Digital badges in higher education are an engagement strategy educators can design to reward learning achievements beyond standard academic credits earned through coursework. Badges are great for single skills, bootcamps, internships, volunteer work, student organizations, and more. They can be easier to distribute than conventional certificates and awards, empowering learners with the ability to share their achievements with family, friends, and future employers. Various tools can help create inclusive and visually clear badges for everyone. This guide explains how to design user friendly badges within Canvas Badges or PowerPoint. Accessible Design Considerations Badge Image Requirements Create an Image with PowerPoint Add a Badge to Your Canvas Course Accessible Design Considerations Digital accessibility addresses visual elements of design to ensure your badge image meets standards: Ensure high color contrast between text and background. Select a font that's clear and large enough to be read easily. Choose icons that represent the context of your badge image. Resources: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Canvas Accessibility Standards. Badge Image Requirements Dimensions and File Types: Canvas Badges requires badge images to be 400px x 400px. 4.17 inch x 4.17 inch is the 400px equivalent. PNG or SVG format For more information visit the Recommended Specifications for Badge Images. Create an Image with PowerPoint Consider PowerPoint or another image editor to have the most creative freedom, for a simpler option consider creating a badge image in Canvas Badge Studio by skipping this section: Consider starting with our Badge image template. In PowerPoint, navigate to the Insert tab and select a shape from the Shapes menu. Resize your base shape to 4.17 inch x 4.17 inch. Add layered elements with high color contrast, including icons. Insert a text box for the badge title. When you are done, right-click the image and Save it as a Picture to export as a PNG image. Add a Badge to Your Canvas Course 1. Navigate to the Badges within your course. 2. Select Add Badge. 3. Click on the three-dot menu and select + Create New Badge. 4. Give your badge a clear name. 5. Under Badge Image, option a) Select File to Upload to upload your previously designed badge image, or option b) click Design a badge to Design Your badge image in Badge Studio. Select or search for an icon. Choose the shape from the library. Select or customize a Badge Style. 6. When you are done designing, choose Upload image. 7. Add the Description to explain the rationale of what your badge represents, such as "Demonstration of clinical anatomy and physiology prerequisite knowledge." 8. Add the Earning Criteria;details: Description of what learners do to earn the award: "Successful completion of three-week Clinical Anatomy and Physiology Bootcamp, including 17 lessons on human body systems, concept maps, and dimensional analysis at the University of the Incarnate Word." The Criteria URL is a link to your department website or other online resource supporting the expectations. 9. Select the Additional Info tab at the top of the window and complete the options: Standards Alignment for if your badge connects to a program or professional standard. Add tags to promote a topic keyword connection if relevant. Set the Expiration date if necessary. 10. Click the Create badge button when you are done. Create and Add Badge FAQ After I design my badge, what's next? You must create and link your Badgr Issuer account in your Canvas course. To guide you through the steps, follow Step 2: Setting up a Badgr Issuer Account. May I use a different tool to create a badge? There are no restrictions on the tool you use! Pick the one you're most familiar with. Just remember to consider accessibility guidelines and make sure your badge meets all the requirements.

This guide will walk you through creating a Badgr issuer account, the second step to issuing badges within your Canvas course. Enable Badges in your Canvas course Settings > Navigation. Find Badges in your course menu. Review the Terms of Service and click Continue to access. Click Authorize to Legacy Canvas Credentials LTI 1.1 to proceed. Upgrade for the latest Badgr. Link your course using your UIW email for verification. Select Create issuer. Fill in the Issuer information. Click Create Issuer to complete the process. Need more detail? Delve into the in-depth walkthrough below, complete with images and various notes for every step. Step 1 Within your Canvas course, if you don't see Badges in your course navigation menu, head to Settings > Navigation to enable it. Step 2 Navigate to the Badges in your course. Step 3 Carefully review and agree to the Terms of Service and click Continue to grant your access. Step 4 Authorize access to Legacy Canvas Credentials LTI 1.1 to proceed. Step 5 If this is your first time using Canvas Badges, you'll likely need to upgrade your course. Click on the Upgrade course button to get the most up-to-date Badgr version. Step 6 You'll be asked to link your canvas course with your Badgr account. This may involve entering your UIW email and verifying a code to authenticate your account. Step 7 Once your account is authenticated, look for the Create Issuer option on the right side of the screen, and follow the prompts to set up your issuer account details. Step 8 Follow the prompts to set up the issuer account: Enter details: Name, Website, Email, Description. Upload an image or a logo. Review & agree to the Data Processor Addendum. Complete questionnaire. Step 9 When you are done, click Create Issuer to create your account. Badgr Issuer Account FAQ How do I create a badge? To have the most creative freedom, consider PowerPoint or another image editor. For a simpler option, consider creating a badge image in Canvas Badge Studio by skipping this section. Canvas Badge Studio PowerPoint. Follow this guide to design your badge: Step 1: Create an Image and Add a Badge to Canvas How do I award a badge to a student? Once you have designed your badge and created your Badger Issuer account, follow Step 3: Awarding Badges guide to walk you through the steps.

Now that you've created a badge and linked your account, let's integrate it into your Canvas course. Badges act as digital awards, celebrating student accomplishments when they complete specific tasks within modules. You can add one badge or multiple. Build your Canvas course modules and set all prerequisites and/or requirements to ensure your students can earn your badge(s). Add your badge(s) to your Canvas course: Open Badges in your course menu. Click Manage badges. Click Add badge. Select the badge from the drop-down menu. Select Canvas integration. Choose the course module students must complete. From the Trigger type menu, select Complete item. Define when students receive the badge. Click Add Badge to integrate it into your module. Follow the steps above to add multiple badges. Need more detail? Delve into the in-depth walkthrough below, complete with images and various notes for every step. Build Your Canvas Modules First You can award a badge for completing any Canvas Module. However, if you create several modules and set each as a prerequisite, students must complete each module to earn the award. Setting prerequisites and requirements within your modules mapped out to your expectations is crucial to ensure badges are awarded correctly. Add Your Badges Requirements can involve completing assignments, passing quizzes, or simply setting module content required to be viewed or marked as done. To set requirements in your modules, follow this Canvas guide on How to add requirements to a module. Step 1 Navigate to Badges in your course navigation menu. Step 2 Under the Badge progress tab, Click Manage badges. Step 3 Select Add Badge to assign a badge to your module. Step 4 From the drop-down menu, choose the badge you have created. Step 5 Select Canvas integration to trigger an automatic badge award when learners complete the assigned criteria. Step 6 In the Specify Requirements section, choose the course module students must complete to earn the badge. Step 7 From the Trigger type menu, select Complete item. Step 8 Define when students receive the badge: immediately upon meeting the requirements or on a specific date. Step 9 Once you've defined the badge criteria, click Add Badge to integrate it into your module. Step 10 Follow the steps above to add multiple badges. Badges in Modules FAQ How do I check student progress? To check Badge progress and see the students who have earned a badge, go to Badges in your course menu and click the badge link for more details. Can I award multiple Badges in my course? Yes, Canvas allows awarding one badge per module. Is it possible to revoke a badge? Yes, you may revoke a student's badge by following these 3 steps: 1. Find the Badges section in your course and click a badge to open more details. 2. Select the student under Learner progress. 3. Select the three-dot menu in Award Details to revoke. Confirm the revocation when prompted.