Digital Badges FAQ
What is Digital Badge? What is a Microcredential?
You may hear both the phrase digital badge and the word microcredential when discussing a recognition that you receive for completing a non-academic CareerX program. Here is a simple way to think about the difference: A digital badge is to a microcredential as a diploma is to an academic degree.
- When you complete a required sequence of tasks (assessments) to meet the desired learning outcomes in a specific area, you complete a microcredential. It is not for academic credit, but it is a way of organizing and specifying the desired learning outcomes for a specific skills or task and what someone must do to achieve those outcomes
- In recognition of completing a microcredential, the CareerX program award a person a digital badge as a means of documenting and demonstrating that you have completed it.
Why should I be interested in a CareerX Digital Badge?
Completing a microcredential and receiving a digital badge allows you to share with others both what you were supposed to learn to earn the badge, and the ways that you demonstrated that you met the criteria for the microcredential.
Why are we (CareerX) using digital badges?
One concern frequently heard from our graduate students and postdocs is that while they are interested in our programming – especially our more intensive events, such as learning communities or Summer Jumpstarts – these are not academic courses and are not easy to document on a CV, resume, LinkedIn, or a website. We are using digital badges as a means of providing you links to publically sharable documentation both of what you did to earn the badge and the standards we use to determine who has completed a microcredential and therefore receives each digital badge.
What is Badgr?
Badgr is a third-party digital badging and performance documentation platform. Indiana University currently has a contract with Badgr to house, manage, and provide access to digital badges IU trainees and employees earn associated with select IU learning experiences.
How will I receive my digital badge?
When a digital badge is awarded, you will receive an email with a link to the digital badge via the Badgr platform. There (badgr.com) you can either access all of your badges via your dashboard, or use the link you receive to see the badge. You can also find a link to the “public page” for your digital badge. This allows you to share this link with others (via email, a link in your CV, a link in an online portfolio or website, or your LinkedIn profile). This link provides documentation not only of what you did, but how you did it.