'Badges' Earned Online Pose Challenge to Traditional College Diplomas - College 2.0. By Jeffrey R.
Young The spread of a seemingly playful alternative to traditional diplomas, inspired by Boy Scout achievement patches and video-game power-ups, suggests that the standard certification system no longer works in today's fast-changing job market. Educational upstarts across the Web are adopting systems of "badges" to certify skills and abilities. If scouting focuses on outdoorsy skills like tying knots, these badges denote areas employers might look for, like mentorship or digital video editing. 'Digital Badges' Would Represent Students' Skill Acquisition. Badges. What is a Badge?
Badge [baj]: a special or distinctive mark, token, or device worn as a sign of allegiance, membership, authority, achievement, etc. (Source: Dictionary.com) A badge is a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, quality or interest. Open Badges. Badges What is a badge?
A badge is a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, competency, or interest. Badges can be used to represent achievements, communicate successes, and set goals. They can support learning that happens beyond traditional classrooms.