Open Badges for distance learning gamification and soft skills recognition Emilie Lenel and Isabelle Duchatelle, from University of Caen Normandie, France, present how they use Open Badges to enhance students’ engagement in distance learning and for recognising students’ non-academic skills.

1. UNIVERSITÉ
CAEN
NORMANDIE
« LA BADGERIE NORMANDE »
Open badges for distance learning gamification
and soft skills recognition
OBF Webinar – May 21st, 2019
EMILIE LENEL, INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER
ISABELLE DUCHATELLE, VICE-PRESIDENT
UNIVERSITÉ DE CAEN NORMANDIE

2. ABOUT US
• University of Caen Normandy
▪ Student population of over 29,000
▪ On 6 campuses in Caen and 5 more in the Normandy region at
Cherbourg-Octeville, Alençon, Lisieux, Saint-Lô and Vire.
• Centre d’Enseignement Multimédia Universitaire
▪ Supports the transformation of teaching practices and
learning programs redesigns
▪ 40 distance learning programs
▪ 30 people : instructional designers, video makers, graphic
designers etc.
▪ 5 platforms : 4 moodle – 1 mahara

3. Source : Open Badge Passport > Galery > Badges map (May 17th, 2019)

4. UNIVERSITÉ
CAEN
NORMANDIE
WHY OPEN BADGES AT UNIVERSITY OF CAEN ?

5. WHY OPEN BADGES AND WHICH AUDIENCE ?
For the 1st experimentation year : 2 different audiences, 2
complementary objectives :
• Lifelong learning students (Social & Health Management Distance
Master’s degree) :
▪ Prevent dropout in distance learning
• Initial education and work-linked training students (Bank Finance
Insurance)
▪ Recognize « soft skills »

6. UNIVERSITÉ
CAEN
NORMANDIE
PILOT #1
USE OPEN BADGES TO PREVENT STUDENT DROPOUT
IN DISTANCE LEARNING

7. DISTANCE LEARNING
• Statement : learners dropout occurs quite often in distance learning.
▪ Voluntary : learners just wanted to access resources or discover new
educational methods
▪ Involuntary : feelings of isolation and solitude or related to life
situation or lack of time
• Consequence : rate of graduation often > in face-to-face training
compared to distance learning
• Persistence in distance learning
=> importance of collaborative/cooperative activities, promote
learning communities & tutoring ++
• Open-badges: to gamify courses, involve learners at the beginning of
the course, keep learners motivated and actively involved
(participation, discussions, learning community)

8. BADGE EXPERIMENTATION CONTEXT
PILOTE 1
• Social & Health Management Distance Master’s degree
• Public : 110 lifelong learners – worldwide located
• Teaching unit « Management et Communication » :
▪ 2 modules with collaborative group work (10 groups of 11 students)
• Participation and encouragement badges – multiple levels
▪ Make the learner a « Player in his own learning »
▪ Encourage learners motivation to work together
▪ Develop exchanges and team spirit within groups
Objec&ve : prevent learners dropout

9. AWARDED BADGES
MODULE
MODULE
1
2
Module 1 : Communication et Information Scientifique ·
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
STARTS INTERACTION
PERSONAL
WORK PRODUCTION
Reduce students dropout
ACTEUR DE MON APPRENTISSAGE
FORUM CONTRIBUTION
PEERS ASSESSMENT
Encourage engagement
ESPRIT D’ÉQUIPE
Module 2 : Management Équipe et Communication
100% 59% 90% 56% 90%

10. BADGES AWARDING CRITERIA
« ACTEUR DE MON APPRENTISSAGE »
Automatic awarding
Forum ac&vity achievement :
learner must post 2 messages
or replies
Publish individual assignement
(individual audit of working
group assignement)
Ac&vi&es achievements
resources and working
instruc&ons view
Automatic awarding
Automatic awarding

11. BADGES AWARDING CRITERIA
« ESPRIT D’ÉQUIPE » LEVEL 1
2 liked posts on group forum
Manual awarding

12. BADGES AWARDING CRITERIA
« ESPRIT D’ÉQUIPE » LEVEL 2
Contribu&on on work group
project
Peers assessment
Badge is awarded if grade >=65 %
Automatic awarding

13. AND SINCE 2017
« STARTING BLOCK » CHALLENGE
• Key elements to start a distance learning program :
▪ Be aware of the program organisation
(rules, key contacts, assessment conditions etc.)
▪ Communicate with his tutor and peers
Students who can contribute and work with peers (they may
never met) are more likely to complete their program
successfully
▪ Be motivated and determined
• BADGE « Starting block student » => deployed on distance
learning programs– dedicated general information course

14. “STARTING BLOCK” CHALLENGE
• Challenge expectations :
▪ Read study handbook
▪ Answer quiz with 60% success
▪ Introduce him/her-self to learning community (forum)
• Those 3 activities completion activate the badge

