social.impactun.tsukuba.ac.jp

DIGITAL BADGE

Multicultural Co-learning

University of Tsukuba supports the career development of global startup-minded students through “co-learning” with a diverse range of stakeholders. Students who participate in various activities as they progress through the RUN-UP, HOP, and STEP stages are awarded Digital Badges at each level, allowing them to keep a record of their achievements. These Digital Badges can be used as official documents for internal screening for study-abroad scholarships and for companies’ recruitment processes during job hunting.

The Multicultural Co-learning Meister Program will also establish a mentoring system in which senior students support junior students in their learning and career design.

The icons for “GASSHUKU” and “DOJO” at the University of Tsukuba. These represent the specific venues where multicultural collaborative learning takes place.

Multicultural Co-learning

Four types of digital badges: Purple (Run-up), Silver (Hop), Gold (Step), and Platinum (Jump).

Digital Badge System and
Micro Credentials

A Venn diagram illustrating the “Global Startup Competencies” fostered through this program. The four elements—understanding global challenges, cross-cultural understanding, multilingual proficiency, and career design—overlap with one another.

Global Start-Upper Competencies

Digital Badge System

The Social Impact Project integrates an Digital Badge System, allowing students to earn digital certificates as they engage in Social Impact activities. These badges securely store and verify students’ skills, achievements, and competencies, containing metadata information such as the issuer, criteria, and date earned. They can be shared online via LinkedIn, resumes, and e-portfolios.

Internally, these certificates can be submitted for on-campus selection for scholarships, hiring, and grants. In the future, we aim to establish globally recognized, portable credentials to enhance student employability. The system also promotes lifelong learning by recognizing both formal and informal experiences, including coursework, extracurricular activities, and mentoring junior students. The system will implement a web-based academic record tracking system that will serve as a history of students’ accomplishments, programs abroad (DOJO, long-term study), career development (overseas employment, start-up), and mentoring experiences.

RUN-UPLevel

Understand the importance of the four competencies and develop the motivation to learn and to acquire them.

A purple badge that reads “Problem Solving Through Multicultural Co-learning Overseas A”
Purple Badge

HOPLevel

Practically utilize the four competencies through activities in Japan.

A silver badge that reads “Problem Solving Through Multicultural Co-learning Overseas A”
Silver Badge

STEPLevel

Show a proactive attitude in engaging in international activities overseas to further utilize the four competencies.

A gold badge that reads “Problem Solving Through Multicultural Co-learning Overseas A”
Gold Badge

JUMPLevel

Utilize the four competencies on a global level, produce outstanding results, and create social impact.

A Platinum Badge labeled “Problem Solving Through Multicultural Co-learning Overseas A”
Platinum Badge
Global Start-Upper
Competencies

What is a Digital Badge？

A digital badge is a digital certificate. Among digital badges, those issued according to globally standardized technical specifications are called OpenBadges. A person’s skills can be made visible by using them as proof of completion for courses, training, graduation from programs, or passing qualification exams.

Digital Badges are used in language tests (such as EIKEN and IIBC/TOEIC), various qualification exams (such as teaching licenses and Web Creator Skills Certification), online education courses (such as Coursera and Udemy), and university completion certificates (such as those from Senshu University and Nagoya University).