Which Digital Credential should you use?

Digital credentials that come with blockchain technology have risen to popularity in the past few years for its cost-effective, secure and easy to verify factors.

Digital Credentials are of two types: Digital Badges and Digital Certificates. Understanding each credential individually can help have a better understanding to choose between both wisely.

What are Digital Badges?

Digital Badges are low-stake credentials and are still developing and evolving. They are issued and rewarded to people for their achievement, skills, progress or interests. Digital badges are the most effective way to recognise and acknowledge a personal interest or skill.

Digital badges became popular through Openbadges which was founded by Mozilla and co-authored by Peer2Peer university in 2011. Digital badges are backed with meta-data and are traceable. This helps verify the legitimacy of the credential issued and the contents of the badge.

Digital badges can be gamified to engage and motivate the learners and professionals to participate and progress. Digital badges can be issued for both soft skills and hard skills and help advance professional development.

What are Digital Certificates?

Digital certificates are the virtual equivalent to paper-based certifications. They can be issued in any format like PDF, XML, PEM or PMX. Digital certificates that are issued through a blockchain-backed digital credential platform helps facilitate and issue the certification in a simplistic and less time-consuming manner.

Blockchain technology is the most secure way to issue digital certificates as they come with bank-level security. The digital certificates issued are stored in digital databases and digital ledgers through blockchain technology that makes them traceable and verifiable.

Digital certificates are enabled with secure encryption and come with a digital key or password that secures the document from getting manipulated, forged or a victim of cyberattacks. The digital signature verifies the legitimacy of the credential issued and the contents of the credentials.

What Digital Credentials should you use?

Both Digital badges and digital certificates are easy to share and port. Digital credentials can be shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or social networking sites like LinkedIn or via email. Sharing the credentials helps both the organisation and the recipient to create their brand value.

Digital certificates could be issued on successful completion of an educational course, educational qualification, educational degree or diploma. Digital certificates are issued to acknowledge participation, loyalty and engagement. Apart from that, identification documents and security clearances can also be digitalised.

Digital badges as mentioned earlier, are low stake credentials and can be issued to acknowledge the valuable skills, talent or interest of the person. Digital badges could also be issued as staked credentials, for example, when a person completes one section or module of the entire course, he will receive a stacked credential in form of a digital badge that displays the accomplishment of that skill, in this way the person can accumulate his credentials throughout the course completion period.

In Conclusion:

Both Digital Badges and Digital certificates have their own needs in this evolving and rapidly advancing digital world. Digital certificates are high-stake credentials whereas digital badges are low-stake credentials. Both credentials can be issued based on the structure and requirements of the certification program.