Badges are becoming quite popular in the world of higher education. Today, institutions and professional organizations are harnessing the power of badges to motivate and validate L&D. Companies are looking for employees who have the willingness to seek L&D opportunities.
Of course, earning a degree is important, but another crucial step after your degree is of professional development. Digital badges hold the potentiality to measure your skills and competencies and demonstrate that the individual has mastered the specific skills and areas. This capability of badges gives rise to improved future performance.
A professional badge a popular way to represent learner’s achievements and progress achieved so far. Verification of skills and abilities is done to receive outcomes but it is also important to do another verification with the help of third-party to ensure the badge is valid and trustworthy.
Every professional today is active on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Digital badges for professional development make sure that every knowledge, skill, and competency of yours is demonstrated on such networks. One of the best features of digital badges is that it displays job-specific achievements. This leads to learner’s career advancement and promotion.
Three ranges of badges:
A basic-level badge is earned by learners when they achieve a basic understanding of learning technology.
A proficient-level badge is for those members who have actually implemented technologies.
An advanced-level badge is for those members who have demonstrated broader implementation.
Types of Digital Badges
Achievement badges
Achievement badges are issued after a learner gets evaluated by proving he has attended an event or completed a course. Such achievements are badged and it is important to know that these badges don’t exactly showcase the learning outcomes of an individual.
Competency badges
While achievement badges are quantitative in nature, competency badges are qualitative. These badges are issued as the result of a performance assessment. An authentic assessment takes place that demonstrates the learning outcomes or skills of a learner. These are quite valuable badges for the career of a learner.
Badges offer Transparency and Trust
Badges offer transparency as anyone can measure the learner’s abilities and potential using a badge. Suppose you are going to get a job. Employer will scan through your badge, assess and get to know that you have all the necessary skills required to fill the position. Because you are have earned a badge, an employer will easily trust you as compared to the ones who don’t own any badge to prove his talent. This is the power of digital badges. Clear demonstration of what you have achieved so far by bringing in a plethora of opportunities for you.
Digital badges for professional development are an excellent way to prove that you are the right one. People start recognizing you and you feel satisfied with your achievements. Badges are gaining importance and will continue to expand the growth of an individual as every industry today is digitalized and looking for skilled professionals who possess certain important traits and up-to-date knowledge of the tools and technologies. Earn a badge and prove your worth!
