This document discusses open badges and agile workforce development. It provides an overview of open badges, including their history and uses. Open badges can recognize both formal and informal learning, provide portable credentials, and help learners showcase skills and achievements. The document also discusses how various organizations have implemented open badges for purposes like continuing education, professional development, and skills recognition.

1. Continuing Education
and Training Association of BC
May 19, 2017
Open Badges and
Agile Workforce Development
Presentation support page:
http://bit.ly/openbadges4he
Notes from the 2017 BC Open Badges Forum:
bit.ly/BC2017-Notes

2. Volatile ~ Uncertain ~ Complex ~ Ambiguous
A VUCA world
sceptrefellows

3. “CETABC says…”
cetabc.org

4. “CETABC says…”
cetabc.org

5. “CETABC says…”
cetabc.org

6. The (US) Adult Market from a PACE perspective
bit.ly/MadisonBadgesApr2017
Adult student needs, leveraging lifewide learning
Lack of evaluation system to link non-credit
coursework to credit credentials
20.8m students in non-credit programs
The constant need to upskill
Freelance workers lack access to employer training
Growing employer acceptance of alternative credentials

7. (Help me …)
SWOT for PACE/CT
STRENGTHS
Autonomy within institution (some)
Institutional brand
Institutional resources
WEAKNESSES
Not always on institutional radar re needs
Volatile governance/business models
OPPORTUNITIES
Skills agenda(s)
BC-CSD?
Partnerships with associations
Partnerships with industry
Online delivery
New revenue streams
THREATS
Disruptive technologies
Disruptive business models
Competitors out of nowhere

8. Competition & Co-opetition…
Other
Institutions
Employers
The
Internet
Associations
Private
Sector
Educators
Other
Departments
Your
PACE/CT
operation

9. Technology skills are in demand, but they change fast!
slideshare.net/linkedin

10. The future of jobs
World Economic Forum: Future Of Jobs 2016
Across nearly all industries, the
impact of technological and other
changes is shortening the shelf-life
of employees’ existing skill sets.
Overall, social skills—such as
persuasion, emotional intelligence
and teaching others—will be in
higher demand across industries
than narrow technical skills
Top 10 Skills in 2020
1. Complex problem solving
2. Critical thinking
3. Creativity
4. People management
5. Coordinating with others
6. Emotional intelligence
7. Judgment & decision making
8. Service orientation
9. Negotiation
10.Cognitive flexibility

11. WEF: Recommendations for Action
Make HR more strategic – get in front of trends
Inform decisions with data analytics
Implement more flexible, virtual work models
World Economic Forum: Future Of Jobs 2016
SHORT TERM
LONG TERM
Break down educational silos:
• Humanities/Sciences, education/work (WIL, etc.)
Incentivize lifelong learning (time, motivation, means)
Collaborate across sectors

12. Calling for a common language for competencies
cwf.ca

13. Outcomes over inputs
Emerging: Competency Based Learning
hbr.org
“… high-quality learning
pathways that are affordable,
scalable, and tailored to a wide
variety of current and
emergent industries, based on
competencies, not courses.”
ingegno.in

14. 70: 20: 10 L-i-f-e-w-i-d-e learning
deakinprime.com / wikipedia.org
The LIFE Center

15. Key findings about non-completion:
1. Many non-completers had significant earnings gains
2. Economic value: content vs. credential
3. Non-completers are “non-traditional” students
4. Unknown factor: value of 3rd party credentials
Study: Program completion stats miss the point!
“The ones that got away” – a solution in hiding?
WestEd Slideshare

16. www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/verify/HDDAGRLXE4 verify.edx.org/cert/5d882acb67b64425a3355cd73954dd6c
Disruption: MOOCs and micro-credentials

17. Disruption: Education à la carte
www.udacity.com/nanodegree

18. Disruption: WIL-based Degree Apprenticeships
bit.ly/OUDegreeAppr

19. Disruption: Experiential Learning at Scale
riipen.com

20. Disruption: LinkedIn Learning
linkedin.com slideshare.net/LinkedIn gov.on.ca

21. Ontario’s call to action
rethinking …
learning
resources credentials
the learning
experience
David Porter, BC Open Badges Forum

