University of Fredericton
New Brunswick, Canada
The University of Fredericton (UFred) is a fully-online, degree-granting institution offering certificate, diploma, and degree programs. UFred takes exceptional pride in its offering of innovative, relevant online education that emphasizes leadership development and lifelong learning. Learn more...
Global OSHA is an official partner of the University of Fredericton.
Digital Badges
What are Digital Badges?
Digital badges are an assessment and credentialing mechanism that is housed and managed online. Digital badges are tokens that appear as icons or logos on a Web page or other online venue. Digital badges are awarded by institutions, instructors, or groups.
Digital badges signify accomplishments, such as mastery of a skill or completion of a project. As records of achievement, Digital badges can verify and recognize the completion of training within a college course, compliance training, or continuing education program.
Badges are designed to make visible and validate learning in both formal and informal settings, and hold the potential to help transform where and how learning is valued. In addition to the image-based design we think of as a digital badge, badges have meta-data to communicate details of the badge to anyone wishing to verify it, or learn more about the context of the achievement it signifies. Some or all of this information will be displayed in a visual format wherever the badge is displayed, but it is also stored within the digital badge’s meta-data so it can be verified any time.
What is a Digital Badge?
Together these data provide all the information needed to understand what the badge signifies:
-
Who issued the badge?
-
Who received the badge?
-
What was the subject topic?
-
What was the criteria for issuing the badge?
-
Does the badge expire?
How Do Digital Badges Add Value?
Badges represent a different or supplemental approach to traditional learning. Students control their badges by choosing where to display them and determining who can see them. Badges can be especially useful for workers because they are able to show their own development in individualized ways on different platforms. A collection of badges can function as a distributed portfolio of achievement that may be accessible from a variety of social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Plus. In this way, badges make learning and academic accomplishment visible, which can be a significant factor in demonstrating knowledge and skills to a potential employer.
How is Global OSHA Using Digital Badges?
Global OSHA issues digital badges for all training classes because it understands the importance of documenting worker knowledge, skills, and training; especially when it comes to occupational safety and health.
Global OSHA also includes a QR code which links to the badges on all course completion cards for the #100 and #200 series courses, and all trainer cards. This enables the cardholder to simply share the QR code through the convenience of a wallet-size card to be scanned and viewed on a job site, in an office, or at an interview.
