This page will introduce you to some of the digital badges that Penn State has. So what exactly is a digital badge?? You can think of a digital badge as a visual representation of some skill or competency that you have learned. Digital badges allow you to have a record of what you have learned, especially out of the classroom learning events. Here at the library, we have created a series of digital badges related to information literacy (you know the how do I find a resource, how do I know it is good, and how do I produce original knowledge using that resource) to help strengthen your ability to produce information. We encourage you to complete a badge to learn more about specific skills like citing, project management, or understanding the filter bubble of the internet and a librarian will give you individualized feedback on your progress and work. Want to know more about badges? Check out the video below.
The Penn State University Libraries have been innovators in digital badges. This video explains the digital badges and what they are used for.
Penn State has its own badging system that you can use to earn different digital badges. There are many more badges than just the information literacy badges. However, we will direct you to the information literacy badges for the purpose of this guide on how to use the library.
Adding a digital badge to your learning pathway to earn is quite simple! A digital badge is broken down into a series of steps and each step is evaluated by a librarian where we look at your work and if you have met the learning outcomes for that badge. After you have successfully completed all of the steps the badge will be awarded to you. You can keep this badge within Penn State or export it to systems like the Mozilla backpack or even your LinkedIn profile!