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Introducing Secure Digital Badges in Education

Imagine a learner pursuing a cybersecurity qualification. How does a paper certificate capture their ability to configure firewalls or manage intrusion systems? All these intricate details are going to be key to future employers.   

Digital technologies have created opportunities within certification that enhance accessibility and efficiency to complement traditional paper-based certificates.  

As job markets become increasingly competitive and demands for both technical expertise and soft skills continue to grow, it becomes crucial that learners have the tools to effectively showcase their acquired knowledge and skills.  

Whilst a certificate is a great method of symbolising the achievement of accreditation, how can we best support our learners in communicating the components of their qualifications in a secure and shareable way? The answer lies in digital badging.  

This blog explores the evolution of digital badges in education and the benefits that can be seen by institutions and learners when combined with traditional paper-based certificates including accessibility, student motivation and employability.  

Changes in the education landscape  

If you work in the education sector you know how quickly trends, policies and learner behaviour have evolved, making it difficult to remain competitive.  

Some of the recent changes that have been happening in the education sector include: 

  • The movement away from traditional academic degrees towards skills-based qualifications is evidenced by Forbes which found that 76% of employers use skills-based hiring in their recruitment process 
  • The rise of technology has changed the way we learn and reward achievements, increasing demands for digital certificates and digital badges to accompany paper certificates 
  • Lifelong learning has boomed, in a 2023 survey by the Learning & Work Institute one in two adults took part in learning within the last three years, demonstrating a cultural shift towards continued education
  • Technology has changed the way learners share their awards with employers and peers, with an emphasis on social media platforms  
  • The rise of mobile technology has provided students with access to flexible courses on their smartphone devices, promoting on-the-go learning and greater accessibility to education 

With these changes in mind, institutes must adapt their certification processes to meet the demand for enhanced accessibility, security and an improved learner experience.  

The Power of Micro-credentials and Digital Badges in Education

Using micro-credentials to motivate learners 

Motivation plays a crucial role in student completion rates, an article by Inside Higher Education found the second most common reason for leaving education (after financial commitments) is due to a lack of motivation. Particularly with long courses, students begin to disengage and feel unmotivated to continue, ultimately leading to increased student turnover. 

Recognising the importance of student retention, micro-credentials reward learners for reaching smaller milestones to improve motivation and retention. Studies have found gamification techniques like digital badges increase the retention of MOOC learners by 25%, and this impact could be even higher for longer courses with a job-focused outcome. 

The trend towards micro-credentials is evidenced when looking at the Google search interest for ‘micro-credential’. Between 2019 and 2023, micro-credentials have seen a cumulative growth rate of 3,526% reflecting not only increased demand but potential opportunities for education providers to attract a wider audience and diversify their offerings.  

Google search interest for Micro-credential 2019 to 2024

As the sector embraces micro-credentialing, it’s important to adapt certification methods to accommodate this new way of learning and deliver a more efficient awarding process. Digital badging has emerged as the driving strategy behind this.   

What are digital badges?  

Digital badges are online representations of achievements, skills, or knowledge. 

Unlike traditional award certificates, digital badges contain detailed metadata, providing information about the recipient, who issued the badge and the criteria for earning it (as seen in the image below). This metadata ensures the badge is credible and verifies the details of the award,  

The unique digital-only format means learners can share their badges to social media profiles such as LinkedIn or add them to their digital signatures. This offers a dynamic and accessible way to evidence competencies and learning progress to employers. 

Digital badges in education

Using digital badges to improve learner experience 

Digital badges are not just symbolic, they carry significant value and impact on learners and employers.  

Research indicates digital badges can enhance student engagement and retention. One study found that 76% of learners stated that stackable or micro-credentials would increase their desire to return to their studies. 

Not only do they drive motivation they enhance an individual’s employability by providing secure, verifiable proof of skills and competencies that are difficult to portray through a CV or a certificate.  

Benefits of Digital Badges:

  • Advanced credential security
  • Enhanced learning pathways through clear skills mapping
  • Drives motivation and engagement to increase learner retention
  • Full brand control to drive competitive advantage
  • Promotes lifelong learning
  • Verifiable evidence of skills
  • Social sharing to display skills and knowledge
  • Enhances career opportunities
  • Supports a personalised learning approach
  • Improves course motivation, engagement and loyalty

Implementing a certification platform for the issuance of secure digital badges

When choosing a platform to deliver secure digital badges it’s important to consider the entire certification processes, whether you aim to transition to a digital-first approach with digital certificates and badges or whether you want to maintain traditional paper certificates as well.  

With our secure Digital Certificates Solution organisations have the flexibility to offer all types of secure credentials including digital badges, digital certificates and traditional paper certificates from a single, secure platform.  

Some further considerations include: 

  • The level of security provided through the digital certificates platform. The right solution will include multiple layers of security and innovation to protect against fraud.   
  • What brand visibility will your organisation have? Brand visibility is crucial and should belong to your organisation, not a 3rd party solution. The chosen platform should support your marketing efforts, creating opportunities to drive brand awareness.  
  • Finally, the chosen solution should deliver an excellent stakeholder experience, reinforcing the value and credibility of your awards.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as the educational landscape moves towards lifelong learning and micro-credentials, digital badges represent a forward-thinking approach to credentialing, aligning with the evolving needs of learners and employers.  

By embracing micro-credentials and digital badges, institutions can enhance student motivation, expand their reach, and better prepare learners for success in today’s competitive job market. 

However, traditional paper certificates remain a crucial part of the certification process symbolising the achievement of an accreditation and course completion. Paper certificates provide tangible evidence of qualifications that learners desire. Secure digital badges provide a complementary technique to recognise their incremental learning and skill development before reaching the end of their course

With our Digital Certificates Solution, customers have the flexibility to transform their certification process to deliver secure print and digital credentials helping organisations adapt to changes in the sector to meet the needs of their  stakeholders.  

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