본 연구는 디지털 배지를 새로운 증명 기술로 도입하는 차원을 넘어, 한국의 교육·고용 체계를 근본적으로 재구조화할 수 있는 국가적 학습·경력 데이터 인프라로 확장하는 방안을 제시하는 데 목적이 있다. 현재 한국은 초·중등 교육부터 대학, 평생교육, 직업훈련, 고용서비스에 이르기까지 폭넓은 디지털 기반을 갖추고 있음에도, 학습 경험은 기관별 시스템에 분절적으로 저장되거나 이동 과정에서 소멸되는 구조적 한계를 지니고 있다. 그 결과 학습자의 실제 경험은 공적으로 인증되지 못하고, 교육기관은 질 관리 체계를 정교하게 갖추기 어렵고, 기업과 고용시장은 신뢰 가능한 역량 데이터를 충분히 확보하지 못하는 문제가 지속되어 왔다. 본 연구는 이러한 구조적 문제를 해결하고 학습 경험을 지속 가능한 공적 자산으로 전환하기 위한 제도적·기술적·운영적 기반을 마련하고자 했다.

국제적으로는 이미 역량 중심의 교육 및 고용 체계가 빠르게 확산하고 있으며, 미국·유럽·싱가포르 등에서는 디지털 배지를 포함한 검증 가능한 성과 기반 인증이 국가 정책과 결합해 표준화되고 있다. 이들 국가의 공통점은 발급–저장–검증–활용까지 아우르는 데이터 기반 인증 생태계를 구축하고 있다는 점이며, 특히 공공 표준과 민간의 혁신적 플랫폼을 동시에 활용하는 하이브리드 방식이 광범위하게 채택되고 있다. 이러한 글로벌 흐름은 한국이 디지털 배지를 제도화하고 고용·교육 전반과 연계하기 위한 중요한 참고점이 된다.

본 연구는 한국형 디지털 배지 생태계를 설계하기 위해 글로벌 표준(Open Badges 3.0, Verifiable Credential, DID, CLR 등)과 국내외 운영 사례를 종합적으로 분석하였다. 이를 바탕으로 디지털 배지를 학습 설계·평가·증빙·검증이 구조화된 데이터 객체로 정의하고, 학습자가 자신의 성취 데이터를 직접 소유·제출·활용할 수 있는 개인 지갑 구조를 중심에 두었다. 특히 평가 루브릭과 증빙 데이터가 포함된 배지는 단순 수료증이 아니라 학습 성취를 기계가 판독할 수 있는 정형 데이터로 전환하는 역할을 수행하며, 이는 기업의 자동 검증, 대학의 비교과·전공 이수 연계, 지역·산업 기반 인재 매칭 등 다양한 활용을 가능하게 한다.

아울러 본 연구는 디지털 배지의 국가적 제도화를 위해 발급기관 인증제(CoI), 배지 품질관리 체계, 개인정보 보호·데이터 이동권 보장, 공공 검증 인프라 구축, 개방형 API 표준화, 민간 플랫폼 연동 등 9대 정책 과제를 제안하였다. 발급기관 인증제는 무분별한 발급을 방지하고 품질 기준을 확보하는 핵심 제도이며, 공공 검증 인프라는 위·변조 방지, 키 관리, 취소·갱신 등의 기술적 안정성을 보장한다. 또한 기업·대학·지자체·평생교육기관 등 다양한 이용자가 동일한 기준으로 배지를 발급·활용할 수 있도록 국가 표준 메타데이터와 운영 지침을 정비하는 방향을 제시하였다.

특히 본 연구는 디지털 배지를 공공부문만의 서비스로 보거나, 반대로 민간 플랫폼만으로 지속될 수 있는 구조로 파악하지 않았다. 공공은 신뢰 기반(표준·검증·거버넌스)을 담당하고, 민간은 확산·서비스 혁신을 담당하는 공공–민간 하이브리드 생태계가 가장 지속 가능한 한국형 모델이라는 점을 강조한다. 이는 국내 교육기관의 다양성과 산업·지역 간 격차를 고려할 때 가장 현실적이며 확장성 있는 구조이다.

기술적 측면에서 연구는 발급–저장–검증–활용 전 주기에 걸쳐 국가 인프라 수준의 기술 아키텍처를 설계하였다. 발급 단계에서는 메타데이터·평가·증빙의 구조화를, 저장 단계에서는 학습자 지갑과 기관 DB·공공 플랫폼 간 연동을, 검증 단계에서는 DID·VC 기반의 자동 검증 메커니즘을, 활용 단계에서는 HR 플랫폼·대학 시스템·지역 학습 포털 연계를 포함하였다. 이러한 기술 구조는 학습자 중심의 데이터 이동권을 보장하면서도 기관 간 상호운용성을 확보하는 필수 기반으로 제시된다.

