Digital Badges: How to Use Them in Education*
Por Francisco Ponce Ludueña – Specialist in Education and New Technologies at Cilte and e-ABC Learning
The use of digital badges in the educational field is constantly expanding, becoming an increasingly utilized and valued tool in learning environments. Beyond their initial association with an alternative form of assessment or their more well-known use in gamification, their primary function extends further; they are mainly employed as an effective way to accredit competencies or micro-competencies, which is particularly relevant in today’s educational context, where differentiation and the recognition of small achievements are increasingly valued.
Digital badges, at their core, represent a visual record that validates achievements, competencies, and micro-competencies acquired by students. Although the definition of this concept may vary in complexity, at their essence, these badges function as visual certifications of learning, offering a concrete and tangible way to recognize students’ progress and accomplishments in different areas of knowledge.
Regarding their implementation in the educational field, effectively using digital badges requires following a series of meticulous steps. First, each digital badge must be carefully designed, ensuring that it is visually appealing, representative, and consistent with the achievements it validates. This process involves not only conceptualizing the badge but also designing its image using appropriate graphic tools.
Once the design phase is complete, the next crucial step is associating each badge with the achievements, competencies, or micro-competencies it will validate. This is achieved by introducing metadata, which is additional information that accompanies the badge and provides details about the achievements and skills it represents. This metadata is essential for ensuring transparency and clarity in the accreditation process, as it allows users to understand the criteria and competencies associated with each badge.
Metadata can be introduced in different ways, with two of the most common options being through a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Moodle, which offers integrated tools for badge management, or through specialized digital badge management platforms like OBF. Regardless of the chosen method, it is crucial to ensure that the metadata entered is accurate, relevant, and complete to guarantee the validity and usefulness of the badges in the educational context.
Once these steps are completed, the digital badges are ready to be issued and assigned to students who meet the established requirements. This issuing process can be carried out in various ways, whether through email, by linking them directly to the student’s profile in the LMS or badge management platform, or via other specific methods established by the educational institution.
Beyond their function as an accreditation tool, digital badges offer additional possibilities in terms of uses and applications. For example, students can use these badges to demonstrate their knowledge and competencies in professional settings, share them on social media as a way to highlight their educational achievements, or include them in their résumés as tangible proof of their experience and skills.
Digital badges represent a valuable tool in the educational field, offering an effective and visually appealing way to recognize and accredit students’ achievements, competencies, and micro-competencies. Their growing popularity and versatility in terms of applications make them an indispensable tool for enriching and improving the teaching and learning process in all types of educational environments.
*Este artículo fue traducido a inglés por Sandra Sturla.