Case Study
Belfast Metropolitan College are supporting students for a future in the Digital Industry with digital badge pathways.
We sat down with David Phelan, Business Development Executive at Belfast Metropolitan College to talk about how the 'Get into Digital' Programme - Part of Belfast City of Learning and Endorsed by the Northern Ireland Office and Department for Economy is combining formal and industry led learning experiences with digital badges to empower Futures in the Digital and Media industry.
Increased course inquires from badges shared.
Plan to roll out to 5 courses.
93% programme completion rate.
Belfast Metropolitan College, a prominent educational institution in Northern Ireland, has harnessed the power of digital badges through the Navigatr platform, revolutionising their approach to education. This case study explores how Belfast Met leveraged digital badges to enhance their educational offerings, providing learners with tangible evidence of their achievements and boosting their employability.
The Programmes and Goals
Belfast Met offers several programmes, such as Innovative Switch (tailored up-skilling for SMEs), Scallop (fully funded qualifications for individuals over 18), and Connected (knowledge-sharing on emerging technologies and product development). The college's primary objective is to provide individuals and businesses with the opportunity to acquire new skills, aligning with Northern Ireland's high-growth sectors.
About Belfast Metropolitan College
Belfast Metropolitan College is dedicated to fostering economic growth and development in Northern Ireland.
Their programmes align with the Department of the Economy's "Ten X" economic strategy, focusing on high-growth technologies and sectors.
The college offers a diverse range of programmes, both accredited and non-accredited, aimed at equipping individuals and small businesses with valuable skills.
“The college's primary focus is to equip individuals and companies with new skills in emerging sectors within Northern Ireland…. enabling individuals and small businesses to acquire these skills, integrating them into professional contexts and employability journeys. The emphasis on digital badges underscores the commitment to tangible recognition, addressing the challenge of non-tangible learning outcomes often associated with non-accredited experiences.”
David Phelan, Business Development Executive within Belfast Metropolitan College
Leveraging Digital Badges
Digital badges have become an integral part of Belfast Met's programmes, adding a tangible dimension to learners' accomplishments.
These badges serve two key purposes:
Tangible Evidence: Learners receive digital badges that they can showcase in their CVs, job applications, or professional portfolios. For businesses, these badges facilitate lifelong learning for their staff.
Social Sharing: Learners are encouraged to share their badges on social media, enabling them to highlight their achievements and enhance their online presence.
Blending Formal and Informal Learning
Belfast Met's unique approach involves combining formal accredited qualifications with industry-led workshops. For example, they introduced a "Get Into Digital" programme that includes a formal Level 3 Award in Film and TV Production alongside industry workshops. This combination equips learners with practical skills in addition to a recognised qualification.
Learner Response and Outcomes
Learners have responded positively to this approach. Notably, Belfast Met's participants come from a diverse age range, from 18-year-olds to nearly 70-year-olds. Even older learners have recognised the value of digital badges, particularly when seeking to further develop specific skills. The ability to showcase these badges online has enhanced their appeal.
Out of 15 initial participants, 14 successfully completed the programme including the full digital badge pathway. The social sharing of badges also led to an increase in inquiries and interest in the programmes.
“We had a wide range I suppose, age range as well. So we had and I think 18 year old and we had I think the oldest learner was and nearly 70 - learners really appreciated the digital badge as well… it's something that’s tangible to take forward and we've had nothing but positive feedback on the digital version.”
David Phelan, Business Development Executive within Belfast Metropolitan College
Tips and Lessons Learned
Belfast Met offers several tips and lessons for institutions considering the implementation of digital badges:
Create Badges in Advance: Develop digital badges before the programme launches to use them as a marketing tool to attract applicants.
Keep Pathways Clear: Design digital badge pathways with a clear progression and aim for a reasonable number of badges in a pathway, usually between four and six, making it achievable for learners.
Avoid Overcomplication: Ensure that badge issuance is straightforward and easy for students to understand and achieve.
“Every couple of months there are new features and functions deployed on Navigatr and I think with every iteration we've seen massive improvements - it’s really user friendly. Once you have your, first couple of badges under your belt you understand how to build the learning outcomes into your badges, it becomes second nature.'“
David Phelan, Business Development Executive within Belfast Metropolitan College
Navigatr Platform Experience
The college commends Navigatr for its user-friendly interface and regular updates. The analytics function has been invaluable for tracking badge issuance and acceptance, ensuring learners receive their badges promptly.
Additionally, the bulk badge issuance feature has been a significant time-saver for programmes with numerous participants, making badge distribution more efficient.
Future Prospects
Belfast Met envisions digital badges playing a more prominent role in their programmes, especially for project-based learning and short-term industry-specific courses. As the educational landscape evolves in the region, digital badges are expected to play a vital role in providing evidence and verification of learners' skills and knowledge.
Conclusion
Belfast Metropolitan College's successful use of digital badges through Navigatr underscores the importance of recognising and validating learners' achievements. Their experience offers valuable insights and best practices for other educational institutions considering the implementation of digital badges in their programmes. By combining formal and informal learning, making badges easy to understand, and leveraging the Navigatr platform, Belfast Met has significantly enhanced the learning experience for their students and improved the visibility of their achievements in the job market.
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