Case Study
How Digital Badges are igniting life-long learning at scale in Cities across the UK.
Locations
Brighton (pilot) 2019
Plymouth (pilot) 2019
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough - 2021
Southampton - 2022
Belfast - 2022
Bradford - 2022
Tees Valley - 2022
Design, consultancy & a mobile platform by Navigatr is supporting the RSA to implement a digital badge standard as an way to recognise skills, informed by local stakeholders and endorsed by City & Guilds.
Client
The Royal Society of Arts (The RSA)
Year
2016
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA) is a renowned organisation dedicated to advancing social progress and fostering innovation in the United Kingdom. This case study explored how they have leveraged Digital Badges as part of their Cities of Learning initiative to address the barriers communities face to accessing learning opportunities due to socioeconomic constraints and lack of awareness and provide individuals with tangible evidence of their achievements and skills.
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 The RSA Cities of Learning
“We recognised that limited access to learning opportunities was holding back many talented individuals in our communities. We wanted to change at and ensure everyone had the chance to thrive."
Between April and October 2017, the RSA, in collaboration with Digitalme, partnered with Brighton, Plymouth, and Greater Manchester to initiate the inaugural phase of the UK Cities of Learning initiative.
During this period, the project team conducted a series of learner focus groups and co-design workshops involving diverse stakeholders from various sectors and backgrounds within each city. These stakeholders included local employers, educational institutions, informal learning organisations, cultural and arts institutions, heritage organisations, non-profit entities, and public services.
Employing a collaborative design approach, these workshops served as a platform for city stakeholders to achieve the following objectives: gain a comprehensive understanding of the implications of a City of Learning for their respective communities, identify local priorities, pinpoint emerging and underrepresented sectors, define skill requirements, target specific age groups (initially focusing on 14-25-year-olds), and map out the existing learning opportunities and provisions within each city.
During this collaborative process, discussions also centered around the necessity for leadership, networks, and the creation of a prototype platform. These elements were further explored, developed, and tested, forming the foundation for a blueprint outlining the strategies for implementing meaningful change within the Cities of Learning framework.
2017
Learner Focus Groups
2017
Co-Design Workshop Plymouth
2017
Co-Design Workshop Brighton
2017
Prototype testing
2017
Badge Framework development
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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