Background.

Badges are a lightweight, engaging way to recognize learning. At P2PU, we've pioneered the use of badges as assessment. Check out our published paper on the subject. Our badge model even scaled for a pilot of 500 learners with our Webmaking 101 Challenge. We've won grants for our badge program, to boot.

But how do badges actually work? How can you make one?

Say you’re designing a Challenge at P2PU. Or as a learner you notice a skill that’s not currently captured by P2PU’s suite of badges. Check 'em out:

You’d like to make a badge yourself. OK, sweet.

Overview.

The badge creation process has just a few steps. In this Challenge, we will walk you through them.

1.) Identify Skills: what are you assessing?

2.) Select and Design Assessment: who is awarding badge and how?

3.) Create Graphics: what does the badge look like?

4.) Community Review and Implementation: how does the magic happen?

Your Task.

In the comments section below, introduce yourself. How did you learn about badges? What specifically do you need help with? 

I am a librarian at a middle school, and I just read an article about using badges in the library which had a lot of helpful links to get started, the link to p2pu being one. In my state we have book award lists where students read a certain number from the list and then vote for their favorite. The book receiving the most votes wins that award and is recognized as the winner in all K-12 schools for that year. I'd like to create a badge for students who qualify to vote. There are four lists with each one created to appeal to a certain age group. Because I have a wide range of readers, my students have the opportunity to read enough to qualify to vote for more than one list. I'd like to create several badges for this library event. One badge for each list they qualify for, and a special badge if they read every book on a list, and another badge if they read enough from each list to be eligible to vote in all three of the lists I promote. One list is strictly for lower elementary students, so I don't promote that one. I do keep very close track of student progress. Every time they read one of the books, take an online quiz about it, and earn a certain score on the quiz, I give them a sticker which they put on a poster in the library. Once they have read the required number of books, we have a "voting party" and all who are eligible particpate in the party and vote for their favorite book. I'd like to reward them at the end of that with a badge that they would place on their online school profile.