About

Overview of Microcredentials

Digital badges serve as visual representations that validate accomplishments, skills, or interests within various learning environments. These badges are closely linked to microcredentials, which assess specific skills or competencies via a learning experience, course, or program. Each microcredential adheres to specific standards and contains information determined by the issuer, providing validation of the achievement it represents to institutions, employers, and other third parties.

Digital Credentials at UMBC commenced as a pilot project in 2016. Since then, the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation has spearheaded the Badging Essential Skills for Transitions (B.E.S.T.) initiative. This initiative aims to enhance the career readiness of students within the University System of Maryland. Grounded in the NACE career-ready skills framework, B.E.S.T. focuses on fostering Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Globalism, Interculturalism, Leadership, Problem Solving, and Professionalism among students.

For further insights into the realm of digital badges, we encourage you to explore  7 Things You Should Know About Digital Badges (Braxton et al., 2019)

Working with Badges

Badges answer three questions: who did something, what did they do, and who says they did it? Badges often represent competencies not shown on a transcript, such as expertise in communicating complex scientific information, agility in a particular software solution, or project management skills.

Paths to earning a badge differ. At some institutions, learners may take a course, either for credit or not, to gain knowledge or a skill that leads to the awarding of a badge. Elsewhere, a learner might present evidence of acquiring a specific skill for evaluation that is recognized with a badge.

The criteria for earning a badge that assess whether a learner has met those criteria might be established by instructors, departments, colleges or universities, a university system, or a national association.

Our Work

We specialize in four main areas to ensure the effectiveness and integrity of our digital credentialing initiatives:

Consulting for Microcredential Creation

Our team collaborates closely with faculty, staff, and stakeholders to provide expert guidance on coursework, programs, and other learning experiences that yield meaningful competencies for learners. We advise on crafting learning outcomes, assessments, and alignments, drawing upon nationally-recognized frameworks to design robust microcredentials. Additionally, we ensure that market-relevant skills and other tags are integrated into the microcredentialing process.

Technology

We oversee the technical administration and support of UMBC’s digital credentials infrastructure. We ensure the operation and maintenance of the technology underpinning our credentialing efforts, adhering to national standards and best practices. This includes leveraging frameworks such as the 1EdTech OpenBadges and TrustEd Microcredential Framework. Our goal is to provide essential support to learners, issuers, and stakeholders, ensuring a user-friendly and reliable experience for all.

Governance, Policy, and Advisory

UMBC’s commitment to trust and validity in microcredentials is upheld through our governance, policy, and advisory efforts. We collaborate with various stakeholders to establish and enforce practices that safeguard the integrity of our credentialing ecosystem. Additionally, we work closely with stakeholders to identify high-level opportunities for microcredentials from UMBC, aligning our offerings with emerging trends and industry demands.

Research

As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, we aspire to advance the field of digital credentialing through research initiatives. Our goal is to explore the utilization of digital credentials at UMBC, examining how earners leverage their credentials to discover new opportunities and advance their careers and lifelong learning journey.

 

Resources & Literature on Badging