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Improving the Rigor of Open Badges

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Rick West
Rick West

We have been concerned about the increase of participation-style "weak" badges that we feel diminish the potential of the badging movement. In this presentation, we lay out our argument, published recently, for valuing and improving the rigor of open badges.

1 of 37
Enough with Weak Sauce Badges! BYU Image by Shutterstock Daniel L. Randall & Richard E. West
Badges as Legitimate Credentials When you first said badges, I had such a bad impression of what that would mean. BYU
Merit Badges and Digital Badges Boy Scout Merit Badges Digital Badge - Acknowledge accomplishment - Display skills gained - Motivation - Enable feedback/teaching from adult mentors Typically not sharable - Acknowledge accomplishment - Motivation - Gamification - Enable feedback on specific skills -
Open Badges Open Badges Same Affordances as Digital Badges, Plus: - Uses Open Badge Infrastructure (OBI) - Display badges via web - Metadata (Criteria and Evidence links)
Improving the Rigor of Open Badges
Open Badge Information
Mozilla Backpack
Backpack Collection Multiple collections can be created. Collections can remain private or can be made public and shared.
Badgers Talking with Badgers Joseph (2014) argued the badging community needs to talk less with skeptics and more with each other talking about how to improve the badging movement. BYU Svenwerk on flickr
Value of Badges CC BY-SA Class Hack http://classhack.com/post/39932478440/indianajones A badge is only as good as: The Rigor attached to it. The process used to evaluate the learners work. Its usefulness to students and/or stakeholders. How can we increase Badge Value?
Badge Types Global vs. Local Systems Badge weight BYU
Badge Systems Local badge ecosystem - intended only for the persons learning space Global Badge ecosystem - stretches beyond learning space; allows badges to be used as a credential Badging systems can be designed to offer both types of values value within an organization and value to those outside itbut, the required features and networks are different (Joseph, para 6). BYU Notthesame!
Badge Weight BYU By Flickr user winnifredxoxo
Lightweight Badges Badges issued for: attendance creating a login simply existing as a learner. BYU
Improving the Rigor of Open Badges
Argument for Lightweight badges Casilli (2014) argued that accretion, or the layering effect of badges over time, produces value. Value to emerge in unexpected ways from the accumulated effect of many different lightweight badges. Thus, lightweight badges may not be as meaningful individually, but taken together they paint a fuller picture of the individuals interests and activities (Knight, 2014). BYU
Badge Inflation CC BY-SA Class Hack http://classhack.com/post/50915858999/carpetbadging Mass awarding of badges with little or no assessment of work. Or criteria so easy and short everyone earns the badge. Carpet Badging
Counter Argument: The Challenge of Lightweight BYU Accretion? Whos got time for that? Demotivating Focusing on the wrong thing
Accretion BYU How many have kept every completion certificate they have earned?
Accretion BYU Jordan Crowe on flickr
DeMotivating BYU
Misplaced Focus BYU
The Problem with Lightweight Badges Poor Public impression of badges If the badging community does not show how open badges and their assessment processes can be rigorous and meaningful, then the badging movement may fade away. BYU
Weightier Badges Digital Promise Supporter to Reporter Substantial motivational power for students (Tran, Schenke, & Hickey, 2014)
Badges as Legitimate Credentials BYU
Lots of Credentials in Formal Education Degrees only awarded after a long period of time or a great deal of experience Transcripts have lots of information, but how useful is that information? BYU
How Valuable are Transcripts? What does 200 mean? Is it equal to or less difficult than a 400- level class? Course name: what skills are covered? What does the grade B mean? Average on everything? Did really well on some things and poorly on others? If so, what things did they do well? Course # Course Name Grade CS 200 Web Programming B
Badges as Micro-credentials Receive recognition for smaller chunks of learning Easier to communicate skills to employers and other interested parties Metadata makes data open, providing greater insights into persons skills (viewer could even re-grade the submitted project if they wanted to) Removing metadata weakens the potential of badges BYU
Badges and Informal Learning Receive recognition skills gained in informal and non-traditional settings Combined with badges issued in formal education, badges provide a fuller picture of a persons skills Vetted badges issued by others could be accepted by a professor or university, allowing the student to spend more time of topics they do not know, or provide a shorter path to graduation BYU
Proposed Solutions to Bolster Badging BYU
Badges and Gamification Use something other than badges to gamify learning (points, levels, ranks, upgrades, etc.) Reserve badges for achievements and skills that have value outside of the learning environment BYU http://www.iamprogrez.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/09/infographic_The_business_ of_gamification.png
Badges and Gamification 2 Types of Badges First type of badges (lightweight) is only used in the learning environment; are not exportable Second type (weightier badges) recognize significant work and learning; these are exportable Less desirable option, because 2 Badge types could create confusion Continues to proliferate lightweight badges BYU
Rigor of Badge Creation Criteria for earning the badge must have weight. Number of criteria and difficulty of each criterion. BYU
Rigor of Badge Assessment Assessment process should provide learners with specific, formative feedback that allows learners to reach the level of mastery. This is not only important for learning, but also gives the badge more credibility as a legitimate credential. If the criteria are rigorous, but the assessment process is not, it can still result in lightweight badges. BYU
Badge Consortiums Universities, professional organizations, and other trusted groups could join together to issue badges Could ensure badges issued through consortium had weight Greater number of badges issued, increasing brand Recognition BYU
Randall, D. L., Harrison, J. B., & West, R. E. (2013). Giving credit where credit is due: Designing Open Badges for a technology integration course. TechTrends, 57(6), 8895. Davies, R., Randall, D., & West, R. E. (2015). Using Open Badges to Certify Practicing Evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 36(2), 151163. doi:10.1177/1098214014565505 West, R. E., & Randall, D. L. (in-press). The Case for Rigor in Badges. In L. Muilenburg & Z. Berge (Eds.), Digital Badges in Education: Trends, Issues, and Cases. Routledge. Daniel L. Randall dan.randall26@gmail.com Richard E. West rickwest@byu.edu
? Contact us with Questions Thank You Daniel L. Randall dan.randall26@gmail.com www.danrandall.com @dan2randall Richard E. West rickwest@byu.edu www.richardewest.com @richardewest

