Summary
Edubadges and Bonus Badges are digital certificates that are verifiable. They can be published on social media. They can also be included in a digital portfolio. These badges can be used to give expression to a personal development path completed during studies and, for later, during careers.

Education in which a curriculum set by the institute determines what must be learned is increasingly giving way to education that matches a student's personal learning needs. As a result of this flexibilisation, companies increasingly value the story behind the diploma when applying for jobs.

Development during, but also after studies, is a personal story, which the student shapes and contents himself but in which verifiable Edubadges are valuable pieces of evidence.

An Edubadge is a secure digitally verifiable proof of a learning achievement. Verification takes place by clicking on it. An Edubadge is displayed with an image but also contains information about the level, scope and content of the learning achievement (metadata).

Edubadges can be included by students in their digital portfolio and can be published on social networks such as LinkedIn, for example. The portfolio can grow further after graduation.

Students can also add Edubadges for extra curricular activities. These are called Bonus Badges. Currently, Edubagdes exist for Global Acting and Impact on Society. Other Bonusbadges are in the pipeline, such as for Identity, Lab-Skills and Cyber Security. Students can also add Edubadges to their digital portfolio, awarded by other institutions or their (later) employer.

Surf is a Dutch foundation that provides services to educational institutions in the Netherlands, including a management environment for Edubadges. Surf is a valued and reliable partner in education. Edubadges are created, stored and managed in the Edubadges portal set up by the Surf foundation. Management is carried out by designated persons within Fontys.

Like Edubadges, providing an edID is a service provided by Surf to identify individuals. An Eduid is required to assign an Edubadge to a person. Students request an eduID once. The student can choose which e-mail address to link to it. With a view to completing their studies, an e-mail address independent of Fontys fits best.

Figure 1 shows an example of an Edubadge for Semester 1 ICT & Software Engineering full-time and part-time over autumn 2020. Also shown are two examples of informal Edubadges, also known as Bonus Badges.

Figure 1
Examples of Edubadges for Semester 1 ICT & Software Engineering and Bonus Badges for Impact on Society and Global Acting at Fontys ICT.

Edubadges were first awarded to students who completed Semester1 in autumn 2020. Since then, the target group has expanded by one semester each semester. This type of Edubadge, linked to the achievement of a semester, is called “formal Edubadges” or Edubadges for short. This represents a unit of study included in the TER and to which ECTS are linked. In addition, there are “informal Edubadges” or Bonus Badges. For example, for administratively active students, students who are internationally active or students who are socially active.

The creation, management and issuing of Edubadges and Bonus Badges is carried out by the Student Desk.

Technically, these processes run through Surf's Edubadges portal. There are three entries on this page. The issuer portal is for management and issuance. This is the entrance for the Student Desk. The backpack is for claiming and publishing Edubadges. This is the entry point for the recipient of an Edubadge or Bonus Badge. Finally, in the public catalogue, anyone can see which institution and in which institute certain classes have been made.

Before an Edubadge or Bonus Badge can be issued, an Edubadge class must be created. A class is a recipe for creating an Edubadge. When a badge is issued, it is created according to the class and at the same time it is associated with a person.

The class determines which metadata such as learning outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs) will be linked to the badge. The visual representation of the badge is also determined in the class.

The learning outcomes and key performance indicators are extracted from the Curriculum Database. As soon as the programme guides are published, which is a week before the programme implementation starts, in principle the creation of the Edubadge classes for that programme implementation can be started. Issuing the Edubadges can be handled soon after the semester is completed: as soon as the study results are known.

The “ Rulesbook Edubadges” specifies Edubadge classes for Bachelor, Associate degree, Full-time, Education for Profesionals, the accelerated programme and the various didactic delivery modes. The specifications in the Rulesbook are closely related to the curriculum. It has therefore been agreed that curriculum managers are familiar with the “Rulesbook Edubadges” and pass it on to the Edubadges working group if there are any changes. For example, it states that multiple badges can be awarded for the first semester if a student in the in-depth phase takes and achieves multiple directions at the same time. Another example of what it says is that there is only one Edubadge class for internship and graduation as long as there are no approved directions yet.

