Information Literacy instruction and online learning: making the case for incorporating digital badges
Session Format
In-person Full Paper Presentation
Conference Tracks
Library Instruction and Instruction Design; Outreach, Services, and Programs
Short Description
Digital badges are increasing in currency value, both in higher education and professional settings, to articulate, display, and share learned skills and earned credentials. This paper explores the potential value of utilizing digital badges in conjunction with information literacy teaching and learning for students enrolled in distance education courses. Topics of discussion include reviewing cases of how libraries have incorporated digital badges into information literacy curriculum, an overview of challenges to providing and assessing information literacy in online environments, and how utilizing digital badges could provide solutions to the current challenges.
Long Description
Digital badges are growing currency value in both higher education and professional settings to articulate, display, and share learned skills and earned credentials. This brings new opportunities for librarians to deliver and create context for information literacy skills, as they often teach outside of the traditional credit-based structure of higher education. This paper explores the potential value of utilizing digital badges in conjunction with information literacy teaching and learning for students enrolled in distance education courses. One area of discussion will include reviewing cases of how librarians have incorporated digital badges into information literacy curriculum to illustrate examples of implementation, including the author’s own experiences. Another topic for discussion is an overview of challenges involving information literacy in online learning environments, including for delivery of instruction, integration into courses and programs, and assessment methods of instruction in online settings. The paper culminates in showing how digital badges could provide solutions to the discussed challenges, while also examining the potential of badging to contextualize information literacy as a workforce skill.
Learning Objectives
-Attendees will become familiar with trends and use of digital badges, with an emphasis on adoption of digital badges for information literacy instruction by librarians.
- Attendees will gain an understanding of potential application of digital badges for information literacy in library instruction in online education environments.
Information Literacy instruction and online learning: making the case for incorporating digital badges
Digital badges are growing currency value in both higher education and professional settings to articulate, display, and share learned skills and earned credentials. This brings new opportunities for librarians to deliver and create context for information literacy skills, as they often teach outside of the traditional credit-based structure of higher education. This paper explores the potential value of utilizing digital badges in conjunction with information literacy teaching and learning for students enrolled in distance education courses. One area of discussion will include reviewing cases of how librarians have incorporated digital badges into information literacy curriculum to illustrate examples of implementation, including the author’s own experiences. Another topic for discussion is an overview of challenges involving information literacy in online learning environments, including for delivery of instruction, integration into courses and programs, and assessment methods of instruction in online settings. The paper culminates in showing how digital badges could provide solutions to the discussed challenges, while also examining the potential of badging to contextualize information literacy as a workforce skill.