This document provides information and guidance for assigning digital badges to existing professional development courses at Madison College. It discusses the benefits of digital badges for students and employers. A process is outlined for reviewing course curriculum and assigning the appropriate badge title, criteria, and metadata. Several example courses are then analyzed, with proposed badge names and assessments identified. The document aims to better align non-credit training with workforce demands through the use of digital badges.

1. Working Document: Badging Professional Development Courses
This working document captures and analyzes the most essential elements of existing 38.24 Professional
Development courses in Madison College’s Continuing Education Department. Each section introduces
the metadata captured in a final badge that verifies learning in the course, while aligning course
competencies with the demands of the workforce.

2. The metadata behind the badge…

3. Contents
What
is
a
Digital
Badge?
........................................................................................................................................................
5
How
does
a
Digital
Badge
set
someone
apart?
.................................................................................................................
5
To the Employer
.............................................................................................................................................................
5
To the Student
................................................................................................................................................................
5
Learning
Objectives
and
Badges,
Fall
2014
Courses
..............................................................................................................
6
Process
for
Assigning
a
Badge
to
Existing
38.24
Course
Curriculum
.................................................................................
6
Courses
with
Sufficient
Information
to
Begin
Badging
......................................................................................................
9
Course: Food Service Management 1
..............................................................................................................................
9
Course: Food Service Management II
..............................................................................................................................
9
Course: Medical Nutrition Therapy
...............................................................................................................................
10
Course: General Nutrition
.............................................................................................................................................
10
Course: Healthcare Ethics
.............................................................................................................................................
10
Course: Farm Management
...........................................................................................................................................
11
Course: Facebook and Other Social Media for Business
................................................................................................
11
Course: Grant Writing Essentials
..................................................................................................................................
11
Course: Dealing with Difficult People
...........................................................................................................................
12
Course: Time Management
...........................................................................................................................................
12
Course: Project Management
.........................................................................................................................................
13
Course: Novel Publishing
..............................................................................................................................................
13
Course: Comic Book Penciling
......................................................................................................................................
14
Course: Comic Book and Graphic Novel
......................................................................................................................
14
Course Sequence: Foundations of Leadership
...............................................................................................................
14
Appendix
..........................................................................................................................................................................
17
Figure 1. Basic Curriculum Checklist for 38.24 Instructors
............................................................................................
17
Figure 3.1 Reviewing Curriculum to Populate Badge Metadata
......................................................................................
19

4. Figure 3. Rubric for Assessing Course Curriculum
........................................................................................................
20
Figure 4. Rubric for Assessing the Badge Earner
...........................................................................................................
20
Figure 5. Alternative Rubric to Assess the Badge Earner
...............................................................................................
23

5. Aligning non-credit training with the demands of the workforce and employers.
What is a Digital Badge?
Digital badges are online validations of learning experiences in the form of a symbolic image with embedded
metadata. A digital badge’s metadata includes secure details about the badge’s criteria, evaluation process, and
provides evidence of the learner’s work. Digital badges let learners share verifiable records of their skills and
competencies with individuals via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, email and other social media networks as well as
within online portfolios. We believe individuals should be able to manage their own career and training journey in
life. As a result, Madison College Continuing Education department is setting the new standard in continuing
education across the country!
How does a Digital Badge set someone apart?
While transcripts and resumes are traditionally used to engage employers, they only tell part of each learner’s story.
The metadata contained within a digital badge verifies the skill or knowledge that the learner is said to have while
aligning student outcomes and accomplishments with the demands of the workforce. Those who have integrated
digital badges into their education portfolios have created a powerful tool to unlock new employment and
educational opportunities. Additionally, the system maintains our learners’ credentials [in the form of a streamlined,
internal e-portfolio that aligns with each course’s assessment strategy] while providing our badge earners a vehicle to
share their skills wherever and however they’d like.
Digital Badge Benefits
To the Employer
• Validates specific knowledge and skill sets
• Provides reference point for continuing education
To the Student
• Method to share and inform key individuals of specific knowledge and skills
• Validation of accomplishments

