*Research Data Services @ Georgia State University Library: GSU Data Ready! Badges

!!NEW!! GSU Data Ready! Badges Micro-Credentials!

Earn multiple digital micro-credential badges! Get your badges immediately! Share your badges to show off your skills!

Start earning badges!

NOTE: Only current GSU affiliates (students, faculty, and staff) can earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges at this time.

How do I earn GSU Data Ready! Badges?

1. See the BADGES boxes on this page for which Library's Research Data Services (RDS) workshops have badges:
   1. BADGES - Software & Coding Training [11 total badges]
   2. BADGES - Data Literacy! Series [4 total badges]
2. Find listings of workshops to attend or watch (YES, both count toward the badges!):
   1. Live workshops  
   2. Recorded workshops 
3. After attending live workshops or watching recorded workshops in a badge series: Go to the GSU Library's Stacks course catalog, click Login option at the top right of the Stacks page to sign in with your GSU CampusID, then click the Enroll button to join the course:
   1. Software & Coding Training [GSU Data Ready! Badges] course
   2. Data Literacy! Series [GSU Data Ready! Badges] course
4. Go to the badge course page, where different page sections correspond to the different badges.
5. Complete the required quizzes for a badge -- once you score 100% on all the badge's quizzes, you'll automatically receive your badge from the Badgr system.
6. Share your badge! (1) post it on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, (2) embed code on websites, or (3) email or text direct links to your Badgr Backpack [requires Badgr account].

Questions?

See the FAQs at the bottom of this page -- More questions? Contact Dr. Mandy.

FAQs

What is a "digital micro-credential badge"?

A digital badge/micro-credential is a visual symbol of accomplishment. They can be awarded for any definable achievement and earned in many learning environments, games, or the workplace. We are using the GSU Stacks/Canvas system and the Badgr "Open Badges" system to award verifiable badges -- click here for more information about Badgr and Open Badges.

Is there a cost for earning the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

No. Attending the data workshops and earning GSU Data Ready! Badges is FREE!

What is the time and effort commitment for attending workshops and completing the quiz learning assessments to earn the badge?

Each badge requires completing two or three workshops, typically totaling about 5 to 7.5 hours of time commitment for the workshop itself. The number of total quiz questions to earn a badge typically range between 10 to 15 (roughly 5 questions per workshop) and are a mix of multiple choice, true/false, or matching. Once you score 100% on all the badge module's quizzes, you'll automatically receive your badge from the Badgr system.

Does watching a recorded workshop count toward earning a badge?

Yes. You can attend a live workshop OR watch a recorded workshop -- both count toward earning a badge.

Does attending a live workshop count toward earning a badge?

Yes. You can attend a live workshop OR watch a recorded workshop -- both count toward earning a badge.

Can current GSU students, faculty, and staff earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

Yes. Current GSU students, faculty, and staff can earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges. A GSU CampusID is required to sign in.

Can GSU Alumni earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

No. Only current GSU students, faculty, and staff can earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges. GSU Alumni CANNOT earn badges because the badge system is tied to having a current and active CampusID.

Can GSU Alumni still attend data workshops?

Yes. GSU alumni are welcome to attend live workshops or recorded workshops.

Can NON-GSU people earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

No. Only current GSU students, faculty, and staff can earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges. Non-GSU people CANNOT earn badges because the badge system is tied to having a current and active CampusID.

Can NON-GSU people still attend data workshops?

Yes. Non-GSU people are welcome to attend live workshops or recorded workshops.

Can I still get an RDS@GSU Data Certification by attending a minimum 5 data workshops?

No. We have stopped our attendance-based certification program and replaced it with this new digital badges micro-credentialing program that requires completion of quiz assessments to earn GSU Data Ready! Badges.

Why did you stop the RDS@GSU Data Certification and replace it with the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

Because badges are better!

