Goals & Success Metrics

Goals

The primary goals of LUC’s Digital Badging Program are to:

1. Establish a flexible, stackable microcredentialing system
   The digital badging program will create a flexible, stackable microcredentialing system that allows learners to earn digital badges for various levels of earned achievement. This system allows learners to build upon their existing knowledge and skills to complete alternate academic learning pathways tailored to their individual needs and learning goals.
2. Promote quality and consistency for digital credentials
   The Digital Badging Review Committee will provide oversight and governance to the digital badging program to ensure the quality and consistency of digital credentials awarded. This will help to maintain the credibility and value of the digital badges and promote trust among stakeholders.
3. Increase student engagement, motivation, and marketability
   The digital badging program will provide students with a tangible, visible way to showcase earned skills and accomplishments. This aims to motivate students to engage more deeply with course content and work towards achieving skill mastery. It also will provide learners with a verifiable way to promote earned skills to current and future employers.
4. Encourage faculty and staff professional development
   The digital badging program will provide faculty and staff members with a structured way to develop and demonstrate their skills as educators and/or support personnel. This will help to promote a culture of continuous improvement, lifelong learning, and encourage the mastery of best practices.
5. Support the university mission, strategic priorities, and promote brand recognition
   The digital badging program will support the university’s mission and strategic priorities by increasing and enhancing learning opportunities for underserved student populations, the educators who teach them, and other university stakeholders. The digital badging program will also help to increase the visibility and reputation of LUC through the awarding and visibility of high-quality digital credentials.

Success Metrics

These metrics will be reviewed annually by the Digital Badging Review Committee to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the digital badging program. Data to support and measure these metrics can be acquired through a combination of data supplied by the digital badging platform and other methods, including surveys and other assessments methods. Data collection will be a shared process between the Digital Badging Review Committee and the badge issuing unit, based on what data is needed.

1. Badge Completion Rate: This metric measures the overall percentage of participants who successfully complete the requirements for earning digital badges. It provides insight into the program's effectiveness in engaging participants and encouraging their active participation.
2. User Engagement: User engagement metrics assess the level of interaction and involvement of participants within the digital badging program. This can include measuring the number of badges earned per participant, the frequency of badge-related activities, and the average time spent engaging with the program.
3. Badge Utilization: This metric focuses on how often earned digital badges are utilized or displayed by participants. It can be measured by tracking the number of times badges are shared on social media, incorporated into personal websites or portfolios, or displayed within the university's internal systems.
4. Skill Development: A key objective of a digital badging program is to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants. This metric measures the extent to which participants report improvements in specific competencies associated with the badges they have earned. It can be assessed through surveys, interviews, or self-assessment tools.
5. Participant Feedback and Satisfaction: Collecting feedback from participants through surveys or focus groups will provide valuable insights into their satisfaction with the digital badging program. This metric assesses overall participant experience, identifies areas for improvement, and helps gauge the program's impact on motivation, engagement, and professional development.
6. External Recognition and Partnerships: Tracking the program's ability to gain recognition and establish partnerships with external organizations, industry professionals, or other educational institutions can be a valuable metric. This demonstrates the program's credibility, relevance, and potential for participants' future endeavors.
7. Long-term Outcomes: Assessing the long-term impact of the digital badging program can be done through tracking outcomes such as employment rates, career advancement, or further educational pursuits of participants who have completed badges. This metric provides insights into the program's effectiveness in facilitating meaningful outcomes beyond the university setting.

The specific metrics and their weight may vary based on the goals and objectives of the overall digital badging program, individual badge collections, as well as the resources available for evaluation and measurement.