Digital Credentials - Creating New Digital Badges and Issuers in Parchment

Learn how to create digital badges in Parchment Digital Badges, write effective badge metadata, maintain existing badges, and request a new issuer. This article includes UWM best practices for ensuring digital credentials accurately represent learner achievement.

About UWM Digital Badges

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) uses Parchment Digital Badges to issue verified digital credentials that recognize learner achievement. Digital badges follow Open Badges standards established by 1EdTech and include metadata that allows employers, educational institutions, and other audiences to verify what was earned, who issued it, and when it was awarded.

At UWM, digital badges may only be created and awarded through approved issuers in Parchment Digital Badges.

An issuer is the UWM organization responsible for maintaining and awarding the credential. Issuers may represent a school, college, division, department, center, institute, or administrative unit. Approved issuers are responsible for ensuring that badge information accurately reflects the achievement being recognized.

Before You Begin

You will need to gather all required information:

  • Badge name
  • Approved badge image (see UWM Brand Guidelines)
  • Program description
  • Learning outcomes
  • Skills and competencies
  • Earning requirements
  • Assessment requirements (if applicable)
  • Public program webpage (Criteria URL)

Key Principle - Badge Metadata

Digital badges contain metadata that describes the achievement, skills, competencies, learning outcomes, and requirements associated with the credential. This information helps learners, employers, educational institutions, and other audiences understand what was earned and how the achievement was verified.

For guidance on completing each metadata field, see Badge Metadata later in this article.

Create a New Digital Badge

Step 1 - Log in

Log in to Parchment Digital Badges using your UWM credentials.

Step 2 - Navigate to Issuer

  1. Select Issuers.
    Screenshot of Parchment Digital Badges top navigation menu pointing to Issuers
  2. Select View Issuer to open the school, college, or department that contains the digital badge you want to award. The issuer dashboard displays all badges available within that issuer. 
    Issuer dashboard with the View Issuer button

Important: If you have both a personal Parchment account and issuer access, you may need to switch to your issuer account before awarding badges.

  1. Select Select Space.
  2. Under University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, select Organization.
    Select Space screenshot with arrow pointing to Organization under University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Step 3 - Enter Badge Metadata

  1. Select Create Badge on the Issuer page.
    Parchment Issuer site, Create Badge button circled
  2. Complete the metadata fields: 
    1. Name: Full Name of Credential
    2. Description: Briefly explain what the credential represents and why it matters. 
    3. Badge Image: UWM Brand Guidelines has approved specific images to be used with UWM's digital credentials. 
    4. Achievement Type: Select from a drop-down list the one that best fits. 
    5. Visibility: Leave Show on issuer and organization public pages checked to increase visibility of the credential and help prospective learners discover related UWM programs.
    6. Earning Criteria: Include required courses, learning activities, completion requirements, attendance requirements, assessments if applicable.  
    7. Criteria URL: Each badge should include a public webpage that helps viewers understand the credential.
    8. Demonstrated Skills: The skills, competencies, knowledge, or abilities learners developed or demonstrated by earning the credential, in other words, what the learner gained.
    9. Tags (optional): Keywords that help categorize the credential and improve discoverability.
    10. Expiration (optional): How long the credential remains active before renewal is required. 

Step 4: Review the Public Badge Page

      1. Select View Public Page
      2. Review all badge information before issuing any awards

      The Public Badge Page displays exactly what learners and external audiences will see.

      Badge Metadata

      A digital badge is a verified claim about a learner's achievement. The quality of badge metadata directly impacts the value, credibility, and usefulness of the credential.

      Badge metadata should accurately communicate:
      • Skills learners developed
      • Competencies learners demonstrated
      • Learning outcomes learners achieved
      • Requirements learners completed
      This information helps others, such as employers, educational institutions, or prospective learners, understand what a learner accomplished and how the achievement was earned.

      Metadata Definitions   

      Name

      Parchment Field: Name

      What it Means: The official title of the credential being recognized.

      Best Practices

      Use a title that clearly communicates the achievement.

      Examples

      ✅ Project Management Foundations Microcredential

      ✅ Supervisory Leadership Certificate

      ✅ Digital Marketing Fundamentals

      Avoid

      ❌ Certificate Completion

      ❌ Leadership Badge

      ❌ Cohort 3 Achievement

      A viewer should understand what was earned without additional explanation.

      Badge Image

      Parchment Field: Badge Image

      What it Means: The visual representation of the credential.Best Practices
      • Use approved branding.
      • Follow university or unit brand standards.
      • Review the UWM Badge Design Guidelines.
      • If a new badge image is needed, consult your unit's marketing representative or the UWM Marketing and Communications (MarComm) team.
      The image should support the credential but should not replace the metadata.

      Description

      Parchment Field: Description

      What it Means: What the credential represents and why it matters.

      Best Practices: Use approved program information as a starting point. Ensure the description clearly explains:
      • What the program covers
      • Who the program is intended for
      • What learners accomplish
      • Avoid relying solely on marketing language or course listings.
      Ask Yourself: Could someone unfamiliar with UWM understand the achievement by reading this description?

      Earning Criteria

      Parchment Field: Earning Criteria 

      What it Means: What must a learner do to earn the badge? This is one of the most important fields in the badge.

