Student Perceptions of the First Digital Badging Experience at Costa Rica’s State University of Distance Education

Abstract

This full paper shows the perception of a group of students at the Costa Rica’s State University of Distance Education, UNED, who received their first digital badge after participating in a course/workshop aimed at developing basic research skills. The course/workshop was offered by UNED’s Student Observatory based on its Guide for formative research. A questionnaire was designed consisting of close-ended and open-ended items. The instrument was built upon researchers’ main concerns and upon insights from other studies on this topic available in the literature. After a revision process, the final version of the questionnaire included six demographic variables and 40 items to delve into particular dimensions of the students’ experience with digital badges and skill development. Results show a considerable positive impact of the course/workshop content, methodology, tasks and evidence required on the motivation of students toward the development of research skills; data also shows that the used and implementation of digital badges increased students understanding of the value and importance of skills for labour markets.

Keywords

• digital badges
• micro-credentialing
• skill
• distance education
• research