6. Learning Objectives and Badges, Fall 2014 Courses
Process for Assigning a Badge to Existing 38.24 Course Curriculum
A. Review Existing Materials [Outline + Outcomes; Assessment Pieces, Handouts, Presentations]
a. Locate and identify course outcomes/objectives/competencies
i. Update/replace outcomes/objectives/competencies using Bloom’s Taxonomy descriptive
verbs.
a. Develop, revise, compose
b. Plan, formulate, collect
c. Build, propose, construct
d. Create, establish, prepare
e. Design, integrate, devise
f. Organize, modify, manage
ii. A professional development course can be badged where there is evidence that students are
asked to synthesize, and “create new models using the learned information” as proof of
competence (see Figure 1, below).
b. Identify and make note of target population and pre-requisites that may inform the articulation of specific
and marketable skills
c. Analyze course assessments
i. What will the learner do to show he/she has achieved the competency (essay, project, presentation,
exam)i
ii. Is the assessment a deliverable that is tied to a marketable, industry-specific skill?
1. Look at typical job descriptions for how employers describe demanded skills
2. Look at how professional organizations/associations describe demanded skills
3. Gain instructor/expert approval of Badge language

7. B. Evaluate information
Figure 1. Procedure for Curriculum Review
Learning
Objectives
• Instructor-­‐provided
• Industry-­‐speci2ic
and
Marketable
• Evidence
of
Rigorous
Content
(Higher
Order
Thinking)
Assessments
• Instructor
assignments
• Product
of
learning/
Deliverables
Aligned
with
Industry
Standards
• Employers
• Professional
Associations
• LinkedIn
Skills
and
Standards
C. Assign appropriate Assessment Strategy/Deliverable/Artifact/Proof of Competence
D. Assign appropriately titled Badge in accordance with marketable skills

8. E. Curriculum Review results in the following metadata to be supplied to the Badge awarding committee:
a. Learning Objectives [Criteria and Industry Standards]
b. Target and Pre-requisites [Description]
c. Assessment Strategy- In what format, and to what extent, will the learner prove competence in pre-defined
industry standards? [Evidence and Industry Standards]

9. Courses with Sufficient Information to Begin Badging
Course: Food Service Management 1
Learning Objectives:
• Collect information to determine Client/Resident Preferences
• Co-construct Patient/Client- specific Menus
• Modify/recommend cooking Procedures
• Manage/recommend equipment Needs/Training
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy:
Infographic:
Badge: Managing Client Needs in Food Service
Learning Objectives:
• Prepare Standardized Recipes
• Forecast Amounts of Food
• Determine Amount to Purchase
• Receive, Store, and Distribute Food Supplies & Equipment
• Verify Quality
Infographic:
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy:
Badge: Managing Logistics in Food Service
Course: Food Service Management II
Learning Objectives:
• Interpret An Organization Chart
• Investigate Safety & Productivity
• Maintain Department Budget
• Implement Cost Effective Procedures
• Manage Revenue Generating Services
• Coordinate department services
Target Population:

10. Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Student developed and submitted multiple food service plans and reports, each of which
accommodate for diverse organizational and community needs.
Infographic:
Badge: Leadership for the Food Services
Course: Medical Nutrition Therapy
Course: General Nutrition
Learning Objectives:
• Documentation of Food Preferences and Diverse Customs
• Identify Basic Nutrition Concepts
• Use Basic Nutrition Principles
• Describe The Process of Digestion
• Identify Functions of Vitamins
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Student successfully researched and submitted three written solutions to multiple case studies, as well as
one modified menu.
Infographic:
Badge: Food Science
Learning Objectives:
• Identify Healthy Eating Patterns and Obesity and Health and Educate Others in Nutrition
Infographic:
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Student successfully conducted research, wrote and submitted one original essay about eating disorders
or obesity in America, and properly demonstrated an understanding of the specialized nutrition needs of various customer
groups
Assessment Strategy: Student submitted an original audiovisual presentation demonstrating competence to teach basic
nutrition concepts to a targeted audience.
Badge: Eating Patterns in America
Course: Healthcare Ethics
Learning Objectives:
• Define ethics and identify examples of ethical choices from learners’ past experiences
• Review National Council on Interpreting in Heath Care (NCIHC) Code of Ethics
• Analyze principles of the Code of Ethics and present to your peers
• Apply the NCIHC Code of Ethics to ethical scenarios/dilemmas
• Brainstorm possible actions to take based on NCIHC Code of Ethics

11. • Analyze the potential positive and negative consequences of actions
• Review the importance of self-care
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy:
Infographic:
Badge: Applied Healthcare Ethics
Course: Farm Management
Learning Objectives:
• Create farm business plans.
• Plan for operation and maintenance of farm facilities and equipment.
• Apply marketing principles to agricultural enterprises.
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy:
Infographic:
Badge:
Course: Facebook and Other Social Media for Business
Learning Objectives:
• Understand how a marketing and public relations campaign is created and where social media fits in.
• Understand how to identify and segregate internal and external audiences as they relate to a business or
campaign.
• Demonstrate strategic thinking skills while executing social media tactics.
• Understand how to create and write out a marketing/PR plan.
• Understand in depth how to use Facebook as a tool for business
Assessment Strategy: Students will examine case studies and create a campaign based on a real-life client.
Infographic:
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Badge: Social Media Marketing
Course: Grant Writing Essentials
Learning Objectives:
• Explain the basic grant writing process.
• Explain the purpose and use of six-core grant components-abstract, statement of need, background information,
outcome/activity statement(s), budget, and evaluation.
• Explain how to locate and “match” your needs to funding sources (Grant Makers) appropriate for your organization.

