Digital Badging and Microcredentials

This guide was developed after analyzing the 2021-2022 BRASS Business Reference in Academic Libraries Digital Badges/Microcredential Subgroup Survey and Report, developed and distributed by Wendy Pothier and Robbi De Peri in April 2022. Survey results showed that over 80% of respondents were interested in a LibGuide of literature and resources relevant to microdentials and business librarianship.

Microcredentials allow for social sharing as well as credential verification. 

Resources in this guide are intended to support business librarians as they develop and implement microcredential and similar programs at their institution.

All Digital Credentials are Microcredentials, and some Microcredentials have Digital Badges or Digital Certificates to document the accomplished learning. (Rutgers.)

Microcredential: a credential that verifies an individual’s competence in a specific skill or set of skills. and recognizes the acquisition of specific skills that is more granular than traditional degrees and other certifications. (Educause and Digital Promise.)

Digital Badge: a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality, or interest that can be earned in many learning environments; electronic representations that recognize competency of a skill or set of skills. (HASTAC and Digital Promise.)

Digital Certificate: a digital replacement of paper certificates presented to learners at the completion of a certificate program that enable the learner to share the documentation of their learning on electronic platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and through their email signature block. (Rutgers.)

Open Badge: a visual symbol of accomplishment with baked in verifiable data and evidence that can be shared across the web such as on LinkedIn. (Openbadges.org)

Open Badges Infrastructure (OBI): technical infrastructure established by Mozilla Foundation in 2012 and currently maintained by IMS Global. This standard ensures interoperability across all open badge systems. (Badge Alliance)

Stacked Credentials: a series of credentials that can be earned over time and that build on each other to prepare individuals for different needs for knowledge and skills. (RAND Corporation.)

Credentials can be stacked in 3 ways: 

• Vertical stacking is the most common in which a single topic is explored in advancing detail. For example, Microsoft Excel level 1, level 2, and level 3.
• Horizontal stacking is the acquirement of knowledge across several topics. For example, marketing, data handling, Microsoft products.
• Hybrid stacking is a combination of both vertical and horizontal stacking, where learners explore multiple topics in increasing levels of difficulty. For example, marketing level 1 and level 2 and Microsoft Excel level 1 and level 2. (Accredible.)

Many thanks to the ACRL Digital Badges Interest Group for curating many of these definitions!