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The motivation to earn digital badges: a large-scale study of online courses.

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Title: The motivation to earn digital badges: a large-scale study of online courses.
Authors: Law, Patrina1 patrinajlaw@gmail.com, Storrar, Rosie1
Source: Distance Education. May2025, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p190-208. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Online education, *Digital badges in education, *Higher education, *Professional education, Digital technology
Abstract: Digital badges as a recognition for learning, can motivate, provide a means to demonstrate credibility and professional development, and allow learners to showcase their skills and interests. They are an important means to recognise non-accredited learning and can be delivered in agile, educational or professional settings. The Open University UK (OU), has issued over a quarter of a million digital badges via their free online learning platform OpenLearn as recognition for completing and passing free, assessed online courses. This study examines data from over 25,000 survey responses completed by learners who had studied a course that offers an OU OpenLearn digital badge. It builds on previous studies and explores badge earning motivation, related demographic profiles and desire for demonstrating achievements. Data supports the key message that digital badges have a role in supporting employment goals and personal fulfilment, and are an important tool in motivating engagement in lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Distance Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink>. May2025, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p190-208. 19p.
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  Data: Digital badges as a recognition for learning, can motivate, provide a means to demonstrate credibility and professional development, and allow learners to showcase their skills and interests. They are an important means to recognise non-accredited learning and can be delivered in agile, educational or professional settings. The Open University UK (OU), has issued over a quarter of a million digital badges via their free online learning platform OpenLearn as recognition for completing and passing free, assessed online courses. This study examines data from over 25,000 survey responses completed by learners who had studied a course that offers an OU OpenLearn digital badge. It builds on previous studies and explores badge earning motivation, related demographic profiles and desire for demonstrating achievements. Data supports the key message that digital badges have a role in supporting employment goals and personal fulfilment, and are an important tool in motivating engagement in lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Distance Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/01587919.2024.2338732
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        Text: English
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