12. • Explain how to write an effective abstract (executive summary).
• Explain how to write a persuasive needs statement and use references to document assertions.
• Explain how to write a descriptive outcome and activity statement(s) describing the impact of the grant and what will
be done to achieve results.
• Explain how to write a basic budget that describes the anticipated costs of the grant.
• Explain how to write a basic evaluation plan for a grant proposal.
• Explain how two basic letters (cover letter and letter of inquiry) are constructed and used in the grant writing process.
• Explain how to write an organizational profile to summarize an organization’s background information.
• Explain how grant reviewers use rating systems to review and make funding decisions for grants.
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Students will effectively write a hypothetical grant application including a request/ask, thank
you note and cover letter.
Infographic:
Badge: Grant Writing
Course: Dealing with Difficult People
Learning Objectives:
• Recognize and describe the characteristics of a bad attitude.
• Understand how negativity impacts relationships and performance.
• Assess a challenging situation and determine an appropriate strategy.
• Utilize a 5-step process for dealing with difficult people.
• Identify the reason(s) for someone’s poor performance.
• Develop potential solutions for resolving a problem.
• Regain your positive attitude about the other person or situation.
• Manage conflict with confidence, resulting in a positive outcome.
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy:
Infographic:
Badge:
Course: Time Management
Learning Objectives:
• Assess personal use of time
• Understand benefits/outcomes of effective time management
• Understand concepts of effective time management

13. • Apply effective time management to a personal case study
• Understand communication practices that facilitate effective time management
• Become familiar with tools used to facilitate effective time management
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Students well develop a Goal Setting Worksheet tailored to their personal or professional
needs.
Infographic:
Badge: Time Management
Course: Project Management
Learning Objectives:
• Develop a project plan using Microsoft Project
• Develop functional requirements and identify scope
• Develop work breakdown structures and statement of work
• Prepare project plan estimates
• Develop resource allocation models
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Students will create and present a project plan using Microsoft Project, in a shareable and
professional format.
Infographic:
Badge: Project Management Fundamentals
Course: Novel Publishing
Learning Objectives:
• Use word processing applications to format margins, page numbers and headers.
• Style a manuscript using your own book or a sample book.
• Use formatting techniques for ebook.
• Compare and contrast publishers: traditional, vanity, and print on demand/self-publishing.
• Identify the type of publisher to use for your book submission.
• Draft a query letter for the purpose of attaining an agent, publisher, or retailer.
• Identify ways to use social media to market your book
Target Population:
Pre-requisites:

14. Assessment Strategy: Students will learn how to format a manuscript to meet specifications for publishing a book in
print or as an ebook.
Infographic:
Badge:
Course: Comic Book Penciling
Learning Objectives:
• Draw dynamic figures in motion and at rest
• Breakdown pages of a script for visual pacing
• Design comic book pages using thumbnail sketches
• Pencil full-size pages based on your thumbnail designs
• Create several pages of finished comic book pencils
Target Population: Aspiring artists, professional artists interested in expanding repertoire
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Students will learn how to create their own comic book art.
Infographic:
Badge:
Course: Comic Book and Graphic Novel
Learning Objectives:
• Develop Silhouette studies for interesting character design shapes
• Learn to use Action Lines to create movement and attitude in your characters
• “Build-up” character drawings using correct proportion and constructive anatomy
• Add personality and expression to your characters
• Execute some of these skills using Adobe Photoshop
Target Population: Aspiring artists, professsional artists interested in expanding repertoire
Pre-requisites:
Assessment Strategy: Students will learn how to create their own comic book art.
Infographic:
Badge:
Course Sequence: Foundations of Leadership
Learning Objectives:
• Achieve results through others by building strong interpersonal relationships.
• Plan for successful interactions with team members─in person and virtually.
• Provide meaningful, supportive feedback that
motivates team members and helps individuals improve their performance.
• Impact business outcomes by consistently meeting the personal and practical needs of others.

