#BadgeChat was founded in December, 2014 by a group of educators who are passionate about credentialing learning and achieving. While there are thousands of us around the globe issuing badges to learners, there was not yet a regular twitter chat for those of us in the K-12 space to gather for learning and sharing about badging. After reaching out to leaders in the field (like the good folks at Mozilla and The Badge Alliance) for their thoughts, #BadgeChat was born.
#badgechat After a badge is issued, institutions should ask themselves if there was any goal to measure against. And if not, issue a new badge with a desired outcome to track.
I'm Noah in Denver. Digital Badge Credential cheerleader, convener, community organizer and consultant. Excited to be part of #badgechat and #BadgeSummit
We follow the typical Q/A format. So, as questions come up, they'll be in the form of Q1, Q2, etc and you're encouraged to respond w A1, A2, etc. And try to remember to include #badgechat so that others following the hashtag see your contributions to the conversation!
#BadgeChat Replace the word "badge" from today's questions with the word "degree," and ask yourself why it is important to care about what happens next, and who should be responsible for that....
a1) Arriving late Terri Cullen Assoc Prof @oueducation - i may drop the ball here - I want students to include it on their resumes but bigger reflection and connection would be better. #badgechat
I'm Tammy Blalock and I am a elementary librarian. Q1 is a great question. that The majority of professionals in my corporation treat it almost as a competition to see who can get more badges, rather than a learning tool for technology that we can use in our class. #badgechat
A1: Because it helps keep accountability & to continue in the learning process for the badge earner. It's good for both sides because there are things that can be shared w/ others too. #BadgeChat
A1- Issuance is the first "step." Was it valuable for the student, school or both? Because so many badges go unclaimed by learners, using a badging issuer alone has caused increased levels of work for faculty/admins so schools often seek a platform to automate. #badgechat
A1) I think it's a question to ask consistently as you build and design. Learning and progress can't and shouldn't stop with the badge. What will get the SS to continue to pursue and what will they need to do next to up the ante? #badgechat@SenorG
I think whatever is learned from the badge, we can always uncover more uses or additional avenues in how something can be applied. That badge may lead to deeper learning. #BadgeChat
#badgechat pathways that show how one badge can lead to more learning - and more badges - seem like a killer app. @PortfoliumHQ helps learners store badges and navigate through these pathways.
Great design considerations here! Focusing on our users and want they want/need for after a Badge is earned begins in design phases before it's ever issued! #BadgeChat
A2: I think the majority of the responsibility falls on the earner. From a public school standpoint & someone who facilitates the program, I think some falls on my shoulders to touch base with them & find out what else I can do to help them. #BadgeChat
I think whatever is learned from the badge, we can always uncover more uses or additional avenues in how something can be applied. That badge may lead to deeper learning. #BadgeChat
Hi there. Kerri Lemoie from @openworksgrp
Q1: Badges provide evidence of learning, skills, achievements, affiliation. Open Badges provide transferable metadata that provides evidence of and describes learning, skills, achievements, affiliation. #badgechat
It's important to ask what can be done with the badge post-issuance because it is part of the full cycle. Planning of the issuing and earning should include the planning of its consumption as well. #badgechat
A1 ultimately we need to measure value of badges for learning. Did issuance of badge enable and encourage learner to move forward to more learning opportunities ? #BadgeChat
A2 having stacked badges can guide Ss after earning each badge towards mastery of a topic or life ready disposition. Schools can align badges to local business endorsement to help provide the next step for Ss after badge issuance. #BadgeChat
Great point here from @SussexChad..."responsibility" is with Earner AND Issuer. With regard to a Badge's Value Proposition, for example, Issuer is most responsible for establishing the VP, Earner for actually "cashing in" that value #BadgeChat
A2: I think the majority of the responsibility falls on the earner. From a public school standpoint & someone who facilitates the program, I think some falls on my shoulders to touch base with them & find out what else I can do to help them. #BadgeChat
A2) for me it's the teacher. This has to happen in the design and planning phases. SS need to understand what why and what of the badge so it holds value. Of they don't know why they earned it then it holds no weight/merit. #badgechat@SenorG
A2: it's definitely my responsibility. How could the issues know every possible way I might use what I learned? Plus, why would I want to be limited by how they think I could use it? #BadgeChat
This really influenced our planning in @aurorak12...Thinking ahead to student who would ask, "Why should I care?" we wanted to be able to say that area employers value their assets and would be opening doors of opportunities in recognition of their credentials #BadgeChat
It's important to ask what can be done with the badge post-issuance because it is part of the full cycle. Planning of the issuing and earning should include the planning of its consumption as well. #badgechat
A2- Prog sponsors should help learners understand the value of a badge while identifying trends from diff cohorts for tactical guidance & support in creating #guidedpathways. It's easy to just "badge & go" when using a badging issuer ALONE, but directionality is needed #badgechat
A2 adding value to badges up front provides Ss motive to share badges forward in their digital portfolios. Badges having currency with admissions and businesses will make next steps for Ss more clear. #BadgeChat
Q3: From open source to open notes, “Openess” has driven the badging community. How can Open mentalities increase the potential of what can be done after a badge is issued? #badgechat
A3) Great question! Love this is an opportunity to share what the earner has learned with a greater audience to highlight accomplishments. Ts posting esrned badges on doors, students in hallways, etc. #badgechat@SenorG
This is a great example. It's also worth asking participants, why is a an #openbadge better than pdf in your context? This helps to dig further into the differences, similarities, and how the metadata is defined and used. #badgechat
