4.3. Open Digital Badges

Many of the characteristics of Open Digital Badges make them well suited to support personalised ways of learning and allow learners to choose their own pathways through learning content. 

Open Digital Badges are:

• free and open: a free software and an open technical standard allow any organisation to use, create, issue and verify Open Digital Badges;
• transferable: badges earned in one environment can be shared in another - they can be transferred from one backpack to another and from one online platform to another;
• stackable: badges from one organisation’s system can build upon ones from another system and be stacked to tell the full story of learner’s skills and achievements;
• evidence-based: each badge has metadata which is hard-coded into the badge image file that links back to the issuer, criteria and verifying evidence (Mozilla, 2019, para. 3).

Image Source: Bryan Mathers image collection 

Goldberg adds transportability and the granularity. Transportability refers to the ability of the badge to follow the badge earner through his lifetime and be recognised in a variety of environments. Granularity emphasises the need for specific data and details about why and how the badge was earned, so that anyone viewing it will have a clear understanding of the competencies of the badge owner (Virkus, 2019).