Digital Badging, Information Literacy, and Business School Curriculum: preparing students for the workplace through micro-credentials

As digital badging expands its reach into higher education, the merits of using badges in information literacy instruction grow more compelling. Badging allows students to demonstrate acquired skills to future employers in areas such as library research by showing earned competencies, which are shareable on platforms such as LinkedIn. Badges also familiarize students with the concept of micro-credentials, which they are likely to encounter in their careers. Over the last two years, librarians at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) have developed an information literacy game and digital badge that are embedded into the Peter T. Paul School of Business and Economics’ First-Year Experience program. This project demonstrates the interplay among badging, business school curriculum, and the business world, while integrating the library as a leader in student skill development to enable success in the workforce. The presenter will examine the value of incorporating digital badging into information literacy work done with business school students. Using UNH’s program as an example, discussion will revolve around the impact of information literacy digital badges on student learning and success, the value of embedding information literacy into business school curriculum through badging, and how badging familiarizes students with workplace micro-credentials