Building an ePortfolio and eLearning experience that rocks is anything but trivial: having a good learning design approach and a good command of ePortfolio methodology is essential. After three years of helping companies and educational institutions in their Mahara projects, I have become convinced that Open Badges are the key to fostering better learning design. In my talk, I will explain how Open Badges can help to reshape the learning design to foster learners’ engagement and attainment. I will briefly outline the Open Badge architecture; and then present the framework I am using to implement Mahara and Moodle in schools and in the work place. I will also demonstrate tools that support the Open Badges process, from brainstorming and creating new badges to the issuing of the badge by the institution, and the badge’s storage and use by the student.

1. How Open Badges scaffold a
better learning design and
improve ePortfolio practices
Mahara Hui 2015 - Auckland
Dominique-Alain JAN
@dajan | djan@mac.com
Leader of the French Mahara community
TEL Lecturer at Lausanne University for Teacher Training

2. Plan
1. About badges
1. (Open)Badges – an old story
2. Anatomy of a Badge
3. Badges vs ePortfolios
2. Managing Badges
1. Creating / Issuing / Managing badges
2. And beyond – the Open Badge Passport
3. How can Open badges improve the learning experience of ePs?

3. About Badges
How can Open Badges scaffold a better learning design and improve eP practices?

4. (Open)Badges – an old story
• Claims:
• We have been using badges for a long time already
• Medieval blazon
• Army flags
• Tartan
• Badges are polymorphic
• Badges can be serious

12. « The aim of Open Badges is to allow anyone to build and
manage a portfolio of assessments and certifications of
what has been acquired through lifelong learning, as well
as formally and informally during leisure activities, self
learning, or through charitable activities »
Denis Lamontagne (2011)
« Open Badges : une initiative
pour la reconnaissance des compétences tout au long de la vie », 20/09/11
accédé le 30/05/14 [http://cursus.edu/article/17545/
open-badges-une-initiative-pour-reconnaissance/]

13. Anatomy of a Badge
How can Open Badges scaffold a better learning design and improve eP practices?

14. • Learning pathway
• Skills assessment
• Badge issuer
• Trust
• Artefacts /
Reflection for
higher-stake
evaluation of
learning outcomes
• Badge displayer

15. • Learning pathway
• Skills assessment
• Badge issuer
• Trust
• Badge storage
• Badge
management
• Artefacts /
Reflection for
higher-stake
evaluation of
learning outcomes
• Badge displayer

16. Badge Name
Description
Issuing criteria
Issuer
Evidences
Validity
Issuing date
Image.png

17. Nom du badge
Description
Critères d’obtention
Emetteur
Preuves
Date de validité
Date émission
Image.png
Image + metadata = badge.png
{
"recipient": "djan@mac.com",
"evidence": "/badges/economics/macro",
"expires": "",
"issued_on": "2015-04-08",
"badge": {
"version": "0.5.0"
"name": "Keynesian multiplicator",
"image": "/images/macro-keynMultiBase.png",
"description": "Explain the effects of public…
"criteria": "/badges/economics/keynes/multi/",
"issuer": {
"origin": "http://gymnyon.vd.ch",
"name": "gymnyon",
"org": "Gymnase de Nyon",
"contact": "webmaster@gymnyon.educanet2.ch"
}
}
}
+

18. OwnerIssuer
Evidences

19. OwnerIssuer
Evidences
I am validating your skill…

20. OwnerIssuer
Evidences
… of knowing how to do this…

21. OwnerIssuer
Evidences
…on the basis of these !

22. OwnerIssuer
Evidences
My validation is also
represented by this !

23. OwnerIssuer
Evidences

24. OwnerIssuer
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB

25. People sharing the same
Badge / Pathway / Location
Issuer
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB

26. Social NetworkIssuer
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB

27. Social NetworkIssuer
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB
Skills
Values
Attitudes
Knowledge

28. Social Network
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB
Semantic Network
Issuer

29. Social Network
Evidences
The Badges are a HUB
Semantic Network
Formal / Informal

30. ePortfolios vs Open Badges?
How can Open Badges scaffold a better learning design and improve eP practices?

31. ePortfolio adoption
The NES (NHS Education for Scotland) ePortfolio has grown rapidly since
its inception in August 2005 and now comprises over 20 versions for
over 35,000 healthcare trainees within Scotland (Nursing, Midwifery,
Dentistry and Pharmacy), across the United Kingdom (Medicine), and
the Republic of Ireland (Medicine)
Source : http://guide.nhseportfolios.org/walkthrough/Home.aspx