1. Digital badges allow you to immediately share digital markers of your achievements easily via social media like LinkedIn or Twitter, email, embedded code on websites, etc., 
2. The quizzes for earning badges mean these achievements show skills learning versus merely attendance like the old certificate did -- so the badges are more meaningful and carry more weight.

See why LinkedIn recommends digital badges as an eLearning strategy.

If I earned an RDS@GSU Data Certificate as part of the old certification program, can I still earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges associated with the workshops I attended or watched for that certificate?

Yes, but only if you are a current GSU student, faculty, or staff member. If you remember the workshop content well enough to score 100% on the badge quizzes, you do not need to re-attend or re-watch workshops to earn GSU Data Ready! Badges. If you're not feeling that confident about remembering the workshop content, re-attend live workshops or re-watch recorded workshops to refresh your learning and take the quizzes to earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges.

If I attended or watched workshops in previous semesters, can I still earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges associated with the workshops I attended or watched?

Yes, but only if you are a current GSU student, faculty, or staff member. If you remember the workshop content well enough to score 100% on the badge quizzes, you do not need to re-attend or re-watch workshops to earn GSU Data Ready! Badges. If you're not feeling that confident about remembering the workshop content, re-attend live workshops or re-watch recorded workshops to refresh your learning and take the quizzes to earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges.

I received an email from Default Frontend Config <noreply@badgr.com> when I completed my badge -- is this a legitimate email?

Yes. We know it looks suspicious, but currently we have no way to change the automated Badgr email so that the From: name does not say Default Frontend Config. Rest assured, the email from the badgr.com site is safe to open, whether it goes directly to your GSU email Inbox, into the Junk folder, or into spam quarantine.

Am I required to create a Badgr account to earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges?

No, but recommended. While not required to receive badges, we recommend creating a Badgr account so you can take advantage of Badgr's Backpack feature for easily sharing your digital badges with others.

Will my GSU Data Ready! Badge expire?

No. The GSU Data Ready! Badges do not expire. Your badge will have the issue date on it to indicate when you received the badge.

Can I earn the same badge more than once?

No. Because the badges do not expire, you can earn each individual badge one time only. You are welcome to re-attend or re-watch workshops that you've already earned badges for to refresh your learning -- but you will not be able to retake the workshops to receive a new/duplicate badge because you've already earned that badge.

Is there a way to verify the GSU Data Ready! Badges to ensure their credibility?

Yes. Every badge page indicates that it's been verified, provides a Re-verify Badge button to verify on the spot, and includes an Independently Verify Badge link to Open Badges 2.0 Validator to validate the badge and verify the recipient.

I am a GSU course instructor -- may I assign GSU Data Ready! Badges to students in my GSU course for required or extra credit?

Yes, please do! Students can attend live workshops or recorded workshops on their own time, go to the GSU Library's Stacks course catalog to join/"enroll" in the appropriate GSU Data Ready! Badge course, and complete our quiz learning assessments to earn badges. Once students receive a badge, have them share it with you for verification by either (1) having them forward their Badgr email notification, or (2) having them create a Badgr account to then send you a link to their badge in their Badgr Backpack. It's that easy!

I am a course instructor but not at GSU -- may I assign GSU Data Ready! Badges to students in my Non-GSU course for required or extra credit?

No. Only GSU course instructors can assign GSU Data Ready! Badges for required or extra credit because only current GSU affiliates (students, faculty, and staff) can earn the GSU Data Ready! Badges. Non-GSU students are welcome to attend live workshops or recorded workshops, and Non-GSU instructors are welcome to assign workshops and create their own approach for having students verify workshop attendance. NOTE: We cannot track attendance for you.

Does attending a Data in the ATL talk or Data Empowered Event count toward GSU Data Ready! Badges?

No. ​Only workshops in which a methodology and/or a software application is taught and that involve learning specific data/methods skills count toward the badges; Data in the ATL talks and Data Empowered Events do not meet these specific outcomes.

I have more questions -- who can I ask?

Contact Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh, Head of the Library's Research Data Services (RDS) Department.