Open Badges:Visual Pathways to the
Future
YOUTH AND COMMUNITY VERSION
November 7, 2014
Don Presant
Re-imagining the ePortfolioMulti-institution ePortfolio community
University
College
Adult Learning Centre
Professional Body Workplace Trainer
Employability Agency
Employer Industry Sector Body
Workforce Skills and
Credentialing in a Digital World
Is there a “Skills Gap”?Old ways aren’t working
www.ere.net/2012/07/16/what%E2%80%99s-wrong-with-using-resumes-for-hiring-pretty-much-everything/
www.huffingtonpost.com/julian-l-alssid/a-new-gallup-survey-says-_b_4862669.html
higheredstrategy.com
“Paper Silos”Issues with certification today
• Transparency issues– “Dumb” paper often needs
other documents, e.g. syllabus– Proxy only – not the “whole
story”– Easy to forge
• Recognition issues– Lack of granularity– Lack of context
• links to supporting evidence
– Experiential learning not valued– Lack of alignment, transfer,
articulation (“stackability”)
• Physical issues– Difficult to share, easy to lose
freedesignfile.com/92259
Soft skillsHighly needed, little fostered
Workopolis-Mind-The-Gap
New methods neededClinton Global Initiative
Reconnect Learning
Social media in Canada
wrightresult.com/2011/07/canadian-social-media-usage/
www.thecord.ca/social-media-use-climbs-in-canada/
Your “Accidental ePortfolio”Tracking your digital footprints – recent study
Use Google or other search engines to research candidates
Research the candidate on Facebook
Monitor the candidate’s activity on Twitter
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Employers who would…
n = 2,775 US/Canada July 2013 cb.com/18xbgez
Some of the search activity happens before candidates are even called for a job interview
eSourcing is SocialEmployers want to find you
techvibes.com
Oct 2014
Is LinkedIn enough?Who has control over your data?
• PRO– Awareness, workplace focus (esp. North America)– Evidence: Slideshare, Infographics, Videos, Recommendations
(?)– Social network: “Friend of a Friend”– Personal Learning Network: LinkedIn Groups, Timelines
• CON– Flexibility
• Customization, segmentation, alignment to requirements/outcomes• Interoperability: feeding to/from other sites
– Archiving: file storage– Private modes: reflection, formative assessment, mentoring– Learning frameworks: self-assessment, plans, rubrics, etc.– Audience: beyond white collar, older worker? (79% are 35+)– Ownership : Terms of Use, business model
With ideas from: Does LinkedIn work as an ePortfolio?
Enterprise Gamification For engagement and recognition
www.redcritterconnecter.com
Rewards programs, performance management, employee onboarding, health and wellness, learning and development
keas.com/
Deloitte Leadership Academy online.wsj.com
What are Open Badges?
Origins of Badges
• Since pre-Roman times
• Heraldry, Military, Blue Light, Boy Scouts
• Public recognition:achievement, affiliation, authority
• Online engagement: gamification
www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7253
metronews.ca/Badge Tracking Android App earnyourwings.aircanada.com
Leveling up at Khan AcademyBadges for learning (non-transferable)
A digital representation of an accomplishment, interest or affiliation that is visual, available online, and contains metadata including trusted links that help explain the context, meaning, process and result of an activity. As an open artefact, the earner can present the badge in different contexts from which it was earned.
• Clear progress markers– Motivating learners, supporting
advisors
• Flexible learning pathways– Granular, incremental, multi-source,
laddered, remixable
• Visual branding– Issuers and learners
• Online trust system– Demonstrate skills & capabilities– Proof of performance– Backed by issuer
What is an Open Badge?Micro credentials - modular record of learning
Open Badges & Social Media
Curated in ePortfolio…Interactive criteria…
LinkedIn Profile…
Facebook timeline…
Pulled from Backpack…
www.badgealliance.org/why-badges/
A modular skills ecosystemOpen Badges and “Micro-portfolios”
“Going Digital” helps:• Sharing, searching• Validating, “valorizing”
– Assessing, aligning, combining, separating
What is an Open Badge?Different perspectives…
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION• A portable graphic with embedded information• Awarded manually or automatically, face to face or online
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT• A micro-credential• A discrete record in a modular transcript
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT• A reward for positive (prescribed) behaviour• A marker on a development path
…a simple digital standard for recognizing and sharing achievements, skills and performance
How are Open Badges being used?
