In this extra post, Tracey and Delia highlight BadgEd↗️, a new open digital badge service at the university. Tracey Madden is a learning technology advisor and Delia Georgescu works with the Digital Learning, Applications and Media team at The University of Edinburgh.
Are you looking to reward learning that has previously gone unrecognised? If so, you’ve probably heard about digital badges. However, do you know about BadgEd↗️, our new centrally supported open digital badge service? In this post, allow us to share our experience and help you discover if digital badging, and BadgEd, is for you.
What are open digital badges?
Digital badges offer a way for you to reward learner achievement and for those learners to easily share their achievements with others.
Why ‘open’? Well, not only are our open digital badges built on the IMS Open Badge format↗️ they are also part of Edinburgh’s open education practice↗️ (OEP).
BadgEd is focused on where it can bring maximum benefit: situations where learning currently receives no (formal) recognition, beyond an electronic or paper certificate. We hope in this way, as well as the practical benefits that a digital badge can bring, learners will also better appreciate their achievements through evidence of the University’s recognition.
Our story so far
Though this is the University’s first centrally supported foray into digital badges, we have been keen to learn what we can from colleagues at other HE Institutions in Scotland and beyond. We launched as a project in January 2023 and in just a few months, with the help of our Early Adopters, we established a Service that is scalable across the University, based on a small central team supported by local Champions.
Though BadgEd is still at an early stage, the level of interest attracted so far from across the University demonstrates its success in meeting a need. Already we have over 1200 unique digital badge earners, and proof that they consider these badges valuable is evidenced by their willingness to share them via social media and on their professional profiles.
Value is key
The opportunities you offer learners are valuable; we do our part by ensuring that the digital badges associated with those activities are valuable too. We have gathered volunteers from across the Colleges to form a Governance Group to review all new digital badge applications, providing feedback until they are approved for issue. Does this mean that all Edinburgh digital badges are the same? Far from it! Take a look in our catalogue to see the range of activities that already offer learners a digital badge, and we hope to see the variety increase in the future.
Championing our Champions
It has only been possible to create a new Service that can respond to local needs through the support of our Digital Badge Champions. And their role is crucial now as we scale up to serve more of the University. Technical expertise is not required but more a willingness to support your colleagues in being able to use the Service, so if you should like to become a Champion, we would very much like to hear from you!
Why should I use digital badges?
Open digital badges have benefits for both those who earn badges and those who issue badges to learners.
As an issuer, you can introduce a digital badge to attract learners to learning opportunities, and to motivate learners to continue engaging. Digital badges are information-rich, and their format allows them to be easily verified, if needed; perfect for CVs etc. And when learners share their badges, it helps to get the message out to potential learners about the opportunities you offer plus it gives a much fuller picture of the learning that the University provides and values.
So, although we know that digital badges are not for everyone, if you are involved in extra-curricular learning, we think they represent an opportunity worth investigating.
This is where you come in!
Still interested? Great… you’re the kind of determined person that could support the growth of open digital badges across the University!
Like to know more about becoming a Champion? Email us at opendigitalbadges@ed.ac.uk↗️. You will receive full training plus ongoing support from the community of Champions already established.
Not ready to become a Champion but still want to help? Share details of BadgEd with your communities so those who support extra-curricular learning know about the Service.
Have an idea for a new digital badge? Explore our webpages↗️ for an overview and get in touch with your local Champion.
Delia Georgescu
Delia landed in the Digital Learning, Applications and Media↗️ team quite by chance almost three years ago: “I’m an alien in the learning technology world, constantly adapting, learning (shape-shifting) and taking on new challenges. I’m currently focusing on micro-credentials, digital badges and extra-curricular learning, but I’m always happy to chat linguistics, especially the linguistics of food”.
Tracey Madden
Tracey is a Learning Technology Advisor with a particular interest in learning design and the nexus of learning technology and social justice.
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