December 2024
The DigCompAE (Adult Education) project is one of a number of strategic European initiatives for the development, transfer, and implementation of innovative practices in adult education, with the aim of holistically integrating the European Digital Competence Framework into training courses aimed at different and often vulnerable target groups.
For CEFAL, participation in the DigComp AE project represents a strategic opportunity to translate European guidelines into concrete training actions in the field, enriching vocational education and training courses and programs aimed at vulnerable individuals with digital tools that are usable and recognized at European level.
In view of this, CEFAL has recently introduced the use of Open Badges, an innovative tool for the recognition and digital certification of skills, in line with European standards.
An Open Badge is a digital micro-credential that differs from a traditional certificate in that it is not a simple static document, but a dynamic image containing metadata. By clicking on the badge, you can access a range of additional information: the course program attended, the content learned, the level of skills achieved, and the institutions involved in the issuance. This makes Open Badges transparent, verifiable, and shareable: they can be easily integrated into a digital CV, on LinkedIn, or other professional platforms, increasing the visibility and usability of skills.
For management and issuance, CEFAL has adopted the C-Box platform, which allows the entire badge cycle to be monitored: from data entry to issuance, to checking 'assertions' (i.e., verifying whether the badge has been opened and accepted by the recipient). It is possible to manage public or private badges, issue them to individuals or groups, attach documents (with attention to privacy), make the issue date retro , and possibly add endorsements from other entities (e.g., partner universities, European organizations).
CEFAL has purchased two types of badges:
- Open Badge: more generic, used to certify attendance or participation in courses.
- Competence Badge: more detailed, designed to certify specific skills, including transversal skills, and particularly suitable for the context of vocational education and training.
