Asbury University’s Media Communications department is implementing a new way for students to build workforce skills with “digital badges.”
Digital badges are short online-learning experiences that provide specialized education for specific career paths. They are intended to advance students’ career qualifications and to signal those qualifications to employers through social media.
“Badges often give more information to potential employers than a transcript because they show the commitment that adult learners and badge earners give to lifelong learning including ongoing professional development,” Asbury’s introductory web page on digital badges reads.
“Asbury University badges and micro-credentials are developed by our highly skilled faculty who have expertise in designing competency-based, research-supported and personalized professional learning experiences,” Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sherry Powers said at the program’s reveal. “We are excited to provide opportunities for the public to engage with Asbury’s first-class faculty as they provide relevant learning experiences to address the personal goals and professional needs of each learner.”
Digital badges cost $125 and constitute three to five hours of online course work. They are meant to build upon one another to create experience in larger skill sets, which Asbury’s website refers to as “micro-credentials.”
Asbury has already unveiled the first wave of digital badges: 20 individual badges in Instructional Design, Multimedia, and Digital Design, which together lead to one micro-credential. These include courses on Digital Illustration, Emerging Technology in the Workplace, and Online Communication Skills for Synchronous Learning, among many more.
All digital badges and micro-credential opportunities are offered through Asbury’s new “eAsbury” platform, found at learn.asbury.edu. Additional micro-credential opportunities will be rolled out through 2024.
“The eAsbury digital badges are perfect for upskilling or growing your knowledge base,” Media Communication assistant professor and Instructional Design program director Dr. Lisa Jones said. “They can also fill in gaps of knowledge for professionals who are thinking about switching careers, pursuing an academic degree or just wanting to explore other skill sets or enhance existing knowledge.”
A full list of offered digital badges and micro-credentials can be found at https://www.asbury.edu/academics/micro-credentials/. “We are looking forward to adding to our digital shelf of badges with more topics and skill-sets coming in the future,” Jones said.