Badges

A badge is a symbol or credential that represents an achievement, status, or affiliation. Badges can be physical objects such as pins, patches, or medals, or digital representations embedded in software, websites, or profiles. Digital badges typically encode data about the issuer, recipient, criteria, evidence, and issue date.

Historically, badges appeared in military insignia, scouting, and education to denote mastery or membership. With the growth of online learning and gamification, digital badges gained prominence in the 2010s. The Open Badges standard, launched by Mozilla in 2011 and later developed with the IMS Global consortium, formalized a portable data format for badge assertions.

A typical digital badge consists of an image or icon and metadata that describe the recipient, issuer, criteria, and evidence, along with an issue date and a link to verification. Issuers may be educational institutions, employers, or community organizations. Recipients can display badges on resumes, professional networks, or personal portfolios, and verify badges by following the embedded metadata link.

Applications include credentialing, learner motivation, and recognition in online communities and workplaces. Critics point to varying value, inconsistent standards, and the risk of badge inflation or misrepresentation. Proponents emphasize transparency, portability, and clearer articulation of skills and achievements.