What are Digital Credentials?

In this growing digital world where traditional brick & mortar has been replaced by e-commerce or digital marketing, there’s been a new addition in terms of recognizing a credential or achievement through ‘Digital Credentials’.

Digital Credential is the instant way to verify and manage your digital certificates, digital badges and achievements online. 

What qualifies as Digital Badges and Digital Certificates?

Both Digital Badges and Digital Certificates are achievements or awards one has earned through an online platform. These could be earned through education, an accomplishment of skill, professional entitlement or on completion of a successful project.

Digital Badges and Digital Certificates also serve as a significant way to verify the authenticity of an individual’s credentials.

Let’s get to know Digital badges and Digital Certificates individually:

Digital Badges or e-Badges represent an individual’s credential of an organization, skill, qualification or an accomplishment in a digital form and also help verify or display the same. These badges are usually used for low-stakes credentials and are still in the early stages of development for high-stakes credentials.  Digital Badges have a minimal look to them and are designed in a way that reflects the respective credential. 

• In order to issue or display digital badges across online websites and non-profit organizations, Mozilla Foundation developed a technical standard known as Open Badges in 2011

Digital Certificates are the digital equivalent to represent paper-based certificates. As compared to digital badges, digital certificates are used to represent high-stakes credential received after completion of an academic degree or on completion of a project or a course.

Importance of Digital Credentials:

Digital Credentials have been in existence for a decade now but recent years have seen significant growth in ensuring  the validity of digital badges and digital certificates and will surely prove to be a game-changer in the coming years and here’s why:

• Verification:

With digital credentials, it is easy for a hiring company or an organization to verify the credentials of an individual’s skill, qualification and accomplishment. Open badges, the technical standard for digital badges are backed with meta-data and help showcase the real value or authenticity of the potential credential leaving minimal to no chance for an employee to falsify or alter their credentials.

For example, Mr A had to identify and connect with a specified skilled candidate. Through the candidate’s digital certificates and badges, it was easier and less time consuming for him to verify the authenticity of the candidate’s credentials and connect with the right person.

• Shareable and Portable:

For a recipient, Digital credentials play a big role in managing and displaying their qualification and achievements. Digital credential are easily portable and can be shared through any online platform such as social media or through email. This turns out to be advantageous as digital credentials save both time and cost, improve the credibility of your profile or resume and help track engagement.

For example, The interviewer has asked Ms Z to provide valid proof of her qualification. Ms Z then refers her interviewer to her Digital Badges and Digital Certifications which are easily portable and shareable. This provided Ms Z to showcase her skills and qualifications.

Digital Credential Management:

One can manage their digital credentials through ‘Digital Credentials Management Platforms’ where they provide quality-checked processes for an organization or individual who wish to certify their course, event, project or licenses.

Digital credential management platform provides a variety of templates for your digital certificates, digital badges and helps integrate them into LMS’ or social media platforms for sharing and tracking engagement.

Note that, to be qualified for Digital Credential Management, one must have the following features in its product:

• Automation: Digital credentials, it’s design and process must be issued  through an automated system 

• Storage and Sharing of digital certificates, digital badges, digital achievements must be managed

• Integration: Digital credentials must be integrated through leading LMS’