The issuing of Edubadges follows the so-called direct award method. That is, a list of candidates is uploaded by the Student Desk, who are eligible for a particular Edubadge. These candidates then automatically end up in the recipients' backpack. The recipient is notified of this through an e-mail from Surf. The e-mail enables the recipient to claim the badge awarded to him or her and make it public so that it becomes available for publication. This method is more efficient and manageable than one where the student has to apply for an Edubadge themselves.

When creating a class for a Bonus Badge, the details will be taken from the programme approved by the examination board. The design is done in line with the already existing Bonus badges. A Bonus badge always has variants with one, two and three stars. In principle, the Bonusbadges can be awarded immediately after assessors have passed on to the Student Desk that a Bonusbadge has been awarded. If necessary, this can also be delayed until the end of the semester, so that Edubadges (completion of semester) and Bonusbadges can be issued at the same time.

At the moment, it is not yet possible to issue Edubadges for the personal programme OpenLearning. The reason for this is that we are not yet able to extract those required data per semester from the information systems for these students. As soon as this is possible, the key performance indicators per student for that semester can be filled in when issuing the relevant Edubadge. The Edubadge class then uses the so-called “narrative” field for this purpose and the class also configures that this field must be completed when the Edubadge is issued.

The Edubadges working group has the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Is first point of contact for everything related to Edubadges;
• Meets four or five times every six months;
• Has representatives from II&A, information management and the Student Desk. Legal support is available if needed;
• Makes internal policy and coordinates with stakeholders such as examination board, Curriuculum development committee (OO) and Fontys ICT Leadershipteam
• Liaises and collaborates with Surf on a nationwide basis;
• Together with marketing and communication, ensures the design of the badges and awareness of Edubadges and Bonus Badges among employees and students. Through a workshop, students in the first semester are informed about Edubadges and how to obtain their first Edubadge. This workshop is conducted in all variants of the first semester as part of professional development.

There is also a steering group of Edubadges with the following features:

• Representatives sitting from: the examination board, the person responsible for Edubadges from the Fontys ICT Leadershipteam, the Edubadges working group and the Student Desk;
• The Edubadges steering group meets every six months;
• The purpose of the steering committee is for the steering committee members to inform each other, outline and actively monitor developments.

Fontys ICT has participated in the national microcredentials pilot until 2022. Microcredentials will also be issued through the Edubadge platform in the pilot. A microcredential is an Edubadge with the special feature “microcredential”. There are also agreements on design and quality. A microcredential in the national pilot is issued for a learning achievement delivered as part of an accreditation-worthy non-government-funded study programme. This is a narrower definition than that agreed at European level. Fontys ICT participated in the pilot on the basis of the so-called “Make IT Work” programme, together with and following the model of the University of Applied Sciences of Amsterdam and with yet other universities of applied sciences. Unfortunately, this programme stopped at Fontys ICT, removing the basis for participation in the national pilot.

Upcoming steps and goals listed:

• The aim is to lift the above mentioned restrictions. We will also issue Edubadges for the personalised programme;
• Edubadges or Bonus Badges are being considered for employees as part of their personal development plan.

Other sources of in formation about Edubadges can be found mainly at Surf. Here you will find tutorials (on how to apply for or claim Edubadges):

Tutorials

There is also a wiki with general information:

Edubagdes Wiki.

These sites are available in Dutch and English.

Finally, some references to relevant documents:

1. Vision on microcredentials
2. Rulesbook
3. Fontys ICT student square Edubadges
4. European agreements on microcredentials

If one wants to get in touch with a person, it is best to find out who in the Leadershipteam is responsible for Edubadges. He or she may still be able to refer to someone else such as the chairman of the working group, for example.