Digital Badges: A Tool for Embedded Library Instruction

Digital badges, much like embroidered scouting badges, signify an earner’s skills. In higher education educators are using badges to certify student achievements. Badges communicate to students, faculty, and the public what skills students earn during their course of study much better than can a letter grade, certificate, or diploma. This session will begin with a theoretical background informing badging including: gamification, motivation, neoliberalization of education, technological innovation, and competency-based curriculum. Next we will discuss how our team --three Community Health professors and one librarian from Portland State University -- embedded badges for information literacy into three undergraduate Community Health courses during Fall 2014. Finally, we will present what we learned from the experience. By discussing our learning outcomes-based approach to instructional design, “how tos” of implementing badge technology, and discussing lessons learned, session attendees will discover ways to approach and implement badges at their home institutions.