15. Badge:
Strategic
Communication
in
the
Workplace
Learning Objectives:
• Reduce the damaging effects of workplace conflict on individuals, groups, and the organization.
• Effectively address workplace conflict and enhance productivity, efficiency, and morale.
• Help others take responsibility for resolving their own conflicts.
• Promote a culture of trust and mutual respect within their work group.
Badge: Resolving Workplace Conflict
Learning Objectives:
• Achieve key business results by leveraging the entire team’s abilities.
• Build the team’s capabilities and capacity through developmental delegations.
• Free up time to focus on mission-critical responsibilities.
• Delegate with increased confidence.
Badge: Delegating With Purpose
Learning Objectives:
• Increase the agility and impact of their coaching.
• Make the most of each coaching opportunity.
• Provide input to help team members gain timely insights into their work.
• Enhance the confidence and competence of their staff on an ongoing basis.
• Build an engaged workforce that feels challenged and valued.
Badge: Coaching for Peak Performance
• Ensure direct reports take a more active role in managing their performance.
• Manage performance on an ongoing basis while working within the organization's time parameters for goal setting
and performance reviews.
• Provide the ongoing coaching and feedback your direct reports need to achieve their goals.
• Increase your direct reports' confidence and commitment to their own success.
Badge: Setting Goals and Reviewing Results
Course: Home Decorating I
• Demonstrate understanding of architectural scales
• Demonstrate an understanding of residential floor plan documentation

16. • Apply standard drawing communication methods to sketched floor plans
• Understand how to accurately measure existing interior field conditions
• Identify client space needs and room function
• Create appropriate furniture layouts to meet client wants and needs
• Discuss space planning applications for home staging
Assessment Strategy: Draw an elevation of one wall of their existing floor plan and complete a furniture plan of their
existing room
Badge: Home Decorating (part of a certificate)
Course: Decorating Styles
• Study historical furniture styles
• Study contemporary furniture styles
• Identify home decorating styles
• Apply historical furniture and decorating style influences
Badge: Decorating Styles for Home Decorating Professionals

17. Appendix
Figure 1. Basic Curriculum Checklist for 38.24 Instructors
Curriculum Checklist
Please utilize this checklist to verify that you have completed and turned in all the required curriculum for this class.
Return items to Lesley Voigt (above).
Course Name: ______________________________________________
Creator: ______________________________________________
REQUIRED ITEMS
Turned In Item Document
1. Course Outline with Objectives
2. PPT/Prezi/Etc… or outline of presentation for each class meeting
(modules) with notes
3. Assessments with associated rubrics to validate learner success
4. Participant Hand-out(s) (different than PPT slides)

18. Figure 2. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Review Course Outline and Objectives
Learning and Badges
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Synthesis
Evaluation
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Learner has proof, certified by a recognized institution,
of ‘ability to create’ according to industry standards.
Higher Order Thinking
Lower Order Thinking

19. Figure 3. Reviewing Curriculum to Populate Badge Metadata
The metadata contained within a digital badge verifies the skill or knowledge that the learner is said to have while
aligning student outcomes and accomplishments with the demands of the workforce. Badges are proof of what we
want our education systems to produce- praxis.
Badge Name
Assigning a Badge name can take place at any time during the review of course materials process. The Badge
should reflect cogent, marketable skills that are in alignment with the demands of the workforce.
Description
The Badge description is a reflection of the course that allowed for student to earn this badge.
Criteria
The criteria for the Badge are the course’s learning outcomes and projected competencies, and to what level
and quality these competencies should be achieved, in order to earn the badge. Outcomes are goals that
refer to a destination rather than the path taken to get there, while competencies refer to a skills-based
approach to professional development coursework. The criteria are predictive of the assessment strategy that is
integrated into the course curriculum, and should require learners to think and act creatively to ensure a high
transfer of skills to the workforce.
Issuer
Madison College Continuing Education certifies all Badges are given to students who are able to perform
skills.
Evidence
Each badge is awarded to students who have hard evidence, in the form of a portfolio piece (see examples
below) of their competence in the badged skillset.
Date Issued
Standards
These are the specific targets against which we gauge success in achieving an outcome. Standards might be
determined through the use of a rubric or checklist.

20. Figure
4.
Rubric
for
Assessing
Course
Curriculum
Do the course outline and learning objectives lay out an opportunity for students to engage in higher order
thinking at the Create/Synthesis level?
Thoroughly = 4 points
Competencies Evidence of opportunity to develop marketable skills through: develop, revise, compose, plan, formulate,
collect, build, propose, construct, create, establish, prepare, design, integrate, devise, organize, modify,
manage
Evidence Students are given an industry appropriate project that calls for the “creation of new models using the
learned information” as proof of competence. The final deliverable product is directly related to the skills
associated with the awarded badge.
Criteria Courses are designed so that professional level learning is facilitated, with evidence.

