Digital badges are graphic symbols or indicators of an accomplishment, skill, quality or interest. They can be an online record of achievements issued on the basis of work completed to obtain it and used over a lifetime. Digital badges in extension and 4-H can be a motivator for learning across many content areas but also across other communities and institutions. Following Mozilla’s Open Badge Infrastructure, 4-H is developing a means of supporting a badge ecosystem to support learning through 4-H experiences. The basic process includes:
1) A learner identifying an area of interest that can result in a digital badge and then working to complete the learning criteria established for the badge. 2) Typically, there is some form of verification that the criteria have been met for any given badge; programmed observance of completion, review by a certifier or instructor, etc. 3) Submission to the digital badging system requesting a badge issuance 4) Issuance of the badge and placement of the digital image made specific to the individual earning the badge into a portfolio or location that can be seen online and shared with others. Utilization of digital badging and e-portfolios can help extend online courses or learning modules in meeting a growing demand for learning credentials among youth AND adult learners. Digital badges appear to be evolving into a way to issue a digital “credential” to represent knowledge, skills, abilities and capacities of an individual beyond the traditional resume. The FYFL CoP and its learning network is developing the platform to support digital badges in 4-H. Learn more about digital badging and discuss what more can digital badges in eXtension or the land grant system lead to?
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