknown. This study addressed this gap by investigating the impact of these badges with added instructional scaffolding on pre-service teachers' perceived technology capabilities and their actual learning performance while studying within a large undergraduate technology integration course. Compared with similar participants who experienced traditional instructional projects instead of the badges, those learning with digital badges not only reported higher levels of perceived confidence in their technology integration skills but also achieved higher levels of course assignment and overall course grades. Conclusions from this study offered ways to improve learning performance with the support of digital badge technology and drew implications for future scholarship in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital credentials (or badges) allow evidence of achievement to be more detailed than is possible through grades, and can be shared more broadly than is possible through the academic transcript. Here, we illustrate the potential use of digital credentials in higher education through sharing an approach that utilised digital credentials to recognise the achievement of students who demonstrate outstanding achievement of specific graduate attributes. More specifically, we explore the potential use of digital credentials to contribute to the development of citizen scholars through engaging students at the course (degree) level, promoting experiential learning and facilitating public sharing. The credentialing strategy described was designed to enhance employability, and the standards and criteria associated with the award were developed in collaboration with industry partners to give students the opportunity to differentiate themselves in the graduate job market. However, student applications, perceptions of the application process and feedback from industry partners who assessed the submissions suggest that an unintended, but positive, outcome of the credentialing strategy was promotion of students' personal identity and broader social engagement. We suggest that digital credentials at course level could be a useful tool to engage students with graduate attributes, foster graduate identity and develop graduates who are active and engaged citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the skills gap and reward achievement, technical assessment publisher, NOCTI, began an initiative to define technical excellence in career technical education (CTE) programs and to recognize the nation’s top CTE students through a digital Technical Badge of Excellence (TBOE). Analysis of standard setting methods and NOCTI student test data from U.S. high schools determined the excellence criteria. NOCTI has assessments in over 100 different technical areas and, because difficulty varies, normative standard-setting methods were most appropriate, as they account for test difficulty and locate students at a high position relative to the tested group. Additional criteria were implemented to assure the validity of the selection and subsequent awarding of the digital badge. Thus, top CTE students nationally can be located using normative standard setting methods, which will provide a source of skilled workers for global employers and help to close the skills gap.

In this paper, we present a badge awarding system for performance assessment in education using blockchain technology. Learners will be awarded badges, which are certified for a predetermined level of progress in terms of learning. All the badges are stored in a backpack, which is an environment for storing and presenting the obtained badges. Badges are immutable and verifiable as well as rigid. The use of badges in the education system makes education more interesting, skill-based, and adaptable to changes. The key contribution of our work is in terms of compatibility with Openbadge specification and integrated cooperating platform between digital badge awarding and blockchaining. Our system implementation is compatible with Open Badges of IMS Global Learning Consortium, which is used to earn, issue, and award badges across various platforms. The badges are trusted by the IMS standard, the criteria to earn a badge is verified through the network, and the overall process is transparent compared to the traditional education system. Moreover, all badge awarding events in our system are recorded in a blockchain. Once stored, the contents cannot be tampered with. Thereafter, anyone can check the validity of the badge through the blockchain. Our platform will be useful for distance learning as well as time and location independent learning. The experimental results are as follows. On a Bitcoin-based digital badge publishing platform, the execution time required to award the badge is 24.53 s, while on the Ethereum-based digital badge publishing platform, the execution time to award the badge is only 3.86 s. It can also be used for career management and personal history. The learners can obtain the current knowledge required for a job. Lifelong learning will be also possible with this platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-credentials are making an impact on the university course curriculums. Industry partners have increasingly indicated that students exit university with inadequate 'soft skills' such as team work, leadership and digital literacy skills. Micro-credentials are now being viewed favourably as a platform to address this deficit in workplace skills. Universities are now expending considerable time identifying industry skill gaps to provide students with the attributes that will serve for a successful transition to the world of work. This article addresses the development of an academic integrity awareness micro-credential for new student entrants to university. The trial of this micro-credential provides students with foundational skills in understanding the academic world, subsequently providing the advantage required for a successful transition to industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a badge awarding system for performance assessment in education using blockchain technology. Learners will be awarded badges, which are certified for a predetermined level of progress in terms of learning. All the badges are stored in a backpack, which is an environment for storing and presenting the obtained badges. Badges are immutable and verifiable as well as rigid. The use of badges in the education system makes education more interesting, skill-based, and adaptable to changes. The key contribution of our work is in terms of compatibility with Openbadge specification and integrated cooperating platform between digital badge awarding and blockchaining. Our system implementation is compatible with Open Badges of IMS Global Learning Consortium, which is used to earn, issue, and award badges across various platforms. The badges are trusted by the IMS standard, the criteria to earn a badge is verified through the network, and the overall process is transparent compared to the traditional education system. Moreover, all badge awarding events in our system are recorded in a blockchain. Once stored, the contents cannot be tampered with. Thereafter, anyone can check the validity of the badge through the blockchain. Our platform will be useful for distance learning as well as time and location independent learning. The experimental results are as follows. On a Bitcoin-based digital badge publishing platform, the execution time required to award the badge is 24.53 s, while on the Ethereum-based digital badge publishing platform, the execution time to award the badge is only 3.86 s. It can also be used for career management and personal history. The learners can obtain the current knowledge required for a job. Lifelong learning will be also possible with this platform.

The use of digital badges as learning incentives earned through completion of activities in online instructional settings continues to gain traction. From K-12 to higher education and beyond, into practical skill building and continuing education exercises, incentives such as badges borrow principles from gaming to engage and motivate learners. The implementation of badges into online learning platforms and the adoption of digital badges into Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) further demonstrates the popularity of this trend. Continued understanding of learner needs and perceptions of badges by educators can ensure that efforts taken to "gamify" learning using badges are well spent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global plastic waste is increasing rapidly. In general, densely populated regions generate tons of plastic waste daily, which is sometimes disposed of on land or diverged to sea. Most of the plastics created in the form of waste have complex degradation behavior and are non-biodegradable by nature. These remain intact in the environment for a long time span and potentially originate complications within terrestrial and marine life ecosystems. The strategic management of plastic waste and recycling can preserve environmental species and associated costs. The key contribution in this work focuses on ongoing efforts to utilize plastic waste by introducing blockchain during plastic waste recycling. It is proposed that the efficiency of plastic recycling can be improved enormously by using the blockchain phenomenon. Automation for the segregation and collection of plastic waste can effectively establish a globally recognizable tool using blockchain-based applications. Collection and sorting of plastic recycling are feasible by keeping track of plastic with unique codes or digital badges throughout the supply chain. This approach can support a collaborative digital consortium for efficient plastic waste management, which can bring together multiple stakeholders, plastic manufacturers, government entities, retailers, suppliers, waste collectors, and recyclers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]