With the rapid transformation of technology and the jobs that support the industry, Drexel’s College of Computing & Informatics has always been committed to providing its students with an education that prepares them to meet the challenges of this ever-changing workplace.
Karen DeVose,
Ed.D
To achieve this goal, CCI works closely with industry co-op partners to ensure that the college curriculum is constantly evolving to align with employer needs. As a result, CCI has developed a new Digital Badging Program that enables students to demonstrate proficiency in specific computing and informatics skills that are now prioritized by employers. Students who succeed will be awarded a Digital Badge — a micro-credential — that can be included on resumes and presented to employers.
Karen DeVose, Ed.D, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising and Student Success, noted that “digital badges transform undergraduate learning into recognizable skills that open doors to opportunity. They make learning visible, meaningful, and marketable to employers.”
CCI has created the module content by combining open-source educational materials with newly developed content and assessments. The first set of Digital Badges includes:
- Bash & Command Line 101
- Directories and File Paths
- Demystifying Command Line
- Demystifying Python
- Git Introduction
Dario Salvucci,
PhD
The program is in its initial pilot stage and is now being offered to students who are preparing to begin their first co-op. There are also plans to make the program available to additional students after this initial phase.
“We’re extremely excited to offer these badges as a way to supplement our standard curriculum. As we expand this initiative, students will be able to gain skills across a variety of areas of computer science, data science, and related fields,” said Dario Salvucci, PhD, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Operations, who has overseen the creation of the Digital Badges.