TeknoFlair

TeknoFlair Logo

Boost Your Course Value – How to Offer Verifiable Badges After Completing a LearnDash Course

Verifiable Badges

Ever wondered how your students can differentiate from others? 

Though it’s an essential element to consider while providing online courses, many wouldn’t care much about it.

But what should you do? 

If you’re a course creator new to LearnDash and have got your head stuck in understanding how unique badges can promote your online courses without much effort, then this blog is especially for you.

In this guide, we will understand what are unique online badges and how you can allot them to a student after they complete your LearnDash course.

So, stay tuned!

What Are Online Badges?

Online badges have now become the talk of town and a course without offering such a feature is never considered by an E-Learner.

There are various reasons for that;

Firstly, an online badge is proof for an e-learner that he/she has engaged in your course and has put hours into completing it.

Secondly, the online badges consist of a unique ID which can be verified online.

Finally, displaying a verified badge of completion of a certain LearnDash course attracts employers if they’re looking for employees with a prerequisite knowledge or skill.

For these reasons, a course offered with an online badge after completion has more value than the one without it. 

But what is an online badge?

In simple terms, an online badge is a visual representation of a certificate of accomplishment. It can be displayed on your social media profiles and resume to strengthen your chances for getting hired.

However, it doesn’t end there, as this online badge contains metadata which means that no one can forge it and employers can verify it’s genuineness through the concerned authorities.

We have explored what online badges are and now it’s time to go in-depth of the benefits it offers.

Key Benefits of Online Badges

  • Increased Course Value: As discussed earlier, the online badge serves as a proof that a person has undergone a specific course or gained a specific skill. It makes it the center of attraction for e-learners since they have spent a lot of time on an online course. The time that could have been utilized elsewhere like playing football or reading another book. However, they found it better to take an online course. But if that time cannot be justified through a digital certificate, what’s the use of it? That’s why integrating an online badge for your LearnDash course is important.
  • Enhanced Student Motivation: If you’re consistently facing a higher turnover ratio for your online course, a verification badge can help you in reducing it. But what does lower turnover ratio mean? In layman language, it means that many people are accessing your course which might sound good, but 80 or 90% of them are not reaching the end, which is the worst situation a course creator might face. Though, the numbers might not be accurate, they were just the means to help you understand the concept of lower turnover ratio. So, having a verifiable badge can really work as a motivation factor for your students as they can see the fruitful reward they will receive after the completion of the LearnDash course.
  • Marketing Advantage: If the above mentioned benefits didn’t attract you, then this surely will do the trick. Imagine a scenario, where your course student wears the online verifiable badge on social media profiles along with the resume. When an employer or people in his/her network visits the profile, your course will get the desired marketing edge itself through word of mouth advertising theory. Isn’t that amazing? You will not have to put any effort or money to promote your product as your ex-students will do the job for you and can help you stand out from the competition.
  • Brand’s Recognition: If you’re a course creator and offer verifiable badges, it can provide you an opportunity to strengthen your brand identity. You can get your course recognized as a quality course in the ELearning industry. This stands you apart from the competition and you can get your LearnDash courses sold before even advertising it as students would already know about you and won’t even doubt the quality your course offers just like they trust UDemy and Coursera nowadays. 

How To Get Verification Badges For Your LearnDash Course?

We have discovered what an online badge is and the benefits it offers, it’s time to get into the real deal. 

How can you get a verification badge for your LearnDash course?

It’s easy to get a verifiable badge if you offer your course through LearnDash. It’s because LearnDash has the functionality to integrate external plugins and add-ons providing premium features that you can only get from top-tier e-learning platforms. 

If you want to know how it works, keep reading this guide as we will explore the list of plugins offering online badges, which one suits your needs and how to integrate it to your LearnDash website.

Plugins For Online Verification Badges:

While LearnDash does have in-built functionality to provide badges for achievements, it doesn’t have the option to provide verifiable badges.

But let’s get back to our topic without further ado. Here are the top 3 plugins which we would recommend if you want to incorporate digital and verifiable badges in your LearnDash website.

GamiPress:

If you’re looking for a comprehensive gamification solution to enhance student engagement while offering verifiable badges, GamiPress is an excellent choice. With GamiPress, you can set up a points and rewards system, where students can earn badges, points, and ranks for completing tasks like finishing quizzes, engaging with content, or passing courses.

What sets GamiPress apart is its flexibility in integrating with LearnDash, allowing you to award badges for course achievements with verifiable metadata. This metadata ensures that each badge has a unique ID, which students can showcase on their social media profiles or resumes, while employers can verify its authenticity.

Additionally, GamiPress offers extensive customization options, so you can tailor your badges to fit your course’s specific milestones. It’s perfect for course creators who want to motivate students and ensure their achievements are recognized in a verifiable, meaningful way.

