As online learning grows, traditional PDF certificates are quickly becoming outdated. For years, Learning Management Systems (LMS) issued simple PDFs to mark course completions, but these certificates often fall short in today’s digital-first world. They’re not easy to share, lack dynamic design, and don’t offer secure, verifiable proof of achievement.
Digital credentials provide a solution. Learners may promote their successes on social media, add them to email signatures, and even include digital badges and certificates in professional profiles. These certifications also provide a good approach for course designers to increase participation since students are driven to share and show their just-gained abilities.
From selecting the correct platform to creating, issuing, and managing certificates as practical as they are shareable, this article will help you through the process of producing digital credentials for your online courses. Accept the change towards digital credentials and enhance your course materials.
What Are Digital Credentials?
Digital credentials are modern, online alternatives to traditional paper-based certificates, degrees, and awards. They provide documentation of a person’s qualifications, accomplishments, and expertise. From education and professional development to event participation and certification programs, these credentials are used in many different industries. Digital versions are perfect for a digital-first environment since they are simpler to grant, manage, and validate than conventional degrees.
Digital credentials might be badges, certificates, micro-credentials, blockchain-based credentials, and more. Employers, companies, and educational institutions award them as documentation of a learner’s completion of courses, mastery of particular abilities, or event participation. Digital credentials offer clear, tamper-proof proof of success, whether confirming a professional certificate or indicating the end of a product training course.
These credentials provide freedom for issuers and receivers as well. These awards’ digital aspect lets companies customise their credentials to show different degrees of success, like modular learning or high-stakes qualifications, and facilitates flawless sharing across channels including social networking or LinkedIn.
Types of Digital Credentials
Digital credentials come in several core formats, each suited to different learning or achievement contexts. The primary types include:
Digital Badges
These are visual representations of an individual’s achievements, often used for skills or credentials that are earned over a short period, such as completing a module, attending a conference, or mastering a specific topic. Digital badges use shapes, colours, and symbols to convey levels of achievement and are easy to share across various platforms. They are especially popular for representing smaller, modular accomplishments, making them a great choice for quick learning or participation-based achievements.
Digital Certificates
Usually given for more major accomplishments, such as completing a degree, certification program, or professional membership, they are digital counterparts of conventional paper certificates. Offering a more complete record of a learner’s credentials, digital certificates could feature transcripts, exam results, or references. They are official acknowledgments of more significant, long-term education or career success.
Stacked Credentials
Stacked credentials are designed for learners who accumulate knowledge over time. These credentials build upon one another and can be combined to enhance skill sets. They offer a flexible and structured pathway for learners to track their progress and achievements incrementally, motivating continuous development.
Micro-Credentials
Micro-credentials are awards for short-term, focused learning experiences like individual courses, webinars, or workshops. These credentials are usually represented by digital badges and provide a modular approach to learning. They allow individuals to gain specific skills quickly and stack multiple micro-credentials to build a portfolio that demonstrates a wide range of competencies.
Blockchain Credentials
Blockchain credentials offer the highest level of security, ensuring that once a credential is issued, it cannot be changed or forged. Because these credentials are kept on a blockchain, verifying them is quick and safe. They respect user privacy by providing a permanent, tamper-proof record of success without storing any personal data on the blockchain itself.
Why Digital Credentials?
Digital credentials provide a modern solution to combat the downsides of traditional and PDF certificates. Integration into existing and bespoke platforms automates instant delivery of digital credentials via email, so there is no waiting for the physical certificate to be received. The dedicated credential page provides plenty of space for providing course details, evidence of applied knowledge, and test or exam results.
Digital credentials are easy for recipients to share in one click on social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Recipients can also embed their digital credentials into email signatures or on personal web pages and add their digital credentials to their LinkedIn profile. For use and verification on the go, recipients can add their digital credentials to a digital wallet card on their smartphone and present their credentials on-site, during interviews, or during employment reviews.
