Certificate Management Made Easy With VeriDoc Certificates
06 Oct 2023
The VeriDoc Digital Certificate is the modern evolution of the traditional academic certificate.
A QR code leads to a credential page with options for sharing and embedding.
In addition to detailing the degree program and the issuing institution, the credential page also links to other credentials the recipient holds.
VeriDoc Digital Certificates Helps In Certificate Management, How?
Replacements Of The Certificates Are Easy
Convenient TO Share Digital Certificates
High-End Security Is Provided
Verification Is Quick And Easy
Custom Certificate Designs
Certificate Management Made Easy With VeriDoc Certificates
Digital certificates are the modern evolution of traditional academic certificates. They are hosted on a dedicated credential page with options to share and embed. Digital certificates present all the same information as a traditional certificate and provide room for additional evidence such as transcripts, honour roll recognition, exam results, worksheets, and dissertation grades. The credential page also includes details about the higher education program, the issuing institution, and a link to other credentials held by the recipient.
How VeriDoc Certificates Is Helping In Certificate Management
Security and protection against fraud are just one advantage of digital certificates compared to academic certificates. Replacing or supplementing traditional academic certificates with digital credentials, including digital certificates, digital badges, and blockchain credentials, also benefit institutions and their graduates in the following ways.
Replacements
Depending on the school and the type of certificate, replacement degree or diploma certificates can cost between $25 to $150 each time. There may also be a delay in receiving the replacement certificate and a risk of the replacement getting lost in the mail. This can create issues where evidence of a graduation certificate is required to prove eligibility to work or pursue additional education. In comparison, digital certificates are always-online and can be bookmarked, downloaded as a PDF, or added to smartphone devices for easy retrieval.
Shareability
Receiving an academic certificate is an exciting moment for graduates, and they want to celebrate with friends, family, and peers. As many academic certificates are shared as physical documents, this means taking a photo to share on a social media timeline or send out in an email. However, in the UK and occasionally in the US, graduates are actively discouraged from photographing their certificates to share publicly in a bid to reduce degree fraud. In comparison, digital certificates are made to be shared. In just one click, graduates can share their digital certificate of achievement to their preferred social media network. They can also add their certificate to their LinkedIn profile or embed their digital credentials in their email signature.
Security
Fraudulently created or claimed higher education certificates could be difficult to track, and if an organization doesn’t do their due diligence to investigate the authenticity of a certificate, it can pass beneath the radar entirely. The barrier to degree fraud is low, often only requiring access to photo-editing software to create a fraudulent certificate. Digital certificates provide increased security against fraud using bank-level encryption and issuer verification. Additionally, digital certificates can be written to the blockchain to create tamper-proof records of issuance that are close to impossible to edit or remove.
Verification
The verification process for academic certificates can be slow and costly for recipients and institutions. If verification hasn’t been outsourced or automated (both of which create additional costs), this also creates a time commitment for administrative departments. Third parties, including hiring managers and recruiters, may be forced to wait for verification which can slow down recruitment and onboarding. There is also a cost incurred for performing background checks. In comparison, digital certificates are verified in seconds from the dedicated credential page, saving both time and money for all parties involved.
Longevity
Academic institutions are not risk-exempt from closure, even those that have existed for over a century. This creates issues for recipients where no alternative verification method is provided, replacement certificates are no longer available, and they are concerned that their efforts can no longer be authenticated. Digital certificates remain online and accessible, even if the issuing institution faces closure. This provides guaranteed longevity for a graduate’s academic achievements.
Portability
Like many important documents, graduates aren’t carrying their academic certificates around wherever they go, particularly as they can carry a high replacement cost when lost. Digital credentials can be uploaded to digital wallet cards on smartphone devices. This allows recipients to carry their career-advancing credentials and records of academic excellence on the go and present them wherever they are required as proof of eligibility in a few seconds.
Format-Independent
There are many parts to a higher education certification, including individual modules, end-of-term exams, and dissertations. Traditional academic certificates may allude to this information but often carry additional costs for a full academic transcript. Digital credentials issued through Accredible are format-agnostic and can be issued as either a digital certificate, an open badge-compliant digital badge, or both. As our pricing model is per-unique recipient rather than per-credential, this provides institutions with a cost-effective means of recognizing multiple achievements throughout a student’s time at university or college. This serves as motivation and encouragement leading up to the final certificate and provides a clearer picture of a candidate’s competencies and experience.
Printable Certificates
Many candidates still like to receive a physical record of their higher education achievements, and digital credentials don’t restrict the ability to provide printable awards. Issuing institutions can add a scannable QR code to their certificate designs and enable high-quality printing of their issued certificates. The QR code is linked to the live digital version of the certificate, which includes additional supplementary information and the ability to verify the credential. The candidate can easily print their certificate from home or have it professionally printed. Graduates still get to own a physical copy of their certificate, but the issuing authority no longer has to carry the cost of printing, packaging, and shipping.
Collections
In addition to the ability to issue format-agnostic digital credentials, Accredible can create ‘Collections’ of credentials, also referred to as learning pathways. Collections are a grouping of credentials that a candidate can earn. They appear on the dedicated credential page showing how many credentials have been earned and providing details on the other credentials available within that Collection. Collections are a great way to motivate candidates through linear or nonlinear pathways. They also simplify the process for issuers to track how candidates progress through a Collection. Allowing them to make changes to courses that are unengaging or above the complexity level of their candidate’s current capabilities.
Design
VeriDoc Certificates offers dedicated design tools for creating fantastic-looking digital credentials, the badge designer and the certificate designer. Each tool offers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface and a library of editable certificate templates to help issuers get started. Using digital certificates, issuers also can update live designs should important information need to be amended, such as stakeholder signatures. The award certificate templates help issuers to identify necessary attributes such as the graduate name, issue date, and course name. Attributes automatically return the target information from supplied data on issuance, automating the process of issuing tens, hundreds, or thousands of certificates.
In conclusion
Digital credentials enhance the graduate experience by providing secure, portable, and shareable student achievements. For educational institutions, digital credentials protect against degree fraud, automate the issuance process, and modernize the verification process. Using VeriDoc Certificates, issuers benefit from format-agnostic digital credentials that can be used to reward each step of the student learning journey.
To learn more about how digital credentials can improve the graduate experience, protect career-advancing achievements, and save time and costs for your institution, book a demo with VeriDoc Certificates today.