BadgeOS:

BadgeOS is one of the most popular plugins when it comes to awarding badges based on specific achievements in LearnDash. The great thing about BadgeOS is its flexibility—you can issue badges not only for course completion but also for various milestones throughout the course. Want to reward students for passing a quiz or engaging with your content? You can set up custom triggers to award badges automatically.

Even better, these badges come with verifiable metadata. This means every badge has a unique ID, so when students display them on their social media profiles or websites, potential employers can click on the badge and verify its authenticity in real time. It’s like a digital stamp of approval that travels with your students wherever they go.

Integrating BadgeOS with LearnDash is a straightforward process. Simply install the plugin, set your badge criteria, and you’re good to go. Your students will start earning and showcasing their verified badges in no time.

Credly (formerly Accredible):

If you’re looking for a more professional and enterprise-level solution, Credly is the way to go. Credly is widely recognized for providing digital credentials and badges that are fully verifiable, portable, and shareable. It’s a trusted name in the e-learning industry, and the best part? It integrates seamlessly with LearnDash.

Credly allows you to issue verifiable badges that can be shared on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and more. These badges don’t just sit on a shelf—they’re actively promoting your course and your brand, reaching new potential learners every time they’re shared. The badge’s metadata contains detailed information about the skills or competencies earned, ensuring employers can validate the authenticity of the badge.

To set it up with LearnDash, you’ll need to sign up for Credly and use their integration tools to connect with your LearnDash courses. It’s a bit more involved than some other options, but the end result is a polished, professional digital credential system that elevates the credibility of your courses.

Accredible LearnDash Add-on:

If you prefer a lightweight, no-frills option that still offers verification features, accredible LearnDash add-on is worth considering. As the name suggests, this plugin focuses on creating simple yet effective digital certificates and badges. While it may not have the bells and whistles of Credly, it does the job well for most course creators who want an easy-to-manage solution.

Accredible allows you to create custom certificates and badges that can be issued to students upon course completion. These certificates come with a unique verification code that can be checked by employers or anyone who needs to verify the legitimacy of the credential.

The setup process is user-friendly and doesn’t require much technical knowledge. Just customize the design of your badges, set up the verification process, and integrate it into your LearnDash site. It’s perfect for course creators who want to keep things simple while still offering their students verifiable proof of achievement.

Which One Should You Choose?

Now comes the million-dollar question: which plugin is right for you?

The answer really depends on what you’re looking to achieve with your LearnDash course. Let’s break it down:

If you’re looking for flexibility and customization, go with BadgeOS.

BadgeOS is perfect for course creators who want to reward their students at various stages of the learning process, not just at the end. Maybe you want to celebrate a student’s first quiz completion or recognize consistent participation over time. Whatever the milestone, BadgeOS can handle it. And with its verifiable metadata, your students get a legitimate, proof-positive badge that holds value beyond just being a shiny icon. Plus, BadgeOS is pretty easy to set up, so you don’t need to be a tech wizard to get it working.

If you’re after a professional, industry-standard badge solution, Credly is your go-to.

Let’s say you’re creating high-stakes courses for professionals, where the badge is more than just a participation trophy—it’s a career-boosting credential. In that case, Credly is your best bet. Its integration with platforms like LinkedIn gives your students the ability to proudly display their verified achievements where it matters most. Credly is a trusted name in the e-learning world, so if brand recognition and polished professionalism are your priorities, you can’t go wrong here. Sure, it requires a bit more setup, but the long-term benefits are huge, especially if your course is aimed at corporate learners or professionals.

Create Verifiable Badges With Badge OS

Alright, so you’ve decided to go with BadgeOS. Good choice! Now, let’s dive into the fun part—creating and setting up your verifiable badges.

Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds. In just a few steps, you’ll be awarding custom, verifiable badges that your students can proudly display. Let’s break it down step by step:

Step 1: Install and Activate BadgeOS

First things first—you’ll need to get the BadgeOS plugin up and running on your LearnDash site. Here’s how you do it:

  • Go to your WordPress Dashboard: Navigate to the plugins section.
  • Search for “BadgeOS”: In the plugin search bar, type “BadgeOS.”
  • Install and Activate: Once you find it, click “Install” and then hit “Activate.” Boom, BadgeOS is now part of your toolkit!

