Shorter version for presentation at Simon Fraser University March 4, 2015

1. Open Badges
Making Learning Visible
SFU Version
March 6, 2015
Don Presant
Longer presentation support page:
http://bit.ly/openbadges4he

2. Education à la carte
“She’s come undone...”
www.udacity.com/nanodegree

3. The PhD Employment Gap
Expectation meets reality
conferenceboard.ca
“The problem is threefold:
attitude, employability, and job searching skills.”
academica.ca
BUT...“Knowledge is not enough”
NEW RESOURCES:
PSE: 39.4%
Where are Canada’s PhDs Employed?

4. Another Burning Platform...
Outcomes Based Learning
 A knowledge base for engineering
 Problem Analysis
 Investigation
 Design
 Use of engineering tools
 Individual & team work
 Communication skills
 Professionalism
 Impact of engineering on society
& the environment
 Ethics & equity
 Economics & project management
 Life-long learning
CEAB Graduate Attributes: many are soft skills

5. 70:20:10 Rule
Not all learning takes place in the classroom
deakinprime.com wikipedia.org

7. Vision of Co-Curricular Records
http://bit.ly/ePIC2014_CCR1

8. What Problem are We Solving?
Student Engagement ≈ Student Success
Value learning
outside the classroom
Track, measure & authenticate
Leadership
Community service
Athletics
Special interests
Specialized skills and knowledge
Evidence-based support
for further goals:
Academic
scholarships, awards, bursaries
transfer to senior college
community college to
university
graduate school
Employment
WBL/WIL, internships
placements, permanent jobs

9. What Problem are We Solving?
University Affairs 2010

10. Example
A transcript for graduate employability
ccr.utoronto.ca

11. Employability (Trent University, 2013)
“Employer Responses to the Co-Curricular Record”
Problem solving abilities, adaptability/flexibility, enthusiasm/dedication,
communication (written & verbal), personable nature, ability to learn, reliability
bit.ly/TrentU_CCR
Top Skills or Qualities
Types of activities
Interest in CCR as a paper document:
“Students should use the document as a tool for reviewing their co-curricular
experiences and reflecting on what skills/learning achievements were gained from
each.”
“Any relevant co-curricular experiences should be incorporated into the resume,
and potentially referenced in the cover letter.”
Longer-term commitments demonstrate a greater level of student investment;
leadership roles are valued.
minimal

12. Why not the whole story... online?
Academic
Transcript
Co-Curricular
Record
Experienced
Learning
Formal
Learning
ePortfolio
Accredited
Experiential
Learning
Degree
Courses
Thesis /
Capstone Project
Unapproved
Co-Curricular
Activities
Work
Experience
-past
-current
Open
Courses,
PD
Approved
Co-Curricular.
Activities
Personal Life
Experience
-past
-current
PLAR/RPL

13. “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”)

15. >75%
5 key learning outcomes:
critical thinking, complex
problem-solving, written and
oral communication and applied
knowledge in real-world settings
“It Takes More than a Major”
2013 survey of 318 employers
bit.ly/AAEEBL13_AACU
Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)
93%
Candidate’s demonstrated capacity
to think critically, communicate
clearly, and solve complex problems
is more important than their
undergraduate major
>80%
An electronic portfolio would
be useful to them in ensuring that job
applicants have the knowledge and
skills they need to succeed in their
company or organization

16. Your “Accidental ePortfolio”
Tracking your digital footprints – study
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Use Google or other search engines to
research candidates
Research the candidate on Facebook
Monitor the candidate’s activity on
Twitter
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.

