Open digital badges are a standard for recognizing and verifying learning and achievements. They are digital micro credentials that can represent identity, interests, competencies and achievements through the web. They use online spaces to encourage users to continue with the learning process, recognize achievements and establish credibility. This digital solution was introduced by the Mozilla Foundation in 2011 as a new shared technical standard to help recognize skills and achievements.
Cities of Learning, a online platform that allows young people to choose learning opportunities based on their passion and interests, is largely based on the use of this digital resource. Open digital badges are essential to ensure that the progress of learning, which goes to the Cities of Learning platform, is sustainable, recognizable and can be shared in the places that matter.
If you are interested in recognising learning outcomes by issuing digital badges with the use of the platform Barcelona City of Learning, you can write to us: info@nexescat.org Characteristics of open digital badges
Open digital badges are a new online standard to recognize learning and achievements. Compared to other traditional credentials, such as certificates, diplomas or diplomas, open digital badges introduce new features:
- Flexible – can be used in a variety of learning and work contexts, both online and offline, to motivate, recognize and verify any type of achievement.
- Gradual – They act as a micro credential. They visualize learning paths, show progress and specify achievements. Badges can be organized into groups according to categories.
- Evidence-based – they have the possibility to insert any type of evidence to verify the learning and achievements demonstrated by the badge. Evidence of the badge allows ePortfolio solutions.
- Verification– may include self-assessment, peer review or issuer assessment options. The issuer of the badge decides on the type of evaluation to verify the achievement of the badge and the evidence.
- Shareable – they are easy to share anywhere on the web. Insignia winners can share their achievements through social networks, blogs, ePortfolios and can also add insignia links to the CV.
- Transferable – they can be downloaded and imported to other platforms that use the same technical standard of open digital badges. Badge metadata is loaded and displayed automatically.
Metadata of digital badges
Open digital badges capture essential information about learning and achievements by storing these metadata within the badge image. If it is made public, this information can be accessed and seen by anyone. The verification of the broadcast organisation and the adjoining evidence by the badge improves its credibility.
The Open Badges standard specifies the required and optional information that will be included in the metadata of the badge image:
- Required: Badge name, description and criteria
- Optional: Evidence, standards, labels, badge issuer identifier and badge emission time (the latter two are added during badge emission).
- The holder of the badge is identified through an email address.
- The name of the badge recalls the content of a skill or achievement in a few words.
- The description provide details of achievement: describe context, specify achievement, refer to completed tasks, explain assessment procedures. How to write a good description of the badge?
- The criteria explain the tasks established by the issuer of the badge and completed by the holder of the badge in order to obtain it.
- The issuer may be an organization, company, institution or private person that issues a badge to recognize learning and achievements.
- The evidence It is an optional data but very encouraged to enrich and back up the claim for specific achievements. It can be of several formats: text entry, file upload, image, video, badge code or even another badge.