For the course creator, digital credentials provide easy verification without creating additional labour for credentialing teams and allow the issuer to retain full control over validity and expiration. They also eliminate the cost of editing and resending certificates with spelling or design errors.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Create Credentials for Online Downloadable Courses
Creating digital credentials for your online courses can enhance learner engagement and provide valuable proof of achievement. Follow this step-by-step guide to design, issue, and manage digital credentials efficiently.
Step 1: Choose a Credentialing Platform
The first step in creating digital credentials is selecting the right platform. This will be the foundation for managing and issuing your credentials. Here are some popular options to consider:
- Sertifier: A web application that allows you to design, send, track, and store digital certificates and badges. It supports bulk sending and provides analytics for tracking engagement.
- Accredible: This platform integrates seamlessly with various Learning Management Systems (LMS) and automates the delivery of digital credentials via email. Accredible also supports sharing credentials on social media platforms.
- Certifier: A tool that enables quick creation and distribution of certificates with customizable templates. It supports bulk generation and integrates with other applications via APIs.
When choosing a platform, ensure it meets your needs in terms of automation, customization, and scalability.
Step 2: Design Your Credentials
When you’re ready to create your credentials, choose a design template that reflects your brand. Most credentialing platforms offer a variety of customizable templates to help you get started. You can also upload your own design files in formats like SVG, PNG, or JPG to create a unique look that aligns perfectly with your organisation’s identity. A distinctive template sets the tone, ensuring your credentials stand out and convey professionalism. You can get design elements from DiziShore’s large library of digital art, making the process of creating your own digital credentials much easier.
Customization Options
Add elements specific to your organisation to make the credential your own. Customise every detail—from fonts and colours to layout and logos—to align with your brand. Including your organisation’s logo lends authenticity and reinforces brand recognition. You can also incorporate course names, unique serial numbers, or other specifics that highlight the credential’s purpose. The more personalised the design, the more meaningful and memorable it becomes for the recipient.
Incorporating Dynamic Content
For efficient and automated credentialing, set up placeholders for dynamic fields like the recipient’s name, course name, and completion date. These placeholders allow the platform to automatically insert each recipient’s information as credentials are issued. This approach saves time and ensures accuracy and consistency across all issued credentials, maintaining a professional touch with minimal manual effort.
Step 3: Issue the Credentials
Once your design is finalised, it’s time to issue the credentials to your learners. Here’s how:
Input Recipient Data
With your credential design complete, the next step is to prepare the recipient data for issuing. You can manually enter details such as names and email addresses or, if you’re issuing credentials in bulk, upload an Excel file containing the relevant data. Most platforms support batch processing, so uploading a data file can save you time, especially when awarding credentials to large groups. Accurate data entry is crucial, as it ensures each recipient’s credential is personalised and error-free.
Send Credentials
Once the recipient data is in place, you’re ready to send out the credentials. Most credentialing platforms provide options for direct email delivery, allowing learners to receive their awards instantly in their inboxes. Alternatively, you can generate a link for learners to access their credentials online. Both methods enable recipients to retrieve their credentials easily and quickly, ensuring they receive their achievements without delay.
Step 4: Track and Manage Credentials
After issuing the credentials, it’s essential to manage them properly to ensure their validity and track engagement. Use the following tools:
- Analytics: Use the built-in analytics features of your credentialing platform to track how recipients interact with their credentials. This includes monitoring how often credentials are shared on social media or accessed online.
- Verification: Make sure that your digital credentials are easily verifiable. Many platforms offer features that allow employers or educational institutions to verify the credentials’ authenticity. You can also consider blockchain technology for additional security, ensuring that your certificates are tamper-proof.
These features help maintain the credibility of your digital credentials and track how they are being used.
Step 5: Promote Your Credentials
Provide recipients with options to share their credentials on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. This enhances their profile and boosts the visibility of your course offerings. Recipients can add their digital certificates or badges to their email signatures, further promoting their achievement and your course.
If you want to connect with a global audience of learners, try listing courses on DiziShore. Like courses and tutorials, we provide a way for people to show off their digital products to the world and earn from their talent.