17. eSourcing is Social
Employers want to find you
techvibes.com
Oct 2014

18. Is LinkedIn enough?
With ideas from: Does LinkedIn work as an ePortfolio?
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/outcome
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

19. Benefits of Learner Owned ePortfolios
Personal control and privacy
Not at the mercy
of social media
business models
educ6040fall10.wikispaces.com/ePortfolio
Public and private use
Archive
Reflective chamber
Showcase
Recognition tool
all in one package
Supports Recognition of Prior Learning
More flexible, shareable version of paper portfolios
Reduces wasteful repetition of training and education

21. What are Open Badges?
Brief introduction
bit.ly/openbadges4tpd

22. www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7253
metronews.ca/
Origins of Badges
Authority
Badge Tracking Android App
Since pre-Roman times
Blue Light
Achievement
Affiliation
Skills
Military
Scouting
Heraldry

23. Digital Badges
Gamification, engagement, “recidivism”
earnyourwings.aircanada.com www.redcritterconnecter.com

24. 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.
What is an Open Badge?
Micro-credential - modular record of learning
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

25. www.badgealliance.org/why-badges/
A skills ecosystem
Open Badges, micro-portfolios in social networks
Going digital
helps…
separatingcombiningassessing aligning
“valorising”validatingsharing searching

26. Open Badges & Social Media
Curated in ePortfolio
Interactive criteria
Pulled from Backpack
LinkedIn Profile
Facebook timeline

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

29. Some uses of badges
can be combined...
Recognize Status
Reputation
Group affiliation
transformingassessment.com/TA_webinar_5_mar_2014_Simon_Cross.pdf
Keep artefacts
Souvenirs of
experience
Motivate learning
“Game mechanics”
Set goals (missions)
Track progress
Set goals
Learning pathways
Assess &
Recognize Learning
Formal, non-formal,
informal
Fill recognition gaps
not currently well-
served

30. Simple, versatile, agnostic...
Small pieces can build powerful systems
Julian Ridden

31. ADULT
YOUTH
Open Badges: Lifelong, Lifewide Learning
LOW
STAKES
HIGH
STAKES
Volunteer
Experience
Work
Placements
After
School
Programs
Classroom
Engagement
Workplace
Engagement
Personal
Learning
MOOCs
Co-Curricular
Record
Workshops
P/T &
Summer
Jobs
Admission to
Higher Ed
Admission to
Post Grad
Schools
Job Hire
Conferences
Recognition
of Prior
Learning
Employability
Portfolio
Career
Transition
Communities
of
Practice
Memberships,
Affiliations
Awards,
Achievements
Team
Building Professional
Credentials
“Soft”
Credentials
Red Cross,
Cadets,
Scouts,
etc.
E-learning
Courses
Formative
Feedback
Awards,
Achievements
Continuing
Education
Employee
Development

32. OU’s OpenLearn
Badged Open Courses
Starting with 5 open courses
Badges:
“Statements of
Participation”
“does not carry any formal
credit towards a
qualification as it is not
subject to the same rigour as
formal assessment.”
1. Taking
the first
steps into
higher
education 2. Succeed
with
learning
3. Succeed
with maths
– Part 1
4. Succeed
with maths
– Part 2
5. English:
skills for
learning
Not MOOCs –
perpetually open
open.edu/openlearn/

33. Purdue University
Balancing Badges with Grades
Video playlist:
http://www.savvyfolio.net/user/don/open-badges-and-higher-education

34. Adding value to grades
Purdue University
Open Badges Grades
Learner control over presentation
and “ownership”
A-F grading system focuses on
sorting-based assessment and can
be opaque.
Transparency of learner
attainments and mastery
Not always indicators of actual
capabilities.
(Often) provide specific evidence
for learner attainments from life-
wide contexts
Do not explicitly address informal
learning except via Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) processes
Adapted from Bill Watson, PurduePoly 2014 (YouTube )

35. Leveraging learners’ badge-earning pathways to:
 assist issuers in improving their instructional design
 scaffold learners’ reflection over the learning process
https://sites.google.com/site/obie2015ws/
“From Learning Evidence to Learning Analytics”
Some suggested topics:
Impact of different badges on learner engagement
 e.g. participatory badges vs. assessment-based badges
Combining OBs with other recent initiatives
 e.g. xAPI, LRMI
Examining learning ‘pathways’ that emerge in large scale OB initiatives
Using semantic technologies on badge metadata

