Which of the following statements best describes digital badges as a new educational credential?

Table of Contents Show

What Are Digital Badges?
How Can I Motivate Students with Digital Badges?
What Are Examples of Connecting Digital Badges to Learning Activities and Assignments?
How Do I Create Badges?

(Image credit: Stephanie Smith Budhai)

Girl and boy scouts are motivated by badges, why not school students?

So what is a digital badge, and how can it be used to motivate a student and engage them in learning experiences? Also, what are the simple steps required to create digital badges, and how do you connect these to learning activities?

What Are Digital Badges?

Digital badges are digital credentials that are ubiquitously recognized to represent the mastery of specific competencies, skills, programs, etc. Badges can be based on individual skill sets, or a combination of skills.

How Can I Motivate Students with Digital Badges?

There are many uses for badges (opens in new tab) within teaching and learning. Of the uses of digital badges, motivating students is an excellent option.

Many times, students do not see the value of what they are learning as the concepts can be too abstract or not directly connected to their current worldview and lived experiences. For example, while understanding how to calculate percentages as a child may seem pointless, it comes in as a useful skill as an adult when calculating sales prices when shopping and balancing personal finances and spending. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to convince students of the importance of learning something for the future.

The good news is that knowing of the potential to earn a digital badge, or a series of badges at the end of the learning experience, can be very motivating. Not only will students have the digital badge to share with their family, they will also have a credential that can be added to a portfolio, which can be used when applying to colleges or even their resumes for employment.

Turn earning digital badges into a friendly competition. This could be a monthly, quarterly, or yearly competition, or based on certain units. Similar to gaming in which students earn points or access to higher levels of the games based on their play, earning digital badges can offer similar motivation.

What Are Examples of Connecting Digital Badges to Learning Activities and Assignments?

Connecting the earning of digital badges to multiple competency areas is a great way to motivate students to engage in learning activities, beyond just a one-off experience.

For example, in science, there are many different content areas. You could create a science digital badge that students can earn after successfully completing four science lessons:

1. Environmental Science Lesson Using Wakelet (opens in new tab) - Competencies for students to master toward earning a science digital badge includes being able to:

Locate online content related to course-learning goals
Digitally storing content in a robust online repository
Storing shared content and resources within an online repository

2. Anatomy and Physiology Using Google Jamboard (opens in new tab) - Competencies for students to master toward earning a science digital badge includes being able to:

Identify major human body parts
Describe the functions of different human body organs

3. Weather Lesson Using WeVideo (opens in new tab) - Competencies for students to master toward earning a science digital badge includes being able to:

Define meteorological vocabulary words
Analyze weather patterns
Accurately report weather forecasting hypotheses

4. Biodiversity Using Canva - Competencies for students to master toward earning a science digital badge includes being able to:

Describe the components of biodiversity, including ecosystem, genetic, and species
Create a multimedia presentation that demonstrates a robust understanding of the types of biodiversity

How Do I Create Badges?

Many different options are available for creating badges. One free option is Accredible Badge Builder (opens in new tab).

What is nice about Accredible is the ability to import images to be used for the badge icon. You can design the badge as you see fit, changing the color, text size, and style.

The steps to create a badge are very simple:

(Image credit: Stephanie Smith Budhai)

Go to Accredible Badge Builder (opens in new tab).
Click “Badge Designer” in the upper left-hand corner.
Choose the background shape that will be the overall shape of your badge. Dozens of options are available from which to choose.
Click “Text” to add text to the badge. This would be the name of the badge, for example “Science Expert.”
Click “Images” to upload any background images.
Click “Icons” to add graphics that associate with the badge.
Click “Ribbons” to add ribbons to the badge.
Download your badge as either a SVG or PNG file.

You can skip any of the steps 5-7 if you do not want to include any images, icons, and/or ribbons. Email the digital badges to students and let them share with their families. They can also be included in their portfolios, and badges also can be printed and put in a frame!

As you try new things to engage your students in the learning process this school year, try using digital badges. You may be surprised with how it motivates and engages them.

The questions which follow provide a basic knowledge test of selected concepts covered in this learning pathway: Introduction to digital citizenship.

The questions published at the end of each learning pathway are re-used for the knowledge test for learners interested in earning a digital badge or certificate of participation for the Digital citizenship (LiDA102) micro-course. Please consult the Certify participation page for more information.

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false:

Digital literacy is the ability to use a computer for reading and writing.
- True
  - No. Digital literacy is much broader than this – revisit the resources in this learning pathway to learn more.
- False
The right to access education, the right to create public knowledge and the right to own one’s personal data have all been proposed as rights of tertiary education learners.
- True
- False
  - No. Look back at the page on ‘Rights and Responsibilities’ in this learning pathway to find resources on the rights and responsibilities associated with digital citizenship.
There is a legally binding bill of rights and principles relating to learning in a digital age.
- True
  - No. There have been proposals for such a bill of rights, but it has not been put into law.
- False
There is widespread agreement about the meaning of the term ‘digital citizenship’.
- True
  - No. In the resources suggested in this learning pathway, there are several different definitions of digital citizenship. Go back and review them.
- False

Which of the following is the best definition of a good digital citizen?
- Someone who is good at using computers or mobile devices
  - No – although a good digital citizen is likely to be a confident user of technology, there is more to it than this.
- Someone who limits the amount of time they spend on the internet
  - No – an awareness of the appropriate amount of time to spend on the internet is important, but good digital citizens do more than this.
- Someone who participates actively and often in social media
  - Not necessarily – some participation in social media may achieve the opposite of good digital citizenship, for example if it is not respectful of others.
- Someone who recognises that there are rights and responsibilities associated with using the internet and other information technology
  - That’s right – a good digital citizen considers the ethical issues around the use of digital technology and behaves appropriately.
Which of the following activities is NOT an example of a “new” literacy?
- Blogging
  - Incorrect.This is an example of a new literacy. It involves using the internet but also being a responsible digital citizen.
- Reading a novel on an e-reader
  - That’s right. Reading a book is a traditional form of literacy, even if you are using an electronic device as a tool.
- Social networking
  - Incorrect.This is an example of a new literacy. It involves using the internet but also being a responsible digital citizen.
- Photo-sharing
  - Incorrect.This is an example of a new literacy. You need to understand how to upload photos and to make appropriate choices about who you share them with.
Which one of the following statements about media literacy is correct?
- Media literacy provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet
  - That’s right. This is the definition used by the Centre for Media Literacy (www.medialit.org).
- Media literacy education teaches people how to discipline themselves to turn off media to avoid information overload and ‘fake news’
  - That’s not right. Media literacy education starts with the assumption that media have a wide influence, even if we do not view/consume them directly, so it teaches the skills to use them critically and responsibly.
- Media literacy is the ability to read and understand newspaper articles in print or online
  - No – media literacy refers to all sorts of media, including video, messaging platforms, advertising and images, as well as traditional newspapers.
- Media literacy means the use of videos, podcasts and newspaper articles in the classroom
  - No – although those things can be resources for media literacy education, the essential element is learning about, and using, media responsibly, including how to evaluate and create media.
Which of the following are included in the list of ‘The nine elements of digital citizenship’ in this learning pathway? (Select all that apply – there are three correct answers.)
- Digital access
- Digital commerce
- Digital identity
  - No – that’s not included in the list. However, it is an important concept, which is covered in the learning pathway for ‘Online identity for learning’.
- Digital health and wellness