Using Digital Badges to Enhance Research Instruction in Academic Libraries

Abstract

deMaine, S.D., Lemmer, C.A., Keele, B.J., & Alcasid, H. Using digital badges to enhance research instruction in academic libraries. In Eden, B. L. (2015). Enhancing Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century Academic Library: Successful Innovations That Make a Difference. Lanham: Maryland: Scarecrow Press

Using Digital Badges to Enhance First‐Year Information Literacy: A Case Study

“…Badges have the advantage of increasing student engagement by allowing students to complete tasks and provide demonstrations of competence. Small, scaffolded tasks documented using badges to show proficiency boost student feelings of competence and increase their academic engagement (deMaine et al, 2015; Manning et al, 2012). By breaking library instruction into discrete segments that allow students to engage with the instruction on their own terms and get a concrete example of their accomplishment, badges take advantage of these psychological desires.…”

“…A key issue that similar projects must address is stakeholder expectations (deMaine et al, 2015). Although the libraries did not conduct a formal assessment to determine how faculty perceived the online course, it appears that instructors believed that the asynchronous instruction available through the Canvas course was to replace the synchronous instruction provided by subject librarians.…”

“…The project moved away from a model of standalone quizzes or Canvas modules, which presented the challenge of communicating student scores to instructors. Digital badges solved this problem (deMaine et al, 2015; Parker, 2015; Rimland & Raish, 2019). Micro‐credentials like badges allow students to document learning experiences that do not appear on transcripts and send individual certifications to instructors or employers to provide evidence of learning.…”

“…Micro‐credentials like badges allow students to document learning experiences that do not appear on transcripts and send individual certifications to instructors or employers to provide evidence of learning. Open badging systems also allow students to post links to badges on websites or social media platforms (deMaine et al, 2015; Parker, 2015; Rimland & Raish, 2019).…”