MATUREADULT
YOUTH
Open Badges: Lifelong, Lifewide Learning
LOWSTAKES
HIGHSTAKES
VolunteerExperience
WorkPlacements
AfterSchool
Programs
ClassroomEngagement
WorkplaceEngagement
PersonalLearning
MOOCs
Co-CurricularRecord
Workshops
P/T & Summer
JobsAdmission to
Higher Ed
Admission toPost GradSchools
Job Hire
Conferences
Recognitionof Prior
Learning
EmployabilityPortfolio
CareerTransition
Promotion
Communitiesof
Practice
Memberships,Affiliations
Awards,Achievements
TeamBuilding “Hard”
Credentials
“Soft”Credentials
Red Cross, Cadets, Scouts,
etc.
E-learningCourses
FormativeFeedback
Awards,Achievements
ContinuingEducation
Some uses of badgesCan be combined...
• Assess, recognize learning– Formal, non-formal, informal– Fill recognition gaps not currently well-served
• Motivate learning– “Game mechanics”:
• Set goals, evaluate, track progress
• Provide learning pathways• Recognize status, reputation, group
affiliation• Keep souvenir of experiencetransformingassessment.com/TA_webinar_5_mar_2014_Simon_Cross.pdf
Badges at the school levelOverview
http://badges.concordiashanghai.org/use-cases/
School levelDetail: community service
http://badges.concordiashanghai.org/issue-a-badge/sample-badges/
School levelOther applications
• Physical Education
• Academic stretch goals
• Intramural affiliation
http://badges.concordiashanghai.org/issue-a-badge/sample-badges/
Corona-Norco School District (CA)>300K badges for 54K students (Apr 2014)
bit.ly/BA_CC_20140423
Community levelChicago Summer of Learning
bit.ly/CSOLplaylist
Open Badges Chicago Summer of Learning
• City of Chicago, MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla– 2013: 125 organizations, > 210,000 young
people– ~150,000 badges awarded
• 3% participation, 92% skill, 5% achievement
• STEAM-based programming– Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts &
Mathematics– Driven by the interests of the youth participants
• Has become “Chicago City of Learning”:
Community cluster in CanadaAfter School Program and Community College
National level4-H
Emerging public policy: USSecretary of Education
Badges can help speed the shift from credentials that simply measure seat time, to ones that more accurately measure competency. We must accelerate that transition. And badges can help account for formal and informal learning in a variety of settings.
Today's technology-enabled, information-rich, deeply interconnected world means learning not only can – but should – happen anywhere, anytime. We need to recognize these experiences, whether the environments are physical or online, and whether learning takes place in schools, colleges or adult education centers, or in afterschool, workplace, military or community settings.
Arne DuncanSep 2011
www.ed.gov/news/speeches/digital-badges-learning
Emerging public policy: UK Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise
“In broad terms, the conferring of an Open Badge on a learner is similar to the award of a qualification certificate, and the same quality standards must be ensured.
The emerging opportunities offered by Open Badges in the areas of peer assessment, employer partnership, learning analytics and the engagement of learners means that it should be considered in learning technology at various levels.
We will encourage Awarding Organisations, Ofqual and Ofsted to be aware of the potential of this technology.”
Further Education Learning Technology Action Group (FELTAG) recommendations: government response
Matthew Hancock, June 2014
Emerging in CanadaEarly Adopters
How can Open Badges
Support Employability?
Career-enhancing credentialsUS Department of Labor (+ ASTD, CAEL)
• Desired features:– Industry-recognized– Labour market value– Stackable– Portable– Accredited– Credit for Prior Learning– Return on Investment
• Early examples:– Manufacturing Skills Certification System– Get Into Energy– Getting America Back to Work (ITC sector)
Stackable Credentials Slideshare
Emerging employer policy: USThe Manufacturing Institute
"User-friendly digital badges allow students and workers to translate their skills and experience into a manufacturing career.