15. OUR FEEDBACK
• Key figures 18/19 for badge « Starting block »
▪ Implemented on all distance learning programs
▪ Total : 904 concerned learners / 225 awarded badges / 30%
• Pedagogical point of vue
▪ « Starting block » : to be activated at the early beginning of the program
• Can be a condition to open other modules / badges as learning milestones
• Efficiency not yet measured : analysis planned end of S2
▪ Badges « Acteur de mon apprentissage » and « Esprit d’équipe » (MSS)
• Students were fully engaged !
• Decrease of ghosts in collaborative activities + increased exchanges on
forum activities.
• Technical point of vue
▪ Can’t automate all badges
(some of our activities achievements are not available in Moodle)

16. WHAT ABOUT OUR STUDENTS FEEDBACKS ?
• http://pod.unicaen.fr/video/0030-les-
badges-outil-dimplication-des-etudiants-
temoignages-etudiants-master-
management-du-social-et-de-la-sante-a-
distance/
16

17. UNIVERSITÉ
CAEN
NORMANDIE
PILOT #2
OPEN BADGE AS TOOL TO RECOGNIZE LEARNERS
« SOFT SKILLS »
TEACHING MANAGER : SYLVIE CIEPLY
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER: EMILIE LENEL

18. THE DIPLOMA
DOES NOT RECOGNISE ALL COMPETENCIES
DEVELOPED BY STUDENTS
TECHNICAL – PROJECT MANAGEMENT– SOFT SKILLS

19. OPEN BADGE
BADGE OUVERT
250 STUDENTS
PÔLE FINANCE
IAE CAEN

20. HIGHLY CONSIDERED BY EMPLOYERS
Perseverance
Self
Esteem
CommunicaGon
« Les soJ skills pourraient avoir des effets importants, voire plus importants sur le
marché du travail que des compétences cogniGves » (Gutman et Schoon, 2013)
« Certains soJ skills expliquent une parGe des rémunéraGons des jeunes diplômés de
master, d’écoles de commerce et d’ingénieurs. Ils vont notamment influencer les plus
hauts salaires, … » (Albandea, Giret, 2016)
Problem solving
Soft skills
Curiosity
CreaGvity

21. 12 BADGES
ABILITIES, PARTICIPATION,
SOLIDARITY, ACHIEVEMENT

22. 18 BADGES DE CAPACITÉ,
PARTICIPATION, SOLIDARITÉ, MÉRITE

23. 6 SOFT SKILLS BADGES
4Cs OCDE REFERENTIAL
+ 3 LIFE SKILLS

24. ATTRIBUTION
BADGE IS MANUALLY AWARDED BY
TEACHING MANAGERS WITH THE JURY
DIPLOMA JURY
TO STUDENTS RECOMMENDED BY
TEACHERS AND CFA (APPRENTICE
TRAINING CENTER)
TO STUDENTS RECOMMENDED BY
THEIR PEERS
STUDENTS CAN APPLY

25. DEDICATED COURSE ON OUR ECAMPUS
MOODLE LMS
hIps://ecampus.unicaen.fr/course/view.php?id=27370

26. WHAT ABOUT THE LEARNERS FEEDBACK ?
• http://pod.unicaen.fr/video/0031-les-
badges-outil-devaluation-des-
competences-soft-skills-et-de-
valorisation-professionnelle-
temoignages-etudiants-master-2-
charge-daffaires-entreprises-et-
institutions-en-alternance/

27. RESULTS – AWARDED BADGES SINCE 2 YEARS
• 265 softskills / lifeskills badges
• + de 1200 gamification badges (inc.
«starting block student »)
• 630 participation badges (alumni network
(social network for formal students), mooc
« Enseigner dans le supérieur » unicaen
teachers community) *
• 90 submited badge applications
▪ 61% approved
▪ 35% acceptance rate
* Excluded conferences par&cipa&on badges

28. KEYS OF SUCCESS (1/2)
• At university level :
▪ University project : politically supported by our VP
▪ Multi-disciplinary community project team, and teaching
team involved
▪ Involve students in the reflexion, assessment to be in a
continuous improvement process
• Audit led by our HR master’s degree students
• Outside university :
▪ Being part of « Reconnaître » and our regional informal
community : « Badgeons la Normandie »
▪ Involve professionals in the project, reflexion, badge design

29. KEYS OF SUCCESS (1/2)
• Tool
▪ Acquisition of OBF licence (inc. Moodle plugin)
• Process
▪ Co-create badges with students > badge value ++
▪ Prefer badge applications (recipients acceptation >) :
• OBF badge applications
• QR codes posters
• Communication ++

32. WHAT’S NEXT ?
Badges to recognise students engagement
Badges for Interna&onal mobility
Badges for disciplinary skills -> change prejudiced and long lived ideas
Micro-cer&fica&ons for macro-capitaliza&ons (@pierrebeust)

33. KEY VIGILANCE POINTS
• Be agile : start with a small scale experimentation and
develop progressively to adjust the model
• Plan HR in design, deployment and support.
• Teaching team implication is key !
• How to manage large cohorts ?

34. UNIVERSITÉ
CAEN
NORMANDIE
Q&A
CONTACT US
TWITTER :
@CEMUCAEN @EMILIELENEL @IDUCHATELLE