More Related Content

Improving the Rigor of Open Badges

  • 1. Enough with Weak Sauce Badges! BYU Image by Shutterstock Daniel L. Randall & Richard E. West
  • 2. Badges as Legitimate Credentials When you first said badges, I had such a bad impression of what that would mean. BYU
  • 3. Merit Badges and Digital Badges Boy Scout Merit Badges Digital Badge - Acknowledge accomplishment - Display skills gained - Motivation - Enable feedback/teaching from adult mentors Typically not sharable - Acknowledge accomplishment - Motivation - Gamification - Enable feedback on specific skills -
  • 4. Open Badges Open Badges Same Affordances as Digital Badges, Plus: - Uses Open Badge Infrastructure (OBI) - Display badges via web - Metadata (Criteria and Evidence links)
  • 8. Backpack Collection Multiple collections can be created. Collections can remain private or can be made public and shared.
  • 9. Badgers Talking with Badgers Joseph (2014) argued the badging community needs to talk less with skeptics and more with each other talking about how to improve the badging movement. BYU Svenwerk on flickr
  • 10. Value of Badges CC BY-SA Class Hack http://classhack.com/post/39932478440/indianajones A badge is only as good as: The Rigor attached to it. The process used to evaluate the learners work. Its usefulness to students and/or stakeholders. How can we increase Badge Value?
  • 11. Badge Types Global vs. Local Systems Badge weight BYU
  • 12. Badge Systems Local badge ecosystem - intended only for the persons learning space Global Badge ecosystem - stretches beyond learning space; allows badges to be used as a credential Badging systems can be designed to offer both types of values value within an organization and value to those outside itbut, the required features and networks are different (Joseph, para 6). BYU Notthesame!
  • 13. Badge Weight BYU By Flickr user winnifredxoxo
  • 14. Lightweight Badges Badges issued for: attendance creating a login simply existing as a learner. BYU
  • 16. Argument for Lightweight badges Casilli (2014) argued that accretion, or the layering effect of badges over time, produces value. Value to emerge in unexpected ways from the accumulated effect of many different lightweight badges. Thus, lightweight badges may not be as meaningful individually, but taken together they paint a fuller picture of the individuals interests and activities (Knight, 2014). BYU
  • 17. Badge Inflation CC BY-SA Class Hack http://classhack.com/post/50915858999/carpetbadging Mass awarding of badges with little or no assessment of work. Or criteria so easy and short everyone earns the badge. Carpet Badging
  • 18. Counter Argument: The Challenge of Lightweight BYU Accretion? Whos got time for that? Demotivating Focusing on the wrong thing
  • 19. Accretion BYU How many have kept every completion certificate they have earned?
  • 23. The Problem with Lightweight Badges Poor Public impression of badges If the badging community does not show how open badges and their assessment processes can be rigorous and meaningful, then the badging movement may fade away. BYU
  • 24. Weightier Badges Digital Promise Supporter to Reporter Substantial motivational power for students (Tran, Schenke, & Hickey, 2014)
  • 25. Badges as Legitimate Credentials BYU
  • 26. Lots of Credentials in Formal Education Degrees only awarded after a long period of time or a great deal of experience Transcripts have lots of information, but how useful is that information? BYU
  • 27. How Valuable are Transcripts? What does 200 mean? Is it equal to or less difficult than a 400- level class? Course name: what skills are covered? What does the grade B mean? Average on everything? Did really well on some things and poorly on others? If so, what things did they do well? Course # Course Name Grade CS 200 Web Programming B