Manufacturing badges have ensured the success of three levels of skills: fundamental skills, including team work and problem solving; knowledge acquisition, including basic manufacturing skill sets; and industry-based certifications and credentials."Jennifer McNellyPresident, The Manufacturing InstituteSep 2013
bit.ly/McNelly_MI
What manufacturers wantThe Manufacturing Institute
youtu.be/VEgwJwrK3qQ
Open Badges & workforce entryMissouri Customer Service Badges
Badge PathwaysMozilla “Discover” (Gates funding)
http://discover.openbadges.org/
Open Badges & workplace learningMeeting the skills needs of employers
• Filtering new hires• Tracking internal training• Brokering external training
– Functional skills, Essential Skills, Leadership
• Recognizing informal learning– Social learning (communities of practice)– Experiential learning
(e.g. Work Integrated Learning, projects, temporary assignments)
– Self-directed learning (e.g. reading, reflection, goal-oriented “missions”)
• Building skills passports, micro-portfolios• Assembling teams, building organizational
portfolios• Managing performance, developing careers,
grooming emerging talent
A new skills currencyOpen Badges, ePortfolios &“Badge Passports”
• Visually efficient and appealing– Engages, builds confidence, provides continuing feedback
• Individual pathways, multiple sources of learning– Formal <---> non-formal <---> informal learning – Modular, stackable, diverse, remixable, portable, shareable
• Programs not completed can be partially recognized and recombined• Add evidence, reflection as appropriate• Drill down to specifics, or roll up into larger outcomes• Combined in badge passports & ePortfolios• Common standard for skills exchange
• Trustable, easy to understand– Transparent criteria, evidence, issue/expiry date– Flexible alignment to frameworks, requirements, training
plans– Issuing organization is validated and branded by the badges
it issues; maintains ongoing connection to earners– Learner centred, employer friendly
Workforce vision: Open BadgesCity & Guilds (UK vocational qualifications body)
bit.ly/pipeline-CandG
Getting started
• Explore by earning a badge– e.g. “Badges 101”
• Push your badge to the Mozilla backpack– Set up an account
• Display your badge– Facebook? LinkedIn? ePortfolio?
• Design a “pilot” badge– Use visual AND pedagogical design tools
• Create and issue the pilot badge– Choose a platform, post the challenge, issue the badge
• Design a multiple badge program...
Details: bit.ly/badges-getting-started
Badge Solution: Open Badge Factory Cloud-based badge management & exchange
openbadgefactory.com
[email protected]: learningagents.ca
Twitter: donpresantePortfolio: donpresant.ca
Deck & resources:bit.ly/openbadges4youth
Additional Slides
Badge Solution: Open Badge Factory Cloud-based badge management & exchange
openbadgefactory.com
Features and Benefitsopenbadgefactory.com
• Currently:– Centralized cloud service with Open API: manage badges
in one place, issue in many (LMS, HR, etc.)– Controlled access for organizations– Controlled roles within organizations
• Creator, Issuer, Administrator
– Detailed reports– Badge applications (requests)– Milestone badges (meta-badges)
• Coming soon:– Multi-lingual badges– Badge Passport (c. November)
Nov 2014: Badge PassportCompanion to Open Badge Factory
• Flexible alternative to Mozilla Backpack– Connected to Open Badge Factory & Mozilla Backpack– Micro-portfolios: profile, badges, supporting information
• Badge communities hosted by issuers/aggregators– Companies, educators/trainers, associations, sectors,
professional bodies, funders, regions– Join, share, discover, match and aggregate badges
• Badge earners, badges to earn, badges sought• Search and report based on badge data
• Tiered subscription model– Free for badge earners– Subscriptions for organizations– Custom installations for private/complex solutions
• 2014: Free• 2015: Tiered subscriptions
– Free • 1 badge only
– Basic $200 per year• Maximum 10 badges, other limitations
– Premium $900 per year
• Option: Badge Passport– Paid subscriptions for issuers (costing TBA - soon)
Open Badge FactoryGetting Started
Request account at openbadgefactory.comMore info at
Getting Started: Open Badge Factory
A cloud-powered Skills Exchange “Small pieces, loosely joined”
Mozilla BackpackStore, Share badges
Open Badge FactoryCreate, Issue, Manage
badges
Badge PassportStore, Share, Connect
badges
Open API
OpenAPI
Moodle Plug-in
Issue badges
Mahara ePPlug-in
Issue badges
Global Badge CommunityIssuers, earners
OpenAPI
IssuerGroups
EarnerPassports
Open APIs
Modular.Flexible.
Interoperable.
eLearningPlatforms
ePortfolioPlatforms
SAP, Oracle(ERP/HRIS)
CommunityPlatforms
WordPress,Drupal (CMS)
Other possible plug-ins
Open Badge FactoryDETAIL: Centralized Detailed Reports
Open Badge Factory DETAIL: Badge Applications (request forms)
Open Badge Factory DETAIL: Milestone Badges (metabadges)
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