Prepare for Success: Designing a Digital Badge Program with a School–University Partnership

In higher education, digital badging programs can supplement a student's degree by helping them connect their experiences on-campus to those outside of the classroom, encouraging them to think and apply the knowledge they gain from their college or university to real-world situations. This article discusses the perceptions of participants in a pilot digital badge program to identify important milestones, collaborative efforts, and barriers believed to be instrumental in designing a successful digital badge initiative through a school–university partnership. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand how students and members of a school–university partnership perceived the use of an earned digital badge to embrace the legitimacy of instructional technology competencies that can be used as career currency. Data collection included student and partner interviews, badge assessment results, and meeting documentation. Results of the study were framed using Rogers’ (2003) innovation diffusion theory to identify the critical characteristics of the pilot digital badge initiative through a school–university partnership. Results found that relevance to professional opportunities, value to stakeholders, and sustainability plans contributed to relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and observability. Additionally, results found communication and timing contributed to complexity barriers. Results of the current study will be used to further develop a successful digital badge initiative through an ongoing school–university partnership.