Kirkwood launches new digital badging program to highlight student skills, training

It’s the ultimate badge of honor, but not in the literal sense. Digital badges are the modern way to give verified recognition that you have skills or training.

Leaders of Kirkwood Community College’s Continuing Education Division were intrigued by the credentialing as a way to recognize students’ completion of noncredit coursework that won’t show up on their transcript.

“One of our team members conducted extensive research, and we determined that the project brought value to our learners. We worked with Madison Area Technical College’s Digital Badging Institute to launch our badging program,” said Emily Logan, dean of programming, Kirkwood Continuing Education & Training Services.

Enter Lesley Voigt, director of Digital Credentials Institute at Madison College in Wisconsin and designer behind the digital badge system there since 2012. Voigt embraced the beta-testing opportunity for the Credly system that Kirkwood implemented.

“Traditional degrees are not going away, but in order to continue to be relevant, we need to find new ways to meet people where they’re at. Especially since COVID, people are not as willing or able to commit to long-term degrees,” Voigt said. “This is where digital badges can really make an impact.”

Sara Horsfield is convinced. She completed the 12-week Kirkwood Grooming Program and went on to work for a dog groomer near her hometown as the receptionist, gradually making her way into the grooming room as a bather.

She heard about Kirkwood’s “amazing dog grooming program and their digital badging,” and knew it was the best option for her.

“To become [a dog groomer] you do not actually need a license, but I wanted to feel confident in my abilities, and I wanted my future customers to have that same confidence in my services.”

Now her digital badge is her calling card, so to speak. Horsfield is among the first to receive one from Kirkwood as they started issuing them in January this year.

“Students who earn badges can share their achievements on social media and resumes to demonstrate their achievements to employers,” Logan said.

Logan adds that Kirkwood’s history of innovation in education and training positioned the college staff and students to embrace the badging system.

Benefits for students include:

Voigt says digital badges can help define skill-based learning.

“The great thing about digital badges is that they are not a competitor with traditional degrees. They complement and stack into degrees to help create new pathways to education,” she said. “On the earner side, digital badges really help earners tell their learning story. It’s a lot easier to talk about specific skills earned versus an A in Healthcare 101.”

At Kirkwood, considering the value proposition of digital badging was a critical step to getting buy-in, according to Logan.

“For example, are you looking for ways to encourage learning in noncredit courses? Perhaps you want to encourage staff or faculty to complete professional development and do so by issuing digital badges. Having a clear ‘why’ will help your project be successful.”

For Horsfield, her badge is a visual validation of what she’s accomplished.

“This will be beneficial in several ways, but overall digital badges can enhance your professional profile, making your skills and achievements more visible and credible,” she said. “I would encourage others to consider getting one because they are incredibly motivating to continue learning and achieving new goals.”

Since the early 2000s, digital badges took hold in the higher education space where Voigt says “rigor and assessment” are baked into them.

“Digital badges are not going away. In fact, they are growing in their popularity. We live in a world where social media dominates. Why wouldn’t we look at ways we can credentialize what we currently do in higher education to meet individuals where they’re at?”

Voigt’s advice to other institutions considering the concept?

“Implementing digital badges requires a lot of moving parts, as does anything new. Usually, the biggest barriers to implementation are the lack of personnel to devote time to the process and the lack of support to lift the initiative off the ground.”

Horsfield’s badge is already providing her great networking opportunities as she prepares to become an entrepreneur.

“I will be opening my own grooming salon soon, but I too was where you are, wondering if it would be beneficial to my future. I’m here to tell you it is 100 percent worth it and absolutely anyone can do it,” she said.