The Educational Research Institute is developing an application for issuing digital badges and PDF certificates. Badge+ is based on the Open Badges standard, but Polish specialists have added their own innovative solutions.
Digital microcredentials are spreading all over the world. Poland has created a system that organises and simplifies the processes of issuing, collecting and sharing such information. The Badge+ application was developed at the Educational Research Institute as part of the project for supporting the development of the integrated qualifications system, particularly at the regional level, through the implementation of solutions and initiatives addressed to the system’s end users. The project has been partly financed by the European Union under the operational programme Knowledge Education Development.
The Badge+ application (Odznaka+) will be available to badge earners (individual users who want to certify their skills and competences and meet the specific criteria for obtaining a digital badge) and to badge issuers (representatives of organisations, e.g. companies or universities). Access to the badges – if their holder makes them available – will also be viewed by ‘recipients', people who do not have an account in the system but are interested in the requirements to confirm a given skill.
The Badge+ application is based on the international Open Badges standard, which guarantees its high technological quality and security. However, Polish specialists also incorporated several innovations in the app, such as the possibility of creating digital portfolios in the system, which can replace traditional CVs.
Badge+ application status
The Badge+ app is currently being tested by its first users – badge issuers: representatives of schools, universities, private companies, non-governmental organisations, sports clubs, and national sports associations. Working with such entities helps the Badge+ development team attain the highest standards for issuing badges. Testing of the application will finish in September 2023. Meantime, the development of the application will continue.
The Badge+ team is also familiarising the public in Poland with the concept of microcredentials and the application itself. Participation in national educational or sporting events, such as the 11th National Championships of Mechanics 2022, the first National IT Championships in 2022 or the 12th National Championships of Mechanics 2023, has been an important part of these activities. The Educational Research Institute has also prepared videos and expert statements to explain the idea of microcredentials, the potential for their use and the resulting benefits, as well as to provide knowledge about the Open Badges standard and the Badge+ application that uses it.
Further improvement work is planned, including testing its application in microcredentials in ICT skills next autumn or its integration with other national ICT solutions that enable citizens to access public e-services.
The Badge+ application is expected to be available and implemented by the end of 2023.
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Experts’ statements
- IBE experts, part II: education 4.0 - Michal Nowakowski
- IBE experts, part IV: micro-certificates and Open Badge - Michal Nowakowski
- IBE experts, part V: the Badge+ application - Michał Nowakowski
- Micro-certifications and Polish application Badge+
Videos
- Learning doesn't stop at school. Lifelong learning and new technologies, Part I
- Education in a world of new technologies. Lifelong learning and new technologies, Part II
- ZSK and Regional Centres for ZSK and LLL. Lifelong learning and new technologies, Part III
- Towards the goal in small steps: Microclaims and OpenBadges, Part IV
- Badge+ application. Lifelong learning and new technologies, Part V
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Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Poland; Cedefop (2023). Poland: Badge+, testing new tool for digital badges. National news on VET |