Badges

Generally speaking, badges are symbols or tokens that signify membership, learning, allegiance, achievement, or accomplishment. Most readers are likely familiar with merit badges used to motivate and recognize achievements in scouting organizations. In some settings, earning a certain badge or number of badges warrants a promotion in rank or level. A digital badge is an online record of accomplishment. Digital badges have been widely used in video games and in gamification techniques to recognize individual engagement and accomplishment.

Digital badges are increasingly being used to forge connections and communities and support more connected and social types of learning. Until around 2010, badges of any sort had rarely been used in higher education. This entry provides an overview of digital badges that are issued in a way ...