Blackboard and Concentric Sky Partner to Make Badgr Micro-credentials and Stackable Pathways Available to More Learners

RESTON, Va., May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc., a leading global EdTech software and solutions company, and Concentric Sky, makers of Badgr, announced a new partnership today 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, the world's fastest-growing digital credential network, 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.

About Badgr and Concentric Sky
Badgr is a global ecosystem of digital credentialing and stackable pathway tools designed for individuals and organizations of all sizes. Badgr serves millions of users and provides recognition from over 25,000 issuing organizations spanning more than 160 countries. Badgr is a registered trademark of Concentric Sky, an award-winning software development firm with a 15-year track record of enterprise product design and innovation around open technology standards. For more information about Concentric Sky, visit http://www.concentricsky.com

About Blackboard
Blackboard is a leading EdTech company, serving higher education, K-12, business and government clients around the world. We connect a deep understanding of education with the power of technology to continuously push the boundaries of learning. Our mission is to advance learning together with the world's education community, so that all learners, educators and institutions can realize their goals today and prepare for tomorrow.

Contact:
Phil Johnson
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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.