  • 28. Badges as Micro-credentials Receive recognition for smaller chunks of learning Easier to communicate skills to employers and other interested parties Metadata makes data open, providing greater insights into persons skills (viewer could even re-grade the submitted project if they wanted to) Removing metadata weakens the potential of badges BYU
  • 29. Badges and Informal Learning Receive recognition skills gained in informal and non-traditional settings Combined with badges issued in formal education, badges provide a fuller picture of a persons skills Vetted badges issued by others could be accepted by a professor or university, allowing the student to spend more time of topics they do not know, or provide a shorter path to graduation BYU
  • 30. Proposed Solutions to Bolster Badging BYU
  • 31. Badges and Gamification Use something other than badges to gamify learning (points, levels, ranks, upgrades, etc.) Reserve badges for achievements and skills that have value outside of the learning environment BYU http://www.iamprogrez.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/09/infographic_The_business_ of_gamification.png
  • 32. Badges and Gamification 2 Types of Badges First type of badges (lightweight) is only used in the learning environment; are not exportable Second type (weightier badges) recognize significant work and learning; these are exportable Less desirable option, because 2 Badge types could create confusion Continues to proliferate lightweight badges BYU
  • 33. Rigor of Badge Creation Criteria for earning the badge must have weight. Number of criteria and difficulty of each criterion. BYU
  • 34. Rigor of Badge Assessment Assessment process should provide learners with specific, formative feedback that allows learners to reach the level of mastery. This is not only important for learning, but also gives the badge more credibility as a legitimate credential. If the criteria are rigorous, but the assessment process is not, it can still result in lightweight badges. BYU
  • 35. Badge Consortiums Universities, professional organizations, and other trusted groups could join together to issue badges Could ensure badges issued through consortium had weight Greater number of badges issued, increasing brand Recognition BYU
  • 36. Randall, D. L., Harrison, J. B., & West, R. E. (2013). Giving credit where credit is due: Designing Open Badges for a technology integration course. TechTrends, 57(6), 8895. Davies, R., Randall, D., & West, R. E. (2015). Using Open Badges to Certify Practicing Evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 36(2), 151163. doi:10.1177/1098214014565505 West, R. E., & Randall, D. L. (in-press). The Case for Rigor in Badges. In L. Muilenburg & Z. Berge (Eds.), Digital Badges in Education: Trends, Issues, and Cases. Routledge. Daniel L. Randall dan.randall26@gmail.com Richard E. West rickwest@byu.edu
  • 37. ? Contact us with Questions Thank You Daniel L. Randall dan.randall26@gmail.com www.danrandall.com @dan2randall Richard E. West rickwest@byu.edu www.richardewest.com @richardewest

Editor's Notes

  1. We should talk about signaling power Digital Promise as a good example.
  2. Pic of gamification, points/leveling up, etc., youre a winner! Trophy.
  3. Funny picture: congratulations! Youre alive.
  4. Increase number with new ones
  5. Increase number with new ones Typo top of page 11 in article too late?
  6. Increase number with new ones Typo top of page 11 in article too late?
  7. Increase number with new ones Typo top of page 11 in article too late?
  8. Increase number with new ones Typo top of page 11 in article too late?
  9. Increase number with new ones Typo top of page 11 in article too late?
  10. Any examples of similar things that have faded away?
  11. Increase number with new ones
  12. Increase number with new ones
  13. Increase number with new ones
  14. Increase number with new ones
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