22. How do we more
broadly address the
experiential learning
desires of students?
Driving growth and innovation through technology-enabled learning
eCampus Ontario
How do we provide
students with relevant
real-world projects as
practical experiences?
How to we allow employers
to audition student talent
while the students are still
in school?
How can we provide self-managed environments
for supporting experiential learning?
David Porter, BC Open Badges Forum

23. Paper silos: Issues with certification today
freedesignfile.com/92259
Transparency issues
• “Dumb” paper often needs other
documents, e.g. syllabus
• Proxy only – not the whole story
• Easy to forge
Physical issues
• Difficult to share, easy to lose
Recognition issues
• Lack of granularity
• Lack of context - no links to supporting
evidence
• Experiential learning not valued
• Lack of alignment, transfer,
articulation, “stackability”

24. Example: Transcript for graduate employability
ccr.utoronto.ca

25. Trends in professional credentialing
Use technology to:
•reduce waste (paper, effort)
•increase quality
Re-use credential information for:
•onboarding
•HR planning
•performance review
•accreditation
•Quality Assurance, systemic analysis
Enable continuous credentialing
SEER Health: The Future of Provider Credentialing

26. “micro-portfolios”
Open Badges

27. Clear progress markers
 motivating learners, supporting advisors
Flexible learning pathways
 granular, incremental, multi-source, laddered,
remixable
Visual branding
 issuers and earners
Online trust system
 demonstrate skills & capabilities
 proof of performance
 backed by issuer
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.
Micro-credential – portable record of learning
What is an Open Badge?

28. Scouting
Achievement
Heraldry
Affiliations
Blue Light
Authority
Military
Rank & Skills
www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7253
metronews.ca/
History of recognition using Badges
Since pre-Roman times ...
Badge Tracking Android App

29. Mapping badgespace
credentials
digital badges
certifications
Open
Badges
micro-
credentials
CC BY Doug Belshaw dougbelshaw.com
Standards-based
& interoperable
No image
requirement

30. Immediate transparency, instant validation
Interactive digital credentials

31. Share on social media
LinkedIn for “résumé worthy” badges
also

32. SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
a micro-credential
a discrete record
in a modular transcript
TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
a portable “smart”
graphic embedded with
structured data with links
to supporting information
Different perspectives…
What is an Open Badge?
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
a reward for
positive behaviour
a marker on a
development path
“… a simple digital standard for recognizing and sharing
achievements, skills and performance over networks.”

33. Some uses of badges (can be combined)
transformingassessment.com/TA_webinar_5_mar_2014_Simon_Cross.pdf
Recognize status
Reputation
Group affiliation
Keep artefacts
Souvenirs of
experience
Motivate
learning
“Game mechanics”
Set goals,
track progress
Personal learning
pathways
Assess &
recognize learning
Formal, non-formal,
informal
Fill recognition gaps

34. Badge taxonomy from Penn State
Chris Long

35. Early trends: A summary
Over 10 million badges, thousands of issuers
Early adoption:
• After school, community programs (youth)
• Continuing Education
• Professionalization and PD
• Product training (esp. ICT) - the “Extended Enterprise”
• Business Soft Skills
• Testing Recognition
• Pre-employment

36. Continuing Education

37. Wichita State University
Badges for Workforce, Professional & Community Education
For non-degree seeking students
adges.wichita.edu
Undergraduate & graduate credit
22.5 hours instruction/study delivered online
0.5 credit hours
WSU transcript
$100 per badge
Program is expanding

38. pace.oregonstate.edu

39. Granular learning pathways
Colorado State University
Community focused
Industry driven
Learner centric
Ecosystem friendly
slideshare.net/secret/xBjQY3Ipdsc06l bit.ly/1E0TqAM
“...an opportunity to
facilitate large
numbers of learners
from across the world
with just-in-time
education from a
multitude of
educational providers.”

