The Future is Now: Unpacking Digital Badging
&
Micro-credentialing for K-20 Educators
Micro-credentialing for K-20 Educators
Angela Elkordy, aelkordy@emich.edu
Doctoral Candidate
Eastern Michigan University, Dept. of Leadership and Counseling
Digital Badges
Proposed
as a supplemental or alternative credentialing system, the concept of badges,
specifically digital badges, has created quite a buzz in the past year. While
the idea has both advocates and detractors, there is substantial interest emanating
from business and government sectors, as well as in higher education communities.
Digital badging systems have been proposed to assess, recognize, and communicate
knowledge acquisition, particularly in content areas which are currently neither
taught nor assessed in tradition learning environments. An important trending
discussion for all educators, the introduction of new, potentially widespread
alternative credentialing is particularly pertinent for faculty in higher
education preparing leaders in the field.
Stimulated and facilitated by the “Open” philosophy of
the Internet which has proliferated free or equitable access to resources in education,
publishing and software, a growing body of learners is acquiring skills and
competencies in informal environments. The momentum behind the digital badges concept
is building in large part, because learning now can be continuous, no longer
bound by time or location, interest-driven, or, increasingly, by cost. However, at this point, the outcomes of the
learning processes are not measured, assessed or communicated to interested
audiences in any meaningful or systematic manner. A digital badge ecosystem has been proposed
as a method to organize and articulate some informal learning, hence making it
“visible” to others.
The potential of digital badges is being explored not
only by agile, technology-based (and hosted) communities such as StackOverflow,
Khan Academy and various social media (e.g. FourSquare)
but also in more traditional contexts such as the U. S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, the U. S. Department of Education and the New York State Department of
Education (through Badgestack). In addition, the Smithsonian
Institutions, Microsoft, Intel as well as entire school districts (e.g. School District of Philadelphia
and Adams County School District 50)
are implementing digital badge projects.
 |
| Source: Badgepost, A. Halavais |
The use of digital badges has myriad implications for
faculty preparing future educators, specifically K-16 administrators;
potentially, the repercussions of the movement could reverberate throughout
K-20 education, as a “disruptive” technology, compelling the rethinking the
existing structures and frameworks of education in formal environments. Are
digital badges “insurgent credentials” as recently described by Dr. Mike
Olneck? (2012). Or could
they be a progressive and conciliatory bridge to acknowledge and validate
learning in both formal and informal environments?
What are Digital Badges?
Digital badges are essentially credentials which may be
earned by meeting established performance criteria. A digital badge, much like
its boy or girl scouts’ cloth counterpart, is an image or symbol representing
the acquisition of specific knowledge, skills or competencies. The vision of a
digital badging “ecosystem,” that is, a loosely connected framework of badges designed
by various authorizers for different purposes, is moving forward to
realization. Development and dissemination of the concept has been leveraged by
significant technological and
developmental support in the past year through Mozilla’s Open Badge
Infrastructure (OBI) (https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges)
and the Digital Media and Learning Competition on Badges for Lifelong Learning
(http://dmlcompetition.net/), supported by the MacArthur and
Microsoft Foundations.
The OBI currently being developed by Mozilla provides an
important centralized collection and distribution point for badge authorizers
and developers, permitting them to “register” digital qualifications. A
critical design point of the OBI is the metadata or descriptive information
embedded into the digital badges provides data describing the badge issuer
(authorizer), date earned, criteria for earning the badge as well as
assessments, and sometimes, links to products which demonstrate learning. Using
the proposed open [software] architecture, badge authorizers will be able to
design software “widgets” or plug-ins to interface directly to the OBI, sharing
performance criteria and issuing digital badges. Badges
may then be viewed through a “digital backpack,” displayed through digital
transcripts or on social media pages. Access to these web-based credentials
will be controlled by privacy settings and authentication processes. (For more
information, see the Mozilla Wiki Badge FAQS (https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges/FAQs)
The idea of a system to recognize, communicate and
articulate skill development addresses some of the knotty issues in learning
and assessment of competencies which are essential for the knowledge-based workplace,
skills which are not adequately measured through standardized testing. As
web-based, “open” credentials for which criteria are available to be reviewed
upon demand with an Internet connection, digital badges, for perhaps the first
time, may provide unique assessments which could be:
- transparent (because the specific criteria are published);
- evidence-based (for some badges, products which demonstrate learning will be “attached” to the users’ badges, similar to a digital portfolio);
- acknowledge and hence make visible skills and competencies needed for the workplace but which are neither “taught” nor assessed in formal environments;
- flexible (even transcultural, embodying criteria important to communities of practice transnationally)
- granular (very specific skills and knowledge sets can be targeted) and in some sense, may be
- “common assessments” in that authorizers may openly solicit feedback on badge criteria and design aspects from pertinent communities of practice. In this manner, badge criteria could be “crowd sourced” by relevant experts.