연구는 또한 국제 상호운용성 확보의 중요성을 강조하였다. 한국형 디지털 배지는 ESCO(European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations), OB3.0(Open Badges 3.0), VC, DID 등 글로벌 표준을 준수하도록 설계되었고, 이는 향후 해외 고용·국제교육과의 연동뿐 아니라 국내 기업의 해외 진출, 외국인 학습자 유입 등 다양한 측면에서 경쟁력을 제공한다. 글로벌 생태계와의 정합성은 장기적으로 한국의 학습인증 체계를 국제적 수준으로 확장하기 위한 전제조건이다.

종합적으로 본 연구는 디지털 배지가 단순한 인증 기술을 넘어, 한국 사회의 장기적 인재 정책을 지탱할 국가 학습·경력 데이터 인프라라는 점을 명확히 했다. 이를 통해 학습자는 자신의 데이터를 직접 소유하고 활용할 수 있으며, 교육기관은 품질 중심의 인증 체계를 확립하게 되고, 기업은 신뢰 가능한 역량 데이터를 기반으로 채용과 인재 개발을 수행할 수 있다. 국가적으로는 학습–고용 데이터를 통합한 미래 지향적 인재 시스템 구축이 가능해진다. 디지털 배지는 한국이 학벌 중심 구조에서 벗어나 역량 중심 사회로 이동하기 위한 실질적 전환점이며, 본 연구는 이를 구현하기 위한 종합적 정책·기술·운영 청사진을 제시하였다.

요 약············································································································ ⅰ
Ⅰ. 서론······································································································ 1
1. 연구의 추진 배경 및 필요성···························································1
2. 연구 목적···························································································10
3. 연구 대상 및 범위···········································································12
4. 주요 과업 및 수행 내용·································································13
5. 연구 추진 체계 및 연구진 구성···················································14
6. 연구의 의의·······················································································15
Ⅱ. 디지털 배지의 개념과 국제 동향··············································18
1. 디지털 배지의 정의와 개념적 확장·············································21
2. 디지털 배지의 주요 특성: 신뢰·데이터·연결성의 집약체······22
3. 디지털 배지의 이론적 기반···························································23
4. 디지털 배지의 메타데이터 구조: 국제 표준화 동향················25
5. 디지털 배지와 기존 증명서의 차별성·········································41
6. 국제 동향 분석·················································································42
7. 디지털 배지의 전략적 가치···························································43
Ⅲ. 국내외 디지털 배지 운영사례 분석··········································44
1. 교육-고용 연계 운영 현황····························································44
2. Open Badges 3.0, CLR, 역량 프레임워크 연계·······················50
3. 교육-고용 연계 성공사례와 시사점············································60
Ⅳ. 디지털 배지 표준 및 기술 연계 방안······································67
1. 디지털 배지 데이터 설계 방안·····················································67
2. 디지털 배지 API 설계 방안··························································76
3. Endorsement Credential VC에 대한 고려 사항·······················84
4. 디지털 배지 보안 및 신뢰성 확보 방안·····································87
Ⅴ. 디지털 배지 활용 모델 설계····················································117
1. 이해관계자 중심 디지털 배지 활용 모델·································117
2. 발급기관-플랫폼-수요기관 3자 구조········································118
3. 이해관계자별 활용 시나리오 설계·············································118
4. 연계 프로세스 설계·······································································127
5. 품질관리 및 신뢰성 확보 방안···················································130
6. 디지털 배지 생태계 구축을 위한 종합 시사점·······················131
7. 종합 결론·························································································143
Ⅵ. 정책 및 제도화 전략···································································146
1. 거버넌스 구축·················································································146
2. 제도화 로드맵·················································································153
3. 지속가능한 운영·평가 체계·························································160
4. 국제 협력 및 표준화 연계···························································167
5. 위험관리 및 윤리·책임 원칙·······················································168
Ⅶ. 향후 시범사업 및 확산 전략····················································169
1. 시범사업 추진의 기본 방향·························································170
2. 권고되는 시범사업 모델·······························································171
3. 확산 전략 및 국가적 로드맵·······················································173
4. 성과평가 체계·················································································175
Ⅷ. 결론 및 기대효과·········································································177
1. 연구요약···························································································177
2. 관점별 주요 결론···········································································179
3. 향후 발전 방향 및 후속 연구 제언···········································188
4. 최종 결론·························································································191
5. 향후 연구 방향···············································································195
참고 문헌·······························································································197
Abstract ································································································ 201

✅ 연구책임자: 노원석((주)레코스)
✅ 공동연구자: 김태형((주)모티브랩), 김홍래(춘천교육대학교), 배상훈(성균관대학교), 이호건(에듀테크학회), 조용상(데이터드리본)
✅ 연구보조원: 이상은((주)레코스)