Step 2: Set Up Badge Triggers

Now that BadgeOS is installed, it’s time to decide how students can earn their badges. This is where you set up triggers—the actions or milestones that will automatically award a badge. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Go to BadgeOS Settings: In your dashboard, find the BadgeOS tab and click on “Add Achievement.”
  • Choose a Trigger Type: BadgeOS offers several options, from course completions to quiz passes to simple engagement milestones (like logging in a certain number of times). Select what makes the most sense for your course. For example, let’s say you want to award a badge for completing the final quiz in your LearnDash course—select “Quiz Completion” as the trigger.
  • Customize the Criteria: BadgeOS gives you the flexibility to refine the criteria further. You can set thresholds, like requiring a minimum score to earn the badge. The more specific you are, the more meaningful the badge will feel.

Step 3: Design Your Badge

Let’s be honest—nobody wants to earn a boring badge. Now’s your chance to get creative and design something your students will be excited to share.

  • Upload Your Badge Image: In the “Design” section, you can upload your custom badge image. This could be a simple icon or a more detailed graphic—it’s up to you. Just make sure it looks professional and aligns with your course branding.
  • Set the Badge Details: Give your badge a name (e.g., “Course Completion Master”), add a description (e.g., “Awarded for successfully completing the Advanced LearnDash Course”), and include any other information that will make it stand out.

Step 4: Make It Verifiable

Now, let’s get to the important part—making your badge verifiable. BadgeOS provides built-in functionality for this.

Enable Metadata

Under the “Badge Details” section, you’ll see an option to add metadata. This is where you include the information that makes the badge verifiable. Add a unique identifier, details about the course, and any other data that confirms the badge’s authenticity.

Activate Verification Link

You can also set up a verification link so anyone clicking on the badge can view the details and confirm that it’s legit. This adds an extra layer of trust for employers or anyone else viewing the badge.

Accessing the Evidence Page

BadgeOS also offers an Evidence Page where detailed information about the earned badge can be found. However, as of the current version, this page is only accessible by the admin. To reach the Evidence Page:

  1. Navigate to the WordPress Dashboard and select Users.
  2. Click on the chosen user and scroll down to the Earned Achievements section.
  3. You will see a list of all the achievements the user has earned. Find the specific achievement you want to verify, then click the Evidence button located to the right of the row for that achievement.

This Evidence Page contains the information that validates the authenticity of the badge, making it a valuable tool for admins to monitor and confirm badge issuance.

Step 5: Test and Award Your Badge

You’re almost there! Now, let’s test everything to make sure it works smoothly.

  • Test the Triggers: Complete the course or quiz yourself to see if the badge is awarded automatically when the student reaches the set milestones.
  • Review the Badge: Check the design and metadata to make sure everything looks good. If the badge is verifiable and the trigger works as planned, you’re ready to roll!

Once you’re satisfied, your badges will be awarded automatically to students who meet the criteria, and they’ll be able to show off their shiny new, fully verifiable badges wherever they go.

Verifying Online Badges

Once your students have earned their badges, ensuring they can easily verify them is key to maintaining their value and credibility. A verifiable badge adds a layer of trust, showing that it represents real achievements. 

Luckily, there are several tools available to help confirm the legitimacy of digital badges and their associated metadata.

Some of the most reliable tools for verifying badges include BadgeCheck, which allows users to cross-check the metadata and ensure it aligns with the badge issuer’s information. 

The IACET Open Badge Verification Tool is another option, particularly useful for badges aligned with IACET standards, ensuring that the credentials meet rigorous educational requirements. 

Additionally, the IMS Global Open Badges Validator provides a widely recognized way to verify badges across different platforms, ensuring consistency and trustworthiness. 

By integrating these verification tools, you provide students and employers with confidence that each badge is authentic and earned through real accomplishment.

Social Sharing of Verifiable Badges

Once students have earned their verifiable badges, it’s important to allow them to share their achievements with their network, helping them boost their credibility and even market your course to a broader audience. Social sharing can significantly increase the visibility of your course and create organic promotion through platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook.

With the BadgeOS Social Sharing Add-on, this process becomes seamless. After a badge is awarded, users can easily share their accomplishment on social media directly from your LearnDash platform. This add-on allows learners to showcase their badges on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, with just a click, amplifying their professional profile while promoting your course.

By enabling social sharing, you’re not only rewarding students but also expanding your reach and enhancing your brand’s recognition. It’s a win-win scenario—your students display their hard-earned achievements, and your course gains exposure without any additional marketing effort.

Final Thoughts

In today’s competitive e-learning landscape, offering verifiable badges isn’t just a nice extra—it’s a powerful tool that enhances the value of your courses, motivates your students, and gives your brand a professional edge. 

With verifiable badges, you’re not only rewarding your learners for their hard work, but you’re also providing them with proof of their achievements that can open doors in their careers. 

Whether you go with a flexible option like BadgeOS, or a professional solution like Credly, adding verifiable badges to your LearnDash courses will make them stand out in a crowded market. 

So, don’t wait—start integrating badges into your course today and watch your student engagement and course reputation soar!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top