Advocates of badging are hopeful: Arne Duncan, U. S.
Secretary of Education recently described the use of badges as a “game changing
strategy. “ “Badges can help engage students in learning, and broaden the
avenues for learners of all ages to acquire and demonstrate—as well as document
and display—their skills” (MacArthur Foundation, 2011). Firmly grounded in
motivational and learning theories as well as social/educational psychology,
badges are already successfully implemented to measure and reward achievement
within academic and professional learning contexts such as in epistemic
(learning) or serious games.
Still in its infancy, the emerging idea of using badges
in education is controversial, with supporters and critics having strong
opinions on either side. In order for badges to be effective in the long run,
it will be important to address the salient points of detractors and to build a
transparent, flexible system. Ironically, the process of responding to badge
criticism mirrors the process of how badges can possibly function as formative
assessment, in that the badge ecology can be strengthened in the process
through both positive and negative feedback.
Dr.
Alex Halavais, a “skeptical evangelist” regarding the possibilities of digital
badges, cultivates a critical, yet optimistic view: “To look at how some badges have been
used in the past and not be concerned about the ways they might be applied in
the future would require a healthy amount of selective perception. I have no
doubt that badges, badly applied, are dangerous. But so are table saws and
genetic engineering.” (2012)
Furthermore,
Professor David Goldberg, a cofounder of the HASTAC organization which
co-sponsored the recent Digital Media and Learning Competition, “the deeper
point about badges is that where they work, they work always within contexts
that socially support them and where their users are invested in their
significance. They do not work for everyone, as motivations or modes of
recognition.” (2012)
Carefully Applied… Badges Could Lead to
Good Learning
 |
| Digital Badges and Learning |
Well
designed, robust badges can be associated with important principles of learning
and motivation of particular interest to educators because of their potential
for deep and lasting knowledge:
- contextual learning situations (situated learning and cognition);
- scaffolding through learning trajectories;
- socially constructed/mediated learning, particularly in “connected” environments which facilitate, mediate and promote content or skills related content;
- participatory learning;
- motivational and interest learning;
- ongoing, formative feedback as well as summative assessment;
- creation of “visible” learning paths which encourage reflection, self-regulation and autonomy and
- building of social capital, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Digital Badges and Educator Professional
Development
 |
| Source: Teacher Learning Journeys, K. Peck |
One of the more exciting
ideas coming out of the badge movement is the idea of using a digital badge
ecosystem to acknowledge new skills and knowledge growth in specific epistemic
or professional groups, particularly where the expectation is continued
professional growth. In the K-12 environment of high expectations and concern over
administrator and teacher effectiveness, a digital badging system could
complement existing credentialing structures to reflect ongoing professional
growth.
 |
| Source: Teacher Learning Journeys, K. Peck |
Professional development
opportunities include formal coursework as well as informal learning experiences
such as conferences, workshops or classes. Educators earn CEU’s, which are
useful, but do not articulate or assess new skills or competencies. Digital
badge advocates are excited and hopeful about the idea of using badges for
educators working in K-12 environments, because newly acquired skill sets are
made “visible” through badge learning trajectories as well as performance
outcomes. Importantly, trajectories encourage learners along a clearly defined
path of skills acquisition and understanding; when a digital badge schema is
designed to move learners through tasks of increasing difficulty, formative
feedback guides learners through the mini-curricula, which terminates in a
summative assessment (the highest badge level).
|
| Source: Teacher Learning Journeys, K. Peck |
The potential for digital badges to provide cohesive
systems for teacher professional development is in the early stages of
recognition and promotion; the Digital Media and Learning Badges Competition,
in 2012, called for “Teacher Mastery” projects (see the winning entry by the American