This course will become read-only in the near future. Tell us at community.p2pu.org if that is a problem.
Your goals include: 1) briefly cover how the badge process works, 2) take a look at what it means to be a ‘badge Earner’, 3) learn how to easily issue badges using an existing ‘OBI partner’, and 4) create your own manual for your learners to earn the badges. You will finish with two final products upon your successful completion: a badge to issue in your selected location and a manual to give to your learners.
Tweet your heart out! #schoolofbadges
What is an Issuer?
An issuer is an individual or institution that offers badges to ‘earners’ for successfully completed ‘learning experiences’. They handle all of ‘issuing’ of the badges, allowing ‘earners’ to push badges into their Backpack.
Anyone or any entity can be an open badge ‘issuer’. Any type of institution can issue badges for ‘learning experiences’: such as colleges, elementary schools, Freeskools, museums, conferences, or meetup groups. Not only can institutions issue badges, but individuals or individual offices within an institution can issue badges. Individuals not connected to an institution who have earned the rank of an expert in their area can also issue badges for any ‘learning experiences’ they create.
>>Read more about who can issue badges.
As with formal assessment, there are various types of badges that can be issued to credit ‘learning experiences’ and skill development. Here is a short list of badge ideas:
It is worth bringing up the fact that badges shouldn’t be given away for everything that occurs in a ‘learning experience’. An institution or individual might start with the objectives of their ‘learning experience’ to pinpoint key learnings. They may wish to only give away one badge, or scaffold badges to lead to one final completion badge.
>>Wondering where to begin in developing badges for P2PU courses? Take P2PU’s Badge Maker course.
Designing a ‘learning experience’ is about programming an academic experience in an informal or formal setting, in-person or virtually. While some badges can imply credit the attendance of such an event or participation in such an event, most badges are awarded for completing a task or meeting a goal. However, with most formal assessment, there are usually different points or criteria to look at in a submission. Similarly, badges may only be awarded for quality, or high achievement, efforts.
>>Consider developing a rubric to set the expectations for learner submissions.
A ‘badge system’ allows an individual or institution to credit breadth and depth of ‘learning experiences’. The system would credit the completion of different levels within a ‘learning experience’ and connects all levels to create a complete learning experience.
It is also worth considering how one badge system interacts with the other badge systems present in the whole open badge ecosystem. Does your badge system rely on pre-requisite knowledge and, if so, would it be a good choice to point to another badge system/learning experience for someone who does not possess that knowledge to first complete? It is also worth considering the value of your badge system compared to other badge systems
>>Read more about badge systems.
>>Read more about an example badge system.
>>Read more about building trust networks through badge systems by Carla Casilli.
Issuers have little hoops or requirements to jump through in order to become an issuer so that open badges stay true to the open ecosystem they originated from. However, how can those in the open badges community vet learning experiences and badges to ensure quality and consistency across the wider badge ecosystem? Though many solutions have been proposed (such as a volunteer voting system), those involved in the open badges community are still discussing this topics and the ramifications of possible solutions.
>>Read more about validity and open badges from Carla Casilli.
Discussion Prompt:
Take some time to go back to your answers from Task #1.
Here is a draft of a possible badge system just to show what it might look like. Before any of this can be put into pratice, it will have to be discussed amongst my organisation's group of Moodle teacher trainers. There might even be similiar systems already up and running. In that case perhaps it would be possible to join forces.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dg6QBqjFyuNFGJROdNyBZXXNOiM3r0-lPZ1krFmKba4/edit?usp=sharing
Here is a sketch of our badge system.
I am not sure I understand question 2. Maybe I have included the answer above. Otherwise please tell me.
Hi Pelle,
I am not sure what's expected for #2 either. Describing how we ensure quality learning experiences seems to me a vast area and does not necessarily involve badges. I may be mistaken, but I do not think the questions are compulsory in order to receive a badge. If we feel the questions help us to develop our understanding of the badge concept and how we can go about it we answer them. If not, we just skip them.
Anyway, I like your badge system as it rewards different kinds of achievements and at several levels. The requirements are straight forward, easy to understand and make sense, I think.
500 hundred reads sounds a lot for a first threshold. Is it usual that your site has so many hits?
Kerstin
We have some bloggers that reach these levels. In this case this can be several posts that togheter sums up to 500. But maybe we will adjust this figures before we go official.
One of my graduate level courses is called The Adult Leaner. In this course students learn about learning theory as it relates to adults, barriers to adult learning, adult life transitions, how to create a positive adult learning experience, the role of instructors of adults, and learning disabilities in adulthood.
There are three main products a student must submit, each graded using a rubric I created. Each of these would be awarded a badge for completion at one of three level.
There are additional activities students must complete in class, as a group or alone. Three of these involve responding to three cases studies, analyzing them and offering solutions. These are go/no go assignments. They are rated by myself and student peers rate the best solutions. Overall case study completion would be awarded a badge at one of three levels. Click here for my proposed badging system.
I use rubrics extensively to rate products and activities. I am concerned about badge inflation just like grade inflation and rubrics help ensure quality scoring.
Show us your proposed badge system. You may want to create this virtually in Google Drawing and provide the link or sketch it out on paper and take a photo.
Here is a link to my proposed badging system.
To show good faith, draft up a short paragraph about your commitment to quality badges and the measures you have put in place to ensure a quality learning experience.
My commitment to quality badges include not replicating the existing grading system with badges but to create a system that enhances our existing system. Traditional grades often fall short in honoring:
acquisition of dispositions or soft skills
learning that has taken place outside of the institution
discrete skills
students recognizing the accomplishments of peers
Plan to replace demo badges with badges created by a graphics designer. Also plan to do user testing and classroom testing to learn how to maximize effectiveness of the learning experience as a whole.
1. My current work around a badge system is focused upon the self-directed life-long learner (or heutagogue). Therefore, my badge system design is flexible toward being defined by the learner. I have articulated my thoughts around this in my blog post titled; "leveling of OnPhD badges".
What I also believe is solid badge system design is important. And all the design consideration presented in the task apply. I have been developing a rubric to guide badge system design for the companion 301 course, and I believe this will provide even deeper insight into badge system design.
2. I believe my commitment to good badge design is described on my blog and within all the works I do in promoting open badges. I also recently completed the facilitation of a seminar series on digital badges; http://scope.bccampus.ca/mod/wiki/view.php?id=9011
