How Virginia Tech is using Digital Credentialing for Faculty Professional Development

[AnneliseGoodman]

Attending a face-to-face training workshop and waiting on a printed certificate in the mail a week later, is a thing of the past! Virginia Tech is using the power of badging to provide digital learning with portable, verifiable badges from the convenience of your phone. Badges are used to motivate learners and encourage continuing education, among many other initiatives. When implemented properly, badges can provide evidence of field-specific training for learners who are looking to develop a new skill or reskill/renew to meet professional goals.

‘In one of our training’s, learners have to show they received certain certifications for contracting jobs. They used to do everything in person, they’d go through training face-to-face and they would print a certificate and send it to you. Now the badges have replaced this with the print certificate option.’

Additionally, they have found a way to incentivize faculty with their ‘Computer Refresh Program.’

Every year, the program works with around 500 faculty members from each department. They get 12 hours of professional development and then can order a new computer! 

Canvas Credentials also serves as a management tracking system. It allows the school to easily track all faculty members' professional development activities. Administrators are able to easily see if faculty have met program requirements. 

Virginia Tech’s badging sector is predominantly focused on the Professional Development Network, with around 300 workshops a semester. Within its Credential Instance, Virginia Tech has approximately 46 issuers under its organization with about 35 professional development and off-campus focused training. 

In the future, Virginia Tech hopes to expand the use of badging to work with the undergrad and student population. The program intends to work closely with the hiring managers at companies aligned with the program's outcomes, to better recognize badges for incoming new applicants. Canvas Credentials is thrilled to partner with Virginia Tech as they continue to serve the needs of their faculty and students.

Is your institution curious to further its credentialing initiative? Schedule a meeting with our Canvas Credentials Customer Success team today at CredentialsCSMTeam@instructure.com

About the Author: 

@AshleyAbdo1  is a Customer Success Manager for the Canvas Credentials team at Instructure.