BadgEd (Open Digital Badges)

BadgEd is the open digital badges service for the University of Edinburgh. Digital badges offer a way to recognise verified extra-curricular skills and achievements and a secure way to share them.

What is an open digital badge?

Open digital badges are digital badges that enable you to securely share a wider range of verifiable learning and professional achievements across different platforms, including social media, employability websites, CVs and portfolios.

A digital badge includes a badge image as well as metadata (information) about:

  • the earner
  • the organisation issuing the badge
  • the criteria for earning the badge
  • relevant dates, such as the issue date or an expiry date. 
Image of an example University digital badge over a circuit board behind it and labels for the badge information (metadata).

Open Digital Badges at the University of Edinburgh

The University's BadgEd service has been created to establish, support and grow a University of Edinburgh Open Digital badges experience for staff, students and learners. We provide dedicated resource and relevant business processes to provide expertise, consultancy, advice and support to our BadgEd earners, issuers, Champions, and end users.  

Our Service Level Description outlines the support and services we offer to those using the BadgEd service.  

We work with Canvas Credentials (formerly Badgr) to offer and support a range of University of Edinburgh open digital badges. Have a look at our catalogue to explore the badges currently on offer.

People and roles within BadgEd

Photo of student wearing a red hoodie that says student ambassador on the back.

Earner

The person to whom a badge is awarded (students, staff or external learners).

Two people in an art studio discussing one person's work.

Issuer

The program or department awarding the badge to an earner. The issuer sets what the earner needs to do to get a badge. 

University staff in an office in discussion.

Champion

Staff member who provides expertise and support to badge issuers and other University staff interested in digital badges.

An almost aerial view of a group of five people sitting together and talking.

Governance

Review and approval group for University Open Digital Badge creation requests.

Badge Earners

Find out more about the benefits of digital badges and how to receive and manage your University open digital badges.

Badge Issuers

Advice for issuers on planning, requesting, creating and managing new open digital badges.

Badge Champions

Champions play a key role supporting the creation and issuing of University open digital badges.

Accessibility

Information about how accessible the Open Digital Badges platform is and where to get help using it with assistive technologies.

Privacy Statement

Privacy Statement relating to Open Digital Badges, which provides information about how your data is used when you use the our service.

Guidance and Support

Resources to help staff and students use Open Digital Badges.

Further Information

For requests for new Champions, new Governance, new issuers and new badges, please use the relevant form in the Information Services section of the Unidesk Self-Service Portal, which is available to all University staff. 

Unidesk Self-Service Portal

All staff are invited to our introductory training session. We can also deliver bespoke sessions on application via IS Helpline.

BadgEd: Introducing the Digital Badge service for the University of Edinburgh

If you have other questions about digital badges, please contact us via the IS Helpline with as much detail as possible about your question. 

Contact IS Helpline

Contact us through an online sign language interpreter

British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact the University of Edinburgh via Contact Scotland BSL, the online British Sign Language video relay interpreting service.

Find out more on the Contact Scotland BSL website


Contact Scotland BSL - contact us through a sign language interpreter

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