In recent years, digital badges have been globally gaining significance in the field of life-long learning and acquired competence recognition that comes with it. They are technologically secure, easily verifiable and able to provide detailed information about when, for what and by whom they were issued. Additionally, they can be easily shared on social networks, websites as well as digital resumes. Since digital badges help recognise students' achievements, highlight their exceptional skills or activity, universities are starting to increasingly use them as well. So it happens that they are often confused with micro-credentials – additional, formalised elements of education.
 

Recognising the significance of all-round development  and the benefits for the future job market, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) has developed a unique, gamified digital badge system that recognises acquired knowledge and competencies during informal activities. Although the system only started operating in September, it has already garnered immense interest from students – over 4,000 badges have been issued so far.
 

Pandemic reduced student activity and internationalisation
 

According to Dr. Ingrida Lescauskiene, the leader of the digital badge system's development and expansion, the idea to create this system came from the need to increase students' motivation to participate in international activities. During the pandemic, movement within the country and abroad was restricted, so the opportunities to study abroad under the Erasmus+ study, participate in internship programs, or to attend short-term international training were lost. The ramifications of it were – a significantly decreased student' motivation to go to other countries and gain international experience.
 

"Digital badges were chosen as an innovative, gamified tool to help the university increase students' activity in international activities and recognise the acquired competencies of those who do. As a  greater potential of this tool quickly was realised, representatives of other units operating at the university also got involved in the development process of the VILNIUS TECH digital badge system. At the moment, the system, named "Wolf," includes programs such as "Career," "Internationalisation," "Science and Innovation," "Sports and Wellness," "Arts and Culture," "Student Representation," and "VILNIUS TECH Maker," – says the representative of VILNIUS TECH.
 

Level-based system helps set long-term goals
 

Dr. Lescauskiene states that systematic, level-based development is what makes the VILNIUS TECH digital badge system unique not only in the Lithuanian but also in the global context. The creation of the "Wolf" structure involved the most effective practices of computer game level design, ensuring long-term student motivation and engagement.
 

"This new system, designed for career and personal development, consists of seven worlds (programs) inhabited by wolves of four power levels – participation, activities, meta, and uber levels. The player's goal is to become the strongest wolf. To do this, they need to develop a digital badge collection strategy, carry out activities associated with it, provide evidence to program administrators, and obtain their approval. The digital badges that make up different programs differ: participation badges are the easiest to obtain; they are awarded for participation in events organised by faculties and the university, open lectures, and excursions to companies. This is the most dynamic part of "Wolf" as the variety of events and training for students at VILNIUS TECH is extensive. After participating in at least two events, one can move to a higher level – the activities wolf level," – explains the project's digital badge system development and expansion leader.
 

She also emphasises that, for example, to receive an Erasmus+ study badge, one needs to study abroad for at least three months, and to receive a senior badge (activity level), one needs to serve as a senior of an academic group for at least two years. To obtain the second-level, meta-level badge, one needs to collect two or three activity badges, and with the required amount of meta-level wolves, one can finally become the highest-level, uber-level wolf, highlighting exceptional activity in the chosen field.
 

Desire to try out different activities is what motivates students to collect digital badges 
 

Renaldas Badikonis, a first-year student of Electronics Engineering,  who actively collects VILNIUS TECH digital badges, says that they reminded him of the well-known video game Achievements, which also allowed to collect awards for overcome challenges and compare them with other players.
 

"I was even more encouraged to collect these badges  by my favourite lecturer Dovile Kurpyte-Lipnicke. who told us that with them, it will be possible to receive a competency portfolio alongside the study diploma, playing a significant part when integrating into the job market after studies. This fact sounded very promising to me because, as a student, I want to feel confident about the future and having a well-paid job. Collecting these digital badges is a way to prove that I am worthy of it," – says R. Badikonis.
 

Gintare Bycenkaite, a fourth-year student of Business Management who currently has the largest collection of digital badges, says that she had already been involved in various activities before the VILNIUS TECH digital badge system appeared. However, with its introduction, G. Bycenkaite started registering her activities and was pleasantly surprised when seeing how many of them there were.
 

"Collecting badges is a natural process that I consider an important step in professional growth. I am most proud of the published articles, which were written under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Aurelija Burinskiene and the first uber-level badge I received. It is extremely important for me to be given opportunities to continue studies at higher levels, continuously improve myself, gain new competencies, which all are, I believe, an integral part of academic path" – says G. Bycenkaite.