Australian University Eyes Use of Badging for Credit
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 08/19/15
An Australian university with an international online student body expects to begin accepting digital badging in 2016 that could reduce the
amount of time required for people to obtain their master's degrees in IT. The announcement, which involves
Deakin University, actually came from its wholly-owned subsidiary,
DeakinDigital. The latter offers an alternative to higher education by assessing
professionals and granting them credentials based on what they know.
DeakinDigital has just struck an agreement whereby its users can manage and share the digital badges they earn through
Credly, a platform for managing "lifelong" credentials. Through Credly, badges can be added
to LinkedIn, employer resource management systems, e-portfolios and social networks.
According to DeakinDigital, the university will launch a "professional practice" capstone unit in its information technology program next
year that could cut the amount of time and cost for earning a master's degree in half. Through a pathway program, a person could obtain the
degree by completing a "suite of credentials" through DeakinDigital along with a single unit of study at the university. Credly will provide
the platform to manage those credentials.
The assessment process has two stages. First, the person provides "reflective testimony and evidence" regarding qualifications. Second, an
interviewer performs a 1-to-1 video interview to ask the candidate questions about the submission.
"We believe credentials are the new currency for careers, and are delighted to be partnering with Credly to promote the recognition and
adoption of badges and credentialing as an alternative to traditional education models," said DeakinDigital CEO, Allyn Radford, in a prepared
statement.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.