32. Not everyone supports ePortfolio
I started this petition because I believe the ePortfolio is a complete waste of time and
effort for all Clemson students. I…]. Like most all of my classmates, I put work into my
classes and receive grades, as I should. It is as simple as that. Why should we be required
to create a portfolio that just reiterates the fact that we have completed a course? Why
should we be submitting work to an online portfolio that does not give us any credit? We
have to complete this to graduate? If I have achieved good grades and completed the
courses necessary, I should be well on my way to graduating. The ePortfolio only creates
another task for students to worry about, a task that accomplishes nothing. I wrote an
essay for my English class, I got an A on it, that led to me receive an A in the course, and I
successfully earned those credits. Nowhere in there do I see a gap that must be filled in
with an ePortfolio. Many of us have friends at other prestigious universities. Not once
have I heard of an ePortfolio assignment from any of them. I firmly believe that
eliminating the ePortfolio at Clemson University will truly enable students to be more
focused on their actual coursework and have a more positive mindset about school. […]
Jamie Harding started this petition Petition Closed 2,954 supporters target 5,000
Source : https://www.change.org/p/clemson-university-eliminate-the-eportfolio

33. Not everyone supports ePortfolio
• ePortfolios – 7 reasons why I don’t want my life in a shoebox
http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/e-portfolios-7-reasons-why-i-dont-want.html
• Bollinger (2010) Student perceptions of ePortfolio integration in online courses
• Tosh (2005) Engagement with electronic portfolios: challenges from the student perspective
• Shroff (2011) Analysing the technology acceptance model in examining students’ behavioural
intentions to use e-portfolio systems
• Tzeng (2011) Perceived values and prospective users' acceptance of prospective technology: the
case of a career eportfolio system
• Jan (2015) ePortfolio trained graduates in the workplace: are they significant users of ePortfolio
features at the start of their careers? [paper to be delivered at ePIC 2015]
• …

36. Managing Badges within Mahara
How can Open Badges scaffold a better learning design and improve eP practices?

37. Assignment

38. Design
Manage
Issue
Revoke
OverridesMoodlebadges
Assignment
SendstoMozillabackpack
Import badges
Badgedisplayer
Semantic
Network
Social
Network

55. How Open badges can improve
the learning experience on eP?
How can Open Badges scaffold a better learning design and improve eP practices?

56. One Case Study
• Context:
• HES-SO: Higher Education institution for Healthcare training in Fribourg
(Switzerland)
• New syllabus for trained nurses to become heads of department in hospitals
• Master degree
• Face to face training (1/3) – online training (2/3)
• 240 credits ECTS  coursework + personal work
• TEL
• Moodle
• Mahara
• mandatory to present a reflexive and personal work at the end of the training (3 years)
• PLE
http://www.heds-fr.ch/fr/Pages/default.aspx
https://vimeo.com/69882471

57. One Case Study
• Example of one instruction given to students
• At the end of year three you must submit your portfolio for evaluation. This
must contain:
• the personal and reflexive journal you have written alongside your three years of
training
• two evidences of attainment for each of the sixteen main skills
• your personal biography
• This portfolio represents 30% of your final mark

58. My questions about that
• What is reflexivity in your context?
• Do you train students to have reflexive practice or do you take this for
granted from their previous background?
• Will you train students to acquire eP practices?
• Will you train students to use Mahara?
• What in your view constitutes a good evidence for inclusion in someone’s
eP?
• Will you train students to improve their digital literacy?
• …
• Have you all agreed on what the 16 skills you have to assess are?

59. One of the 16 skills: Reflexive practice
• What is reflexive practice?
• Brainstorming  7 people  8 interpretations
• Decision:
• First: we create a badge on reflexive practice
• At the end: we create 3 badges on reflexive practice
• 3 levels
• One for each year
• Acknowledge students’ progress

60. (1) Reflexion (2) Design (3) Implementation
Process
What?
For Who?
How?
Result:
Intellectually
• A comprehension of the skill
• An agreement on the “boundary object” (Popper)
• Reification (Wenger on CoP)
Practically
• An agreement on the competences that contribute to
acquire the skill
• Competences are simpler to assess
• An agreement on the activities to develop for training
the students (Bloom’s taxonomy)
Technically
• The decision on what settings and tools that must be
set up for the tasks/activities (multiple / single
journal, forums, group pages, …)
Badge

61. Process
Badge
(1) Reflexion (2) Design (3) Implementation
http://learningdesigner.org/

62. Process
Badge
(1) Reflexion (2) Design (3) Implementation
http://learningdesigner.org/

63. Process
Badge
(1) Reflexion (2) Design (3) Implementation
http://learningdesigner.org/

64. Process
Badge
(1) Reflexion (2) Design (3) Implementation
http://learningdesigner.org/
Template Group page PLE

65. Conclusion
• The introduction of Open Badges has improved a situation where
• Students were confused
• Teachers didn’t agree on definitions of skills, or quality standards
• The design of activities was not in relation with the skills
• By
• Clarifying the objectives (reification, boundary object, Bloom’s taxonomy,…)
• Helping in the design of clear evaluation criteria
• Providing an acceptable learning curve in eP practices
• Giving mentors time to feel comfortable with TEL and eP

66. Source : https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/492177602_640.jpg