40. Based on partnership
PACE/CPS aligned to skills frameworks
Partnerships with
NPOs, private sector

41. Aligned to the AQF…

42. Badging Continuing Education
Madison College
madisoncollege.edu/badges
Strategic Objective:
Creation and promotion of
innovative, market-based
credentials in credit, non-
credit and customized
programming (i.e. Badges)

43. Spun for the Provost
PACE case study: Madison College (US-WI)
KateRadionoff/april-2017-provost-presentation

44. “Extended Enterprise Learning”
Technology vendor product training
Adobe
IBM
AutodeskOracle
Hortonworks

45. Emerging benefit: corporate skills registry

46. Mapping talent worldwide
bit.ly/IBM_HeatMap

47. Why not a skills heat map for BC?
switchthestat.ca

48. Professionalization & PD
Unregulated:
• AXELOS
• HR Certification Institute
• AACE (total cost management)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• International Board of Credentialing and
Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES)
• ASIS International
Regulated:
• American Board for Certification in Orthotics,
Prosthetics & Pedorthics
• Institute of Management Accountants
• Association of Clinical Research Professionals

49. 192,000 workers in Scotland
Regulator & Sector Council
badges.sssc.uk.com/badges
 Work based qualifications: enter with little
education, achieve a degree
 Open Badges to recognized informal learning
 Potential for formalized RPL later

50. Trades Certification - City & Guilds/Worldchefs
worldchefs.org/Certification
Issued using
sharable
Open Badges

51. OU’s OpenLearn – Badged Open Courses (BOC)
bit.ly/OUbadges

52. What’s happening in Canada?

53. Some early adopters
Community
Professional,
Workplace
Education
(incl PD)

54. Program accreditation, NOS and professional recognition
ITAC – Business technology management
SFIA – 3
BTM Pgm
$50
SFIA = Skills Framework
for the Information Age
SFIA – 5
BTM Pgm
Board Assessment
$350
SFIA – 7
BTM Pgm
Board Assessment
$350
btm-forum.org

55. Non-credit recognition
Ryerson – Chang School
SME Coaching
4 sessions, applied
learning
Badges issued: 2
SME Lecture
1-2 hours, 2-3
outcomes
Badges issued: 158
Online Course
4 weeks (~20 hrs) with
assignments
Badges issued: 140
Retirement Home
Love of Learning,
Personal Recognition
Badges issued: 4

56. Emerging open recognition networks

57. Colorado – a cross-sectoral network
DPS presentation

58. Humanitarian PLE - across agencies, across careers
Talent
Pipeline
Recruitment
Induction
Formative Assessment
Gap Training
Team Building
Performance Management
Talent Management
Experience
Achievements
Professional Development
Career Development
Leadership
Development
SME Specialization
Career Change
Outplacement
Career
Pathways
External
Performance
Support
Google, YouTube
External repositories
Coaching
and
Mentoring
Other
External Learning
MOOCs, Open Ed Resources,
Personal Learning Network,
Communities of
Practice
OCBA
OCG
OCP
Academic
recognition?
New
Career?
OCB
OCA
Other
MSF LMSs
such as:
Skills
Marketplace
Demand
Supply
Badge
Passport/
ePortfolio
Digital
Credentials
External
Recognition
Workplace
Assessments
&
Achievements
New
Mission?
New
MSF role?
HRIS/ERP
Systems
Performance
Management
System Talent
Management
System

59. Humanitarian Passport Initiative
Vision: an international recognition network
PLE/PDE

61. Forthcoming Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI)
Provincial prototype for alternative recognition
To support & extend technology-enhanced teaching and learning,
especially in:
• Recognition of Prior Learning
• Informal Co-Curricular Learning
• Skills and knowledge required for workforce entry
Potential common themes:
• Open educational practices
• Competency based education
• Institutional & program learning outcomes
• Employability soft skills
• Work Integrated Learning

62. Displayer API
REST API / LTI

63. Displayer API
REST API / LTI

64. Displayer API
Other
Open Badge
Platforms

65. Starting up a regional skills network in Canada …
Help us transform Open Badges
into alternative credentials
that build our workforce