      Best Practices: Describe exactly how the badge is earned. Include:
      • Required courses
      • Learning activities
      • Completion requirements
      • Attendance requirements
      • Assessments (if applicable)
      Ask Yourself: Could someone viewing this badge understand exactly how it was earned? 

      Criteria URL

      Parchment Field: Criteria URL

      What it Means: Where can someone learn more about the credential?

      Requirement: Each badge should include a public webpage that helps viewers understand the credential.

      The webpage should include information such as:
      • Program overview
      • Requirements
      • Learning outcomes
      • Registration information (when applicable)

      Avoid

      • Internal SharePoint sites
      • Password-protected content
      • Temporary webpages

      Ask Yourself: If someone viewed this badge on LinkedIn, could they learn more about the credential using this link

      Demonstrated Skills

      Parchment Field: Demonstrated Skills

      What it Means: The skills, competencies, knowledge, or abilities learners developed or demonstrated by earning the credential.

      Best Practices: Include skills that are directly supported by the credential's:
      • Learning outcomes
      • Assessments
      • Completion requirements
      • Competencies
      Examples
      • Project Planning
      • Data Visualization
      • Leadership Communication
      • Customer Service
      • Process Improvement
      • ACTFL Intermediate Mid Speaking Proficiency
      Ask Yourself: Can the learner reasonably demonstrate or explain these skills based on the credential requirements?

      Important: Only include skills or competencies that are supported by the learning experience and, when applicable, documented assessment methods. 

      Tags (Optional)

      Parchment Field: Tags

      What it Means: Keywords that help categorize the credential and improve discoverability.

      Best Practices: Use broad terms that describe the subject matter, industry, discipline, or professional area associated with the credential.

      Examples:

      A badge for a Project Management Microcredential might include:
      • Project Management
      • Leadership
      • Business
      • Professional Development
      A badge for a Data Analytics credential might include:
      • Data Analytics
      • Business Intelligence
      • Technology
      • Data Visualization
      Important Tags should complement, not duplicate, the Demonstrated Skills field.
      • Use Demonstrated Skills to describe what learners can do.
      • Use Tags to describe the broader subject areas and topics associated with the credential.

      Expiration (Optional)

      Parchment Field: Expiration

      What it Means: How long the credential remains active before renewal is required. 

      Consider Expiration For:
      • Compliance training
      • Safety certifications
      • Credentials requiring periodic renewal
      Consider No Expiration For:
      • Certificate completion
      • Academic achievements
      • Most microcredentials
      • Professional development programs

      Common Metadata Mistakes

      Missing Earning Criteria

      ❌ Complete program requirements.

      ✅ Complete all required courses and successfully complete the final assessment.

      Vague Descriptions

      ❌ Learners gain leadership skills.

      ✅ Learners complete a five-course certificate focused on communication, supervision, and team leadership.

      Unsupported Competency Claims

      ❌ Demonstrated leadership competency.

      ✅ Completed the Supervisory Leadership Certificate.

      Do not claim learners demonstrated a competency unless the credential includes assessment or evaluation that supports that claim.

      Missing Learning Outcomes or Skills

      Badge descriptions should reflect the learning outcomes, skills, knowledge, or competencies associated with the credential whenever applicable.

      Missing Criteria URL

      Every badge should include a public webpage where viewers can verify and learn more about the achievement.

      Badge Versioning and Lifecycle Management

      Important! Changes to metadata affect previously awarded badges.

      Edit Existing Badges When

      Editing an existing badge is generally appropriate for:

      • Spelling corrections
      • Formatting improvements
      • Broken links
      • Tag updates
      • Contact information updates

      When in doubt, consider how the change may affect individuals who have already earned the credential.

      Create a New Badge When

      Create a new badge if there are significant changes to the credential, including changes to:

      • Program requirements
      • Required courses
      • Learning outcomes
      • Competencies
      • Assessment methods
      • Credential title changes
      • CEUs or instructional hours change substantially

      Creating a New Issuer

      Most badge requests should use an existing approved issuer.

      A new issuer should only be requested when:

      • The unit is a recognized UWM organizational entity.
      • The unit has ongoing responsibility for the credentials it issues.
      • An accountable administrator has been identified.
      • The credential portfolio cannot reasonably be represented by an existing issuer.

      Information Needed for a New Issuer Request

      • Proposed issuer name
      • Organizational type
      • Parent organization (if any)
      • Administrative contact
      • Website URL
      • Description of credentials to be issued

      Badge Quality Checklist

      Before issuing any badge awards, verify that:

      • The badge title is accurate and clearly identifies the credential.
      • The description explains the achievement.
      • The earning criteria clearly explain how the badge is earned.
      • Learning outcomes, skills, or competencies are reflected when applicable.
      • The Criteria URL works and is publicly accessible.
      • The badge image follows approved UWM branding standards.
      • Metadata accurately reflects current program requirements.
      • The Public Badge Page has been reviewed.

      Additional Resources

       

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      See Also


      Keywords:
      Parchment Metadata Issuer Microcredential Certificates certificate Credentialing OpenBadges 1EdTech credential microcredentials create 
      Doc ID:
      163479
      Owned by:
      Samantha M. in Advancing Learning
      Created:
      2026-08-20
      Updated:
      2026-08-21
      Sites:
      UW-Milwaukee Center for Advancing Student Learning, UW-Milwaukee Help Desk