One of the initiatives included in the next budget for the state of Ohio is a proposal to provide “microdegrees” for in-demand fields, quickly giving people qualifications to work in growing industries. These microcredentials take the form of industry-recognized certificates showing skill in coding, business analytics, cybersecurity, etc. Increasingly, proof that one has earned such a microcredential comes in the form of a digital badge that is tied to an online resume. But even beyond career development, digital badges support lifelong learning, a pursuit that squares neatly with the public library’s purpose.
- Four Easy Ways to Display Your Digital Badges (Lauren Zucker, PhD) “In a nutshell, badges are digital ways of recognizing accomplishments or skills. Open badges are tied to evidence of learning and designed to be shared, so recipients can showcase their skills across digital platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn).”
- Credly raises $11.1 million to issue and manage digital badges (VentureBeat) “Credly’s integration with apps like Canvas, Moodle, and Blackboard allow [users] to track their progress in real time and receive credentials automatically at the completion of modules and assignments. Earned badges can be shared among contacts on social media and job sites like Facebook and LinkedIn or embedded in blogs and personal websites.”
- Credly Is the New King of Digital Badging (GoCertify) “Microsoft is now awarding badges to candidates not just for earning certifications, but for passing individual exams. CompTIA just recently climbed on the bandwagon by adopting digital badges into its training and certification program. IBM, Oracle, ISACA, and other large organizations are also using digital badging to help IT professionals and others better display their training success.”
- MIT Starts University Group to Build New Digital Credential System (EdSurge) “Another impetus was to make sure no one commercial company develops the de-facto standard for how colleges share credential information. Others have expressed concern over patents owned by companies for digital credential systems.”
From the Ohio Web Library:
- “Micro-Credentials and Digital Badges.” Library Technology Reports, vol. 55, no. 3, Apr. 2019, p. 1.
- Cheng, Zui, et al. “Goal Setting and Open Digital Badges in Higher Education.” TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, vol. 62, no. 2, Mar. 2018, pp. 190–196.
- A. W. “Nanodegrees.” Inc, vol. 40, no. 7, Nov. 2018, p. 88.
