01 · DEFINE
Name one clear signal
Define the capability, skill or achievement precisely enough that the badge has an understandable meaning.
04 / RECOGNITION PATHWAYS
Recognise a capability signal without pretending it is the whole capability.
Skill Badges provide focused, evidence-linked recognition for a defined capability, skill area, practice or achievement. They are smaller recognition units that can accumulate into a richer picture of what a learner has demonstrated.
Focused Recognition
Evidence-Linked
Stackable
Verifiable
The badge layer
Small proof units can create a richer capability picture.
Astraal Academy can use Skill Badges to recognise defined capabilities without forcing every achievement into a full programme credential. A badge may represent a specific skill area, assessed practice, demonstrated behaviour, tool capability or other explicitly defined achievement.
The badge is the recognition marker. The evidence behind the badge explains why the marker was issued and what its boundaries are.
02 · DEMONSTRATE
Establish evidence
Use appropriate learning, assessment, project, portfolio or experience evidence to establish the badge condition.
03 · RECOGNISE
Issue the badge
Record the achievement and make the recognition available as a structured, verifiable proof unit.
Skill Badge lifecycle
From defined capability signal to recognised proof.
01
Define
Specify the skill or achievement the badge represents.
02
Set Criteria
Establish the conditions required for award.
03
Demonstrate
Generate or submit relevant evidence.
04
Assess
Evaluate evidence against the defined criteria where assessment is required.
05
Issue
Create the badge record and recognition.
06
Share
Present the badge with appropriate context and verification.
Badge models
Different badge models can recognise different kinds of evidence.
The Academy should define the badge type and criteria rather than treating every badge as equivalent. The recognition should tell the recipient what kind of signal is being presented.
Skill
Skill Badge
Recognises a defined skill or capability area established through stated criteria.
Practice
Practice Badge
Recognises demonstrated application of a defined practice, method or professional activity.
Assessment
Assessment Badge
Recognises an assessed achievement where evidence has been evaluated against explicit requirements.
Milestone
Milestone Badge
Recognises a defined progression or achievement milestone within a larger learning or capability journey.
Badge architecture
A badge should carry enough context to be meaningful.
Badge identity
Unique badge identifier, title, type and current status.
Capability signal
Defined skill, capability, practice or achievement represented by the badge.
Criteria
Conditions that must be met before the badge can be issued.
Evidence
Relevant learning, assessment, project, portfolio or opportunity evidence supporting the award.
Assessment
Assessment or verification method used where the badge requires evaluated evidence.
Recipient
Verified learner identity to which the badge is issued.
Issuer
Authorised Academy issuer or issuing authority.
Status
Current lifecycle state and relevant issue, correction, supersession or revocation information.
Verification
Controlled mechanism through which authenticity and status can be checked.
SKILL
01
01
Illustrative Skill Badge
Applied Data Analysis
Recognises demonstrated application of defined data-analysis practices under stated Academy criteria, with supporting evidence and an associated verification record.
VERIFIED · ACTIVE
Evidence boundaries
A badge should be specific enough to avoid overclaiming.
One defined signal
The badge should describe a bounded capability or achievement rather than implying total professional competence.
Evidence matters
The badge should have a documented basis appropriate to the type of recognition being issued.
Context matters
Capability demonstrated in one context should not automatically be interpreted as universal mastery.
Currency matters
Where a capability can change over time, the Academy can retain issue date and relevant currency information.
Stacking & progression
Badges can form patterns without becoming a simplistic score.
Multiple badges can provide a more detailed capability picture when their relationships are deliberately defined. The Academy should preserve the meaning of each individual badge rather than reducing the learner to a badge count.
FOUNDATION
Entry capability signals
Recognise defined foundational skills or practices that establish a starting capability context.
APPLIED
Demonstrated application
Recognise application of capability through assessed tasks, projects or other defined evidence.
INTEGRATED
Connected capability
Use related badges to show patterns across a capability area where the Academy has explicitly defined those relationships.
Trust & governance
A badge is useful only when its meaning can be trusted.
Defined criteria
Each badge should have explicit award conditions appropriate to its intended claim.
Evidence integrity
Supporting evidence should be attributable to the learner and maintained with appropriate provenance.
Assessment integrity
Where assessment is required, the method and outcome should be recorded appropriately.
Issuer authority
Only authorised Academy processes or issuers should create and award badges.
Privacy
Sharing and verification should expose only information appropriate to the purpose.
Status integrity
Corrections, supersession or revocation should be reflected in the authoritative badge record.
Connection to the learner journey
Skill Badges connect demonstrated capability to formal recognition.
01 · LEARN
Acquire the capability
Learning activities can establish the knowledge and practice context for a badge.
02 · BUILD + OPPORTUNITIES
Demonstrate and apply
Projects, portfolios and real-world opportunities can contribute relevant evidence where the badge criteria permit it.
03 · CREDENTIALS
Recognise the signal
The Skill Badge records a focused capability signal that can contribute to the learner's wider verified capability picture.
Credentials ecosystem
Focused recognition feeds the larger proof architecture.
01 · SKILLSPHERE™Capability definition
02 · EVIDENCEDemonstration
03 · SKILL BADGEFocused recognition
04 · PROFILEPortable proof