Uncover the transformative potential of micro-credentials within public research universities in the context of a dynamically shifting educational landscape. We'll delve into how micro-credentials can revitalize traditional academic offerings at stages like pre-college, undergraduate, master's prep, master's, and professional education, ensuring relevancy amidst burgeoning educational alternatives. Additionally, we'll highlight the unique value micro-credentials can bring to students' employment outcomes, forging a stronger bridge between education and career readiness.

1. McCombs Office of Instructional Innovation
JAVIER MOTTA-MENA, BRANDON CAMPITELLI, & STEPHEN WALLS
McCombs School of Business
SUMMARY OF DIGITAL BADGING
AT UT AUSTIN & MCCOMBS
Last Updated: July 23, 2023

2. Basic info on badges
Badge taxonomy at UT Austin
Overview of MSB and University processes
WHAT WE’LL COVER
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3. • Badges are digitally verifiable records that acknowledge a designated accomplishment
• Badges can be presented for a wide range of activities, including completing a certificate
program, demonstrating a lab skill, or mastering an activity (see slides 5 - 7 for more
details on taxonomy)
• All badges contain metadata with detailed information about the achievement and
earning criteria
BADGING BASICS
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4. • Once a badge is created and awarded to an earner, the earner may share the badge on
social media platforms (see slides 8 and 9 for LinkedIn example), but may not alter the
badge or its metadata in any way
• Badges can be stand-alone or part of a pathway. Within a pathway, some badges are
prerequisites for other badges (see slide 13 for example)
• NOTE: pathways are not constrained to badges from only one issuer
BADGING BASICS
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5. BADGE TAXONOMY - TYPES
Two TYPES of Badges
• Competence – demonstrate an ASSESED mastery of knowledge, skills, and/or
abilities in a given context
• Completion – acknowledge completion of an assignment, training, or other activity
• Content must be aligned to a professional standard, or be minimum of 4 hours
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6. BADGE TAXONOMY - LEVELS
Within each type, there are three LEVELS
Foundation
Has no pre-requisites, but is a
pre-requisite to something else
Milestone
Has a pre-requisite, and is a
pre-requisite to something else
Terminal
Can be a standalone badge, or
signal the end of a pathway
Competence Completion
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7. BADGE TAXONOMY - LEVELS
Strat. Decision
& Risk Management
Texas Executive
Education
Badge Name
Issuer Name
• Only Terminal badges will have custom text
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8. BADGING OPPORTUNITIES
Enhance student employability by officially acknowledging significant accomplishments
and providing students more effective methods for communicating with employers
about skills & knowledge bases gained in our courses and programs
Create signals for students to pathway opportunities towards desired employment
outcomes
Design entry ramps and bridges amongst portfolio programs to increase access to high
quality business education
Design smaller, employer-valued education programs that increases access and
speeds time from the start of a program to a desired employment outcome
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9. BADGING OPPORTUNITIES
Texas Executive Education Courses & Certificate Programs
McCombs Career Accelerator Courses & Certificate Programs
Graduate Extracurricular & Co-Curricular Significant Accomplishments
Graduate Certificate Programs
Pre-Graduate Preparation Courses & Programs
Undergraduate Business Degree Skills & Knowledge Base Pathways
Undergraduate Business Certificate & Minor Skills & Knowledge Base Pathways
Undergraduate Extracurricular & Co-Curricular Significant Accomplishments
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10. • Sharing on LinkedIn – in “Licenses & Certifications” section of user’s profile
• For more details on sharing badges on LinkedIn, check the Appendix
SHARING BADGES
Link to Badgr’s page
that verifies badge
awarded to user
Information is prepopulated
but can be edited
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NOT the badge
image; this is the
picture in the
issuer’s LinkedIn
profile

11. • Sharing on LinkedIn – as a post
• For more details on sharing badges on LinkedIn, check the Appendix
SHARING BADGES
Optional text
entered by
user
Link to Badgr’s page
that verifies badge
awarded to user
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12. MSB Internal Process
1. Discovery meeting between MOII and MSB program/department interested in badging
2. MSB program/department completes Understanding Digital Badges training
3. MOII and MSB program/department collaborate to create, refine, and finalize detail of
badge(s)/pathway(s)
4. MSB Leadership approves badge(s)/pathway(s)
PROCESS OVERVIEW
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13. UT Process
1. Badge requestor submits badge request form to Badge Review Board (BRB)
i. For MSB badges, this is MOII’s Educational Technologist
2. BRB Administrator reviews request form
i. Completion badges: request form approved by BRB Administrator
ii. Competence badges: request form routed by BRB Administrator to BRB member with
expertise in the domain/field in question for approval
3. Once approved, CSU’s designated staff member creates badge in Badgr Pro platform
i. For MSB badges, this is MOII’s Educational Technologist
PROCESS OVERVIEW
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