A3: I relate it to having a Growth Mindset. We need to know it doesn't end upon badge completion. Maybe think of it as the beginning of the 2nd step. #BadgeChat
A2 for our Ts earning badges they determine how to use their currency for time credit. By aligning T badges with district work value added is built in. What gets badged gets done :) #BadgeChat
A3) Great question! Love this is an opportunity to share what the earner has learned with a greater audience to highlight accomplishments. Ts posting esrned badges on doors, students in hallways, etc. #badgechat@SenorG
YES!!!!! Kerri is wise to point this out. Put your SAMR hat on and ask in what ways you are taking advantage of the *Digital* part of the Badge Credential to do more than could ever have been done with paper certificates! #BadgeChat
This is a great example. It's also worth asking participants, why is a an #openbadge better than pdf in your context? This helps to dig further into the differences, similarities, and how the metadata is defined and used. #badgechat
A2 for our Ts earning badges they determine how to use their currency for time credit. By aligning T badges with district work value added is built in. What gets badged gets done :) #BadgeChat
A3: Openness and access to resources had never been greater. It can be overwhelming, but it's so worth engaging your inner learner everyday. If we want our Ss to work on media literacy, we have to model that. #BadgeChat
It's 2018 and I still see teachers scared by technology. Open-mindedness and understanding that earning the badge is just the first step. #usewhatyoulearntolearnmore#badgechat
A3 open badges allow families to share S success. Ss can share badges and criteria/evidence with admissions and employers. With @CoxAthSchools life ready stacks of badges we can share w/ community when our graduates are life ready. #BadgeChat
A3: One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the "open" ethos sets us up to accommodate multiple Badge Credentials from disparate issuers and even platforms...and to, as Randy said, "stack" them together toward something bigger than the sum of the parts #badgechat
It's 2018 and I still see teachers scared by technology. Open-mindedness and understanding that earning the badge is just the first step. #usewhatyoulearntolearnmore#badgechat
Huge thanks for the most active chat we've had in a while! Awesome to see so many new folks, returning friends and regulars! And to the lurkers, we love ya! #badgechat
A3 open platform allows community to be built among Ss in a school. They can have friendly competition for earning badges as they view when others earn badges. #BadgeChat
I like the idea of seeing how we can talk w/ businesses to build a practical, real-world approach to earning badges. I'll explore that a bit. I build my own badging, Personalized Tech PD program - if you're interested in talking more, tweet me & we can talk more! #BadgeChat
One off-topic heads up: #BadgeSummit will be June 22 in Philly so mark your calendars. And if you have work to share, proposal link will go live very soon so watch this space! #badgechat
#BadgeChat Ian from 🏴might be in bed shortly but checking on digital badges important as who is using them , for what purpose, is there longevity in their use, does it make a difference to their CV , does it add anything , do they get credit from anywhere else
Takeaway: Lots of really smart people are looking at the same thing and having very different thoughts and reactions. Be open. Be humble. Be eager to go and grow fast in one of the most exciting spaces in education! #badgechat
So true. In fact, with #openbadges evidence of a badge can literally be many other open badges. When the container badge data is consumed, all of the data for the badges provided as evidence "inside" can be validated and consumed as well. #badgechat
Good article predicting expansion of micro credentials at college level opening up more need for Ss understanding ecosystem of bashing. #BadgeChathttps://t.co/3okP9qW9Ax
#BadgeChat Ian from 🏴might be in bed shortly but checking on digital badges important as who is using them , for what purpose, is there longevity in their use, does it make a difference to their CV , does it add anything , do they get credit from anywhere else
#BadgeChat A2 I would say the teacher , I want badge to mean something, don’t want to give them to pupils who have not achieved standard you set. the school has a large part to play as pupils will see then the bigger picture and it’s not just one dept
ohohohoh!!! Love this so much Scott! If we actively seek to include the "consumers" it can only empower them to better inform our credentials such that they are aligned with what consumers need and are looking for...which in turn is good for Earners' value proposition #Badgechat
A3 Openness is much needed however those creating any standard need 2 also inculcate the standards used by academic inst's to better preserve value of a degree & employer alignment. Badges can be easily saturated w/questionable value when 2D thinking ensues about scale #badgechat
Agreed. We ask our teacher leaders for badge ideas each year to keep deepening our pool of badges they can earn; aligned to our district Strategies. #BadgeChat
#BadgeChat A3 great way for pupils to show what they have achieved to parents/carers. Also developing young workforce for #future careers . Helps with mobility of pupils who move to different schools- what they can do! Good advert for school showcasing pupils skills
Thanks for sharing! Surprised that the first mention of "ecosystem" was after the chat was over!!! I had anticipated that most conversations would be about that. Love being wrong! #BadgeChat
#badgechat Back to the question about what happens after a badge is issued - it shouldn't just sit in a LMS. It should atomize out into the world to serve its intended purpose.
Great points Troy! And super in the weeds for anyone new to this convo or to thinking about badging at scale...for folks who might be scratching their heads, hope you'll expand on this or point to something you've seen or written:) #badgechat
Thanks all for a great 1st #BadgeChat! I enjoyed hearing from everyone & learning about what you stated - it'll help me improve what we're doing. Have a great week!
I hear that & do think it is true for some academic situations when badges are applied. But also, #openbadges are intended to represent any skill, achievement, affiliation, earned anywere at anytime beyond formal education or even education at all. #badgechat
Thanks all for a great 1st
Badge Chat! I enjoyed hearing from everyone & learning about what you stated - it'll help me improve what we're doing. Have a great week! #BadgeChat
#BadgeChat A3 the word open means Accessible to all; unrestricted as to participants:
Free from limitations, boundaries, or restrictions so not one company can dominate the market and charge whatever and make badges cost prohibitive - sorry for rant
