This document discusses open digital badges in higher education. It defines digital badges as credentials that represent skills, interests, and achievements earned through various activities. It provides examples of organizations that issue badges, such as Codecademy and TripAdvisor. The document outlines how open badge systems work, involving earners, issuers, displayers and audiences. It also discusses open badge design considerations, taxonomy, and how higher education institutions have implemented badge systems to recognize formal and informal learning.