66. Open Badges: Going forward

67. Market research
technavio.com

68. Mozilla passes the torch
x

69. Pre-implementation phase
v2.0 Open Badge specification
Improved Linked Data / JSON-LD support
• more flexibility, interoperability
Embedded evidence and criteria
More flexible recipient identifiers
• email, telephone number, url, profile id
Third Party Endorsement
• badge issuer, badge class, badge assertion
• new image metadata for accessibility
Internationalization and multi-lingual badges
Improved alignment to external frameworks and objectives
• by issuer, by consumer/3rd party, can be part of endorsement
Security improvements

70. Related initiatives
connectingcredentials.org
credentialengine.org
ceds.ed.gov

71. PACE/CT with micro-credentialing, backed by institution
Innovative Australian model
deakinco.com
“Purpose-built learning,
development and
measurement solutions
to help organizations
prepare their workforce
for the future.”

72. What does all this mean?

73. www.badgealliance.org/why-badges/
VISION: a skills ecosystem
Open Badges, micro-portfolios in social networks
Going digital helps…
searchingdeconstructingvalidating aligning
sharingcombiningassessing “valorizing”

74. Open Badges, ePortfolios &“Badge Passports”
Benefits of a new skills currency
Visually efficient and appealing
Engages, builds confidence, provides continuing
feedback
Individual pathways, multiple sources of
learning
Formal non-formal informal learning
Modular, stackable, diverse, re-mixable, 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 and 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 validated and branded by the
badges it issues; maintains ongoing connection to
earners
Learner centred, employer friendly, becoming
more machine-readable

75. Foster, deliver, support & recognize learning
Matching the 7 themes of emerging technologies
Speed of Change
The Value of Place
Data Informed
Flexibility
Personalization
Learning for Life
DisintermediationOkanagan College
CETABC 2017

76. Some questions to ask
Are you a potential Open Badges issuer?
Behavioural goals?
Redeemable worth?
worth the effort? filling a void? marketing ROI?
Value add?
Champions?
Sustainability?
what will your badges “buy”? have you talked to employers? students?
internal leadership? professional bodies? employers?
cost structure? who will maintain & improve it over time?
engagement? feedback? recognition? development? skills frameworks?

77. ConEd, CPD
Contract Training
Professional
Education
High
Schools
Community
Colleges
Educational
Consortia
Employers
Apprenticeship
Authorities
Student
Services
Universities
Faculties,
Departments
PACE
Depts.
Governments
Professional
Bodies
Undergraduate
Studies
Post-Graduate
Studies
Post-Secondary
Preparation
NGO
Agencies
AssociationsPrivate
Educators &
Trainers
Student
Bodies
Sector
Organizations
Standards,
Accreditation
Bodies
Learning Continuum
Recognition, Curation and Transfer: Admission, Transfer, Graduation, Licensure, Continuing Competence, Career Transition,
Credit Transfer, Credit Bank, PLAR, Digital Badges – Open Badges – Skills Passports – ePortfolios
Experiential Learners: Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), Co-Curricular, Extra-Curricular, Lifewide Learning
Diverse Learners: young/old, serial/working/ transition/at risk, domestic/international/refugee, full-time/part-time ...
Open Educational Practices: LMS – ePortfolio – Social Media – “Domain of Your Own”, Open Content: OER, Open Textbook,
Wide Open Internet, Open Learning: “Open Boundary”, xMOOC, Cmooc, Open Assessment

78. LMS? *
Make/adapt your own (FOSS)
License & install proprietary SW
Cloud Service
DIY versus Supported
Getting started
Badge Canvas
Design Principles Card Deck
Do It Yourself
Workshops: awareness, train the trainer
Design & implementation support
Technology support
Supported
Technology choices
Explore: earn a badge, display it
Immerse: research, LPP (lurking) in badge community
Experiment: design a badge, design a small badge system
Pilot: build internal support, implement, maintain and improve

79. Penultimate thought: please …

80. The future is already here;
it’s just not very e
venly dis
tributed.
William Gibson
Final thought
en.wikiquote.org

81. Resources
Dialogue Cafe

82. Don Presant
don@learningagents.ca
@donpresant
Presentation support page:
http://bit.ly/openbadges4he
Notes from the 2017 BC Open Badges Forum:
bit.ly/BC2017-Notes