21. Figure 5. Central items and language for Course Assessment Strategy

22. Figure 6. Rubric to Assess the Badge Earner
Can the Professional/Learner demonstrate (with proof) professional-level competence in alignment with the
professional badge?
Thoroughly = 4
Product Completion Student has created an industry appropriate project
using the learned information from the course.
Student is able to use the deliverable as proof of
competence in the marketable skills that are directly
related to the awarded badge.
Demonstrate Competence at the
Professional Level
(Create/Synthesis)
The work demonstrates surprising/insightful ability
to take ideas / theories / processes / principles
further into new territory, broader generalizations,
hidden meanings and implications as well – as well as
to assess discriminatively the value, credibility and
power of these ideas (etc.) in order to decide on well-considered
choices and opinions.

23. Figure 7. Detailed Rubric to Assess the Badge Earner
Faculty comfortable with Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain might prefer to use or modify this rubric from
North Hennepin Community College to evaluate the thinking displayed by students in their essays, projects,
presentations, performances, portfolios, and other tasks: Taken from:
http://academic.pgcc.edu/~wpeirce/MCCCTR/Designingrubricsassessingthinking.html
CATEGORY ONE: KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION (understanding the basics)
4—The work consistently demonstrates clear, accurate, detailed and comprehensive understanding of the relevant
facts / data / theories/ terms as well as the ability to organize the information for application, presentation,
documentation, and/or further examination.
3--The work demonstrates an adequate understanding of the relevant facts / data / theories/ terms as well as the
ability to organize the information for application, presentation, documentation, and/or further examination
2-- The work demonstrates an uneven and shaky understanding of the relevant facts / data / theories/ terms as well
as a limited ability to organize the information for application, presentation, documentation, and/or further
examination.
1-- The work demonstrates an inadequate understanding of the relevant facts / data / theories/ terms as well as a
limited ability to organize the information for application, presentation, documentation, and/or further
examination.
CATEGORY TWO: APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS (attaining the concept)
4—The work demonstrates confident ability to work with the key concepts / information / process / theory --
applying or extending them to a wide variety of new problems, or contexts, making predictions, recognizing hidden
meanings, drawing inferences, analyzing patterns and component parts, communicating insightful contrasts and
comparisons.
3--The work demonstrates adequate ability to work with the key concepts / information / process / theory --
applying or extending them to a variety of new problems, or contexts, making predictions, recognizing hidden
meanings, drawing inferences, analyzing patterns and component parts, communicating insightful contrasts and
comparisons.
2-- The work demonstrates uneven and shaky ability to work with the key concepts / information / process /
theory -- applying or extending them with mixed success to new problems, or contexts, making predictions,
recognizing hidden meanings, drawing inferences, analyzing patterns and component parts, communicating
insightful contrasts and comparisons.
1-- The work demonstrates extremely limited ability to work with the key concepts / information / process / theory
-- applying or extending them with very limited success to new problems, or contexts, making predictions,
recognizing hidden meanings, drawing inferences, analyzing patterns and component parts, communicating
insightful contrasts and comparisons.

24. à CATEGORY THREE: SYNTHESIZING AND EVALUATING (going beyond the given)
4—The work demonstrates surprising/insightful ability to take ideas / theories / processes / principles further into
new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications as well – as well as to assess
discriminatively the value, credibility and power of these ideas (etc.) in order to decide on well-considered choices
and opinions.
3-- The work demonstrates adequate ability to take ideas / theories / processes / principles further into new
territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications as well – as well as to assess discriminatively
the value, credibility and power of these ideas (etc.) in order to decide on well-considered choices and opinions.
2-- The work demonstrates uneven and superficial ability to take ideas / theories / processes / principles further
into new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications as well – as well as a limited ability to
assess discriminatively the value, credibility and power of these ideas (etc.) in order to decide on well-considered
choices and opinions.
1-- The work demonstrates little ability to take ideas / theories / processes / principles further into new territory,
broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications as well – as well as a limited and superficial ability to
assess discriminatively the value, credibility and power of these ideas (etc.) in order to decide on well-considered
choices and opinions.
• http://www.pedagogyunbound.com/tips-index/2013/8/14/use-blooms-taxonomy-to-set-assignment-objectives
• If an instructor uses technology/media: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/03/a-new-fantastic-blooms-taxonomy-wheel.html
• http://storybird.com/books/blooming-questions/
• Retrieved from http://www.clinton.edu/curriculumcommittee/listofmeasurableverbs.cxml September 11, 2014
• Definition from WIDS online description of an “Outline of Instruction Checklist”: http://madisoncollege.edu/in/outline-instruction