36. Badge Pathways
Mozilla “Discover” (Gates funding)
http://discover.openbadges.org/

37. Open Badges and Gamification
Some similarities, some differences
Game mechanics Open Badges
Points (xAPI), sub-badges
Levels Milestone badges
Quests Badge pathways
Mastery Competency
Bonuses, “easter eggs” Stealth badges
Leader boards Social networks
Formative Formative & summative
Internal recognition External recognition

38. How do
Open Badges support
recognition?

39. PaperBadger
Publish...or perish the thought?
https://github.com/mozillascience/PaperBadger
source

40. Lipscomb University/Polaris
Fortune 500 Competency Performance Model
www.lipscomb.edu/professionalstudies/core-for-employers
“CORE measures 15 competencies on a badge system, which is based on a nationally respected and
Fortune 500-proven competency performance model—the Polaris Assessment System. Companies
already utilizing this system include Nike, PetSmart, Disney, Mars, Wendy’s among many others.”

41. Deakin University
Badges for Employability Soft Skills
t.co/ior8y5pbqe

42. Recognizing Co-Curricular Learning
University of Michigan

43. “If you add up all the time undergraduate students spend in
their four years at college, only about 8 percent of their time is
on the curricular, and 92 percent is on everything else.
....the light really went on when we saw how well the service
learning students picked up on this opportunity to earn badges
and showcase them in their eportfolios, at the same time truly
highlighting, as never before, their co-curricular experiences.”
G. Alex Ambrose
Professor of Practice, Associate
Ass. Director of ePortfolio Assessment
Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning
University of Notre Dame
Showcasing the Co-Curricular
ePortfolios & Open Badges at Notre Dame
campustechnology.com

44. Community Learning for Educators
educause
Community Service Communications
Leadership Development
Awards
Subject Matter
Development

45. Madison College
Badging non-credited Continuing Education
madisoncollege.edu/badges
Strategic Objective:
Creation and promotion of
innovative, market-based
credentials in credit, non-
credit and customized
programming (i.e. Badges)
“There are 120 badges to be rolled out this summer
(2014).”

46. 430,000
employees
worldwide
Make it “cool”
Make certification more
engaging
Help business lines &
regions develop & share
expertise
The challenge for this “leading technology multinational”
Talent pipeline
(identifying
candidates
with challenges)
Pre-onboarding
(signing bonus
if they earn the
badges)
Early PD and
achievements
(e.g. 1st client
engagement)
Two badging streams,
one holistic picture:
Formal certification
(with hard endorsements)
Informal, agile, emergent badges
that build credibility over time
The developing solution: Badging the career lifecycle
Developing a Global Workforce
Badging the Career Lifecycle
Cross-fertilization with other systems
Universities, learning providers,
business partners, clients, competitors
Discoverability
Learning opportunities
Expertise within IBM
The vision: a new talent ecosystem

47. Workforce vision: Open Badges
City & Guilds (UK vocational qualifications body)
bit.ly/pipeline-CandG

48. What’s happening in
Canada?

49. Emerging in Canada
Early Adopters (#badgeCAN)

50. George Brown College
Research and Innovation (in progress)
Types
of Applied
Research
Components
of Applied
Research
Applied
Research
Methodologies
Integrity
&
Conduct
Literature
Search
Strategies
Accountability
in
Collaboration
Networking
& Knowledge
Transfer
R&D Policy
and
Procedure
Entrepreneurship
APPLIED RESEARCH COMPETENCIES FIELD EXPERIENCE

51. Open Badges at UBC
Low stakes exploration, experimentation
Digital Tattoo
By students for students
Internet identity
Video Game Law
Stealth badges for
online engagement
Master of Ed Tech
Students as course
content authors
Entrepreneurial role play
badges.open.ubc.ca

52. Exciting new project
Humanitarian PLE across the career lifecycle

53. Career
Pathways
Humanitarian PLE across the career lifecycle
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
External
Performance
Support
Google, YouTube
External repositories
Coaching
and
Mentoring
Other External Learning
MOOCs, Open Ed Resources,
Personal Learning Network,
Communities of
Practice
Other
Humanitarian
LMSs such
as:
OCBA
OCG
Academic
recognition?
New
Mission?
New
MSF role?
New
Career?
O p e n
B a d g e s
OCB
Other
MSF LMSs
such as:
HRIS/ERP
Systems
Performance
Management
System Talent
Management
System
Skills
Marketplace
Demand
Supply
Badge
Passport/
ePortfolio
External
Recognition

54. What does
all this mean?

55. Open Badge Ecosystem
Open skills exchange – modular, flexible, interoperable
Mozilla Backpack
Store, Share, Display
Open Badges
Open Badge Issuer
Create, Issue, Manage
badges
Local Backpack
Storage & Display
badge passports
“micro-portfolios”
badge communities
store, share, connect
Open
API
Open
API
Global Badge Community
Issuers, earners, consumers
Open
API
Issuer
Groups
Earner
Passports
Open
APIs
eLearning
Platforms
ePortfolio
Platforms
Community
Platforms
Drupal
(CMS)
Other possible plug-ins
Open Learning
(OER, etc.)
ePortfolios
Personal
Websites
Communities
of Practice
ERP/HRIS
Other display alternatives
Job portals
LMS
SAP, Oracle
(ERP/HRIS)
LinkedIn,
Facebook
Talent
Management

56. Unizin Consortium for Digital Education
Internet2, Canvas, Open Badges, analytics...
Why Unizin?
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Colorado State University | Indiana University | University of Florida | University of Michigan
Oregon State University | University of Wisconsin-Madison | University of Minnesota
University of Iowa | Ohio State University | Pennsylvania State University
ECOSYSTEM BUILDER?
“Unizin’s emphasis
on “open” and
“loosely-coupled”
has clearly been
heard, and now the
industry is trending
toward us.”

57. Pearson VUE: Acclaim
If Pearson is getting into badges.…
bit.ly/1nJFBaY
Acclaim’s unique approach…is to
work with academic institutions
and high-stakes credentialing
organizations to offer diplomas,
certificates and other
professional credentials as Open
Badges.
blog.youracclaim.com/

58. How do I get started?

59. Wait - Are Open Badges for You?
Some questions to ask
Behavioural goals?
Redeemable worth?
Worth the effort? Filling a void? Marketing ROI?
Value add?
Champions?
Sustainability?
What would your badges “buy”? Have you talked to employers?
Internal leadership? Professional bodies? Employers ?
Cost structure? Who will maintain & improve it over time?
Engagement, feedback, recognition, development? Skills frameworks?

60.  Make/adapt your own (FOSS)
 License & install proprietary SW
 Software as a Service
Getting started
DIY versus Supported
 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
Badge Canvas
Design Principles Card Deck
Do It Yourself
 Workshops: awareness, train the trainer
 Design & implementation support
 Technology support
Supported
Technology choices

61. For discussion
Barriers?
Where? What?
How?
Potential fit
with the
institution?
Drivers?
Alternatives?
Early steps?

62. Open Badges for education
Intersection of open systems & badging
Research in
Learning
Technology
Vol 22 (2014)
Open
production
Open access
Open
appropriation
(interpretation)
Badges as
motivator
Impact of issuer
identity on learner
motivation?
Impact of badge
visibility on learner
motivation?
Impact of different
audience
interpretations on
learner motivation?
Badges as
pedagogical tool
How can
stakeholders find
& evaluate badges
to earn and
consume in a
diverse ecosystem?
Ways of supporting
learners as they earn
badges in open
environments? Does
openness help or
hinder? (bazaar vs.
church)
Ways of supporting
learner navigation
decisions through
personalized badge
pathways in
heterogenous
environments?
Badges as
credential
Impact of issuer
identity on badge
credibility?
Impact of badge
visibility on credibility?
Adaptability of
interpretation
across audiences?
Impact of audience
on badge
credibility?
Adapted from: www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/23563

63. Presentation support page:
bit.ly/openbadges4he

64. don@learningagents.ca
Twitter: donpresant
ePortfolio: donpresant.ca
Savvyfolio.net
bit.ly/openbadges4he