Digital Credentials - Create and Maintain Digital Badges in Parchment
Need to award an existing badge?
For awarding badges, managing recipients, and sharing badge links, see Digital Credentials - Award Badges and Manage Recipients in Parchment.
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 maintained through approved issuers in Parchment Digital Badges .
Issuers
An issuer is the UWM organization responsible for maintaining and awarding a 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.
Request Access to an Existing Issuer
If your unit already has an approved issuer, contact the UWM Digital Badging Coordinator through the Center for Advancing Student Learning (CASL) to request editor access.
Request a New Issuer
Before requesting a new issuer, review the list of current UWM issuers in Parchment to determine whether an existing issuer can support your credential.
Requirements for New Issuers in Parchment:
- 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.
New Issuer Requests:
Send new issuer requests to the Center for Advancing Student Learning (CASL) and include:
- Issuer name: The official name of the UWM unit that will issue the badges
- Website URL: The unit’s public website
- Administrative contact: The person responsible for managing the issuer
- Issuer description: A brief, public-facing paragraph describing the unit; this description will appear on the issuer’s public Parchment Digital Badges page
Prepare for a new Digital Badge
Gather the following information before creating the digital badge:
- Badge name
- Badge image (see UWM Brand Guidelines )
- Program description
- Learning outcomes
- Skills and competencies
- Earning criteria
- Assessment requirements, if applicable
- Public program webpage
Create a New Digital Badge in Parchment
Once you have gathered the information needed for your badge, use the steps below to create it in Parchment Digital Badges.
Quick Start
- Log in to Parchment Digital Badges using your UWM account.
- Open the issuer that will manage the badge.
- Select Create Badge.
- Complete the badge metadata fields.
- Select View Public Page and review the badge information.
Detailed Walkthrough: Screenshots and Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 - Log in to Parchment Digital Badges
Log in to Parchment Digital Badges using your UWM account.
Step 2 - Open Your Issuer
- Select Issuers from the top navigation.
- 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 issue
Important: If you have both a personal Parchment account and issuer access, you may need to switch to your issuer account before awarding badges.
- Go to Select Space.
- Under University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, select Organization.
Step 3 - Create the Badge and Enter Badge Metadata
- Select Create Badge on the Issuer page.
- Complete the metadata fields:
- Name: Full Name of Credential
- Description: Briefly explain what the credential represents and why it matters.
- Badge Image: UWM Brand Guidelines has approved specific images to be used with UWM's digital credentials.
- Achievement Type: Select from a drop-down list the one that best fits.
- Visibility: Leave Show on issuer and organization public pages checked to increase visibility of the credential and help prospective learners discover related UWM programs.
- Earning Criteria: Include required courses, learning activities, completion requirements, attendance requirements, assessments if applicable.
- Criteria URL: Each badge should include a public webpage that helps viewers understand the credential.
- Demonstrated Skills: The skills, competencies, knowledge, or abilities learners developed or demonstrated by earning the credential, in other words, what the learner gained.
- Tags (optional): Keywords that help categorize the credential and improve discoverability.
- Expiration (optional): How long the credential remains active before renewal is required.
For detailed guidance on each field, see Metadata Definitions below.
Step 4 - Review the Public Badge Page
- Select View Public Page.
- Review all badge information before issuing any awards.
The Public Badge Page displays exactly what learners and external audiences will see.
Badge Quality Checklist
- 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.
Lifecycle Management
Important! Changes to metadata affect previously awarded badges. Edits to existing badges should be carefully considered.
Edit an existing badge only 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.
- Program requirements
- Required courses
- Learning outcomes
- Competencies
- Assessment methods
- Credential title changes
- Instructional hours change substantially
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
Unclear Earning Criteria
Earning criteria should clearly explain how the credential is earned so others can understand the requirements learners completed.
Vague Descriptions
Descriptions should explain what learners completed and what the credential represents.
Incomplete Skill Statements
Skills should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the credential.
✅ Better: Data visualization, project planning, and stakeholder communication.
❌ Worse: Business skills.
Unsupported Competency Claims
Only claim a learner demonstrated a competency when the credential includes assessment or evaluation that supports the claim.
✅ Better: Completed the Supervisory Leadership Certificate.
❌ Worse: Demonstrated leadership competency.
Unidentified Learning Outcomes or Skills
Badge descriptions should reflect the learning outcomes, skills, knowledge, or competencies associated with the credential whenever applicable.
✅ Better: Learners develop skills in project planning, team communication, and workplace problem solving.
❌ Worse: This badge recognizes completion of the program.
Missing Criteria URL
Every badge should include a public webpage where viewers can verify and learn more about the achievement.
UWM Resources
Industry and Platform Resources
- Guide to Writing Open Badge Metadata
- OpenBadges.org
- How do I create a badge in Parchment Digital Badges? (Parchment Documentation)