Reston, VA (USA), June 2021 - Blackboard Inc., a global EdTech software and solutions company, and Concentric Sky, makers of Badgr, have announced a new partnership to provide micro-credential and stackable learning pathway tools to Blackboard's global user base. The partnership makes Badgr Pro's suite of tools, including objective-based automations, leaderboards, and personalized pathway progress visualizations, available within Blackboard's leading learning management system (LMS), Blackboard Learn.
"We have seen the rapid expansion of new educational models to meet the needs of today's diverse learners and employers," said Mary Gross, Senior Director of Partnerships at Blackboard. "This partnership and subsequent development efforts will integrate Badgr's leading digital credentialing tools into Blackboard's learning environment and allow learners to share their accomplishments and achievements as they explore educational and job opportunities."
Badgr, one of the world's fastest-growing digital credential networks, currently supports over 25,000 credential issuers worldwide, including prominent organizations such as Walmart, Salesforce, Facebook, Microsoft, and thousands more. Every year, organizations around the world award millions of portable, skills-aligned micro-credentials to learners in recognition of their growing skills and competencies.
Many of these achievements are organized into a connected ecosystem of stackable credential pathways that help learners discover new learning and career opportunities and put their personal learning journey into better perspective. As a result of this new partnership, these tools and more will be seamlessly integrated into Blackboard Learn via Badgr's all-new "Spaces" feature.
"We're excited to collaborate with Blackboard to integrate Badgr's stackable digital credentialing technology into Blackboard Learn," said Wayne Skipper, Founder of Concentric Sky. "Verifiable, skill-aligned micro-credentials are fast becoming the currency by which learners and employers improve the connections between learning outcomes and employment opportunities."
Badgr Spaces, first available in Blackboard Learn, enables learners to earn personalized digital credentials and instructors to align course objectives and learning pathways with digital badges. Badgr Spaces empowers every member of a learning community with insight, direction, and recognition on their personalized learning path.
By leveraging this integration, learners and educators around the world will have greater access to Badgr's suite of micro-credential and learning pathway tools, while offering a unique experience tailored to the Blackboard edtech ecosystem.
Blackboard and Badgr previously partnered in 2020 during Blackboard's annual conference, BbWorld, where more than 2,000 digital badges were awarded. Available today, any organization leveraging Blackboard Learn will have the ability to recognize, reward, and celebrate their learners' achievements with skills-aligned digital badges and micro-credentials with true value and currency in the evolving labor market.
