Awarding Digital Badges to Increase Engagement - Credentials

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Overview


Canvas Credentials is used to know as Canvas Badges, which is a digital platform that enables institutions to create, issue, and manage digital badges. When Credentials integrates with Canvas, it provides a streamlined way for instructors to create and issue digital badges to students based on their achievements within Canvas LMS. For example, digital badges can be awarded for completing a module, demonstrating mastery of a specific skill, or for achieving participation or engagement within a course.  With Credentials, digital badges will be triggered automatically once every 24hrs. Badges will be pushed to Open Badges and stored in student’s backpack. Digital badges can serve as a motivator for learners, providing them with a clear path to achieve specific goals and recognition for their achievements. 

As an updated version of Canvas Badges LTI 1.1, Canvas Credentials LTI 1.3 can only be integrated with newly created Canvas courses. Existing courses will continue to use Canvas Badges LTI 1.1. If you want to use Credentials in your existing courses, please contact ETM : etmhelp@spu.edu.

 


Integrate Canvas Credentials 

As an instructor, you can install Credentials at the course level. 

Before install Credentials, you need: 

  • Canvas account as a teacher role
  • Client ID: Canvas Credentials US - 170000000000727 

Step 1. View App Configurations. 

  • Go to the Settings link [1] from the course navigation. 
  • Click the App [2] tab. 
  • Click the View App Configurations button [3]. 

view app configurations

Step 2. Click the Add App button. 

add app button

Step 3. Add App.

  • Choose By Client ID [1] as Configuration Type. 
  • Copy and paste the Client ID [2]. 
  • Submit [3]. 

add app

Step 4. Install and refresh.

  • Credentials will be loaded in your course navigation after installation. You may need to refresh Canvas course page before you see Credentials on the course navigation. 

install button

credentials

Configure Badgr and Canvas Credentials 

In this step, we will create an issuer and digital badges in Badgr US. Badgr US is a platform that stores your data and supports supports open standards like Open Badges, making it compatible with various badge-issuing platforms and ensuring that the badges earned are verifiable and shareable across different systems.

Login Badgr US

  • Navigate to Badgr US: https://badgr.com 
  • Sign in via Microsoft using SPU’s email account.  

badgr login

Creating an Issuer 

A badge issuer profile describes an organization or individual responsible for issuing    badges. An issuer could represent an individual, a course or instructor, a department, school or organization. Instructors may create issuers for courses or create an issuer to represent yourself. 

  1. Open the tab of Issuers 
  2. Click the button of Create issuer 

create issuers

      3. Fill in issuer info (The issuer’s email will be used as a verification for connecting Canvas Credentials and Badgr US.) 

This info will appear on the issuer’s public page and will be part of each badge this issuer awards. The info will also be shared while recipients share their badges. 

Connect the issuer with Canvas Credentials 

After creating an issuer in Badgr US, instructors can build a connection between the issuer and Canvas Credentials. 

  1. Open Credentials from your course navigation bar. 
  2. Verify your email (this is the email you used to create the issuer). 
  3. Select the issuer you want to connect to this course.
  4. Authorize Canvas Credentials access your badgr.com account. 

Create Digital Badges 

Before creating digital badges that you wish to award, you must create an issuer and all digital badges should be associated with the issuer. 

  1. Login Badgr US:  https://badgr.com 
  2. Select Issuers from the top navigation bar. 
  3. Select the issuer you would like to create a badge for and click View issuer  
  4. Select the Create badge button.

create badge

      5. Add basic information, upload badge image, and earning criteria. 

    1. You can upload a designed badge image (Recommended specifications for badge images) or you can design a badge using icon maker or you can design a badge by clicking design a badge 

icon maker badgedesign badges

                 b. Criteria URL or text. What must be done to earn the badge.

                     Note: URL is *not required* if you enter text into the criteria field. If a URL is included, it should be publicly accessible, not behind a login such as a Canvas course. 

      6. Additional information

     a. In the Expiration section, you may add an expiration data when authoring a badge. The expiration date is relative to the badge award date. For example, if the badge is created with a 1-month expiration and is awarded on January 1, the badge will expire on February 1. If the same badge is awarded on March 1, it will expire on April 1. 

expiration

Setup the Path for Earning Badges in Canvas

Add Completion Requirements to a Module 

After you associate a badge to a module, you need to add completion requirements. Canvas can award the badge to students who complete the defined requirements of the module. 

Note: You cannot add requirements until you have added module items, such as assignment, pages... 

Depending on the module item type, requirements include up to five options: 

  1. View the item 
  2. Mark as done 
  3. Contribute to the page 
  4. Submit the assignment 
  5. Score at least 
  • Locate the module and click the Options icon [1]. And select Edit link [2]. 

add requirements

  • Add module completion requirements by clicking “Add requirement” link.  To require students to complete all requirements listed on the Edit Module Settings page to earn a badge, click “Students must complete all of these requirements” option. 

setup requirements

  • Click the button of Update Module.

If you change module requirements that students have already fulfilled and earn the badge, Canvas will revoke the badge from student’s end and award the badge again until they complete the new requirements.

Setup Badges for Canvas Course

After you created digital badges in Badgr US under the issuer you connected with Canvas, you could use them through Canvas Credentials.  

Canvas can award digital badges to students when they meet the requirements you set in the course. You also can check student’s progress from Credentials too. 

You should setup completion requirements for each module first before you associate badges with these modules. Otherwise, badges will be automatically awarded to students due to no requirements and will be revoked if you setup the requirements later. 

  • Go to Credentials [1] from the course navigation bar. 
  • Go to Setup tab [2] and click tab of Badges [3]. 
  • Click the tab of Add Canvas Course Badges [4]. 
  • You can use the drop-down to choose which badge will be awarded automatically when students meet a specific module completion requirement. 

setup badges in Canvas

Check Student Progress 

  • Navigate to Credentials from the course navigation bar. 
  • Select the Progress tab. 
  • You can check each student’s progress based on each badge earning status. Or you can check badge progress. Canvas badges provides different views for instructors to understand student learning. 

learner progress_1

learner progress_2


if you have new students enrolled into your course, or you didn’t see any updates of the badge progress, you may click on Update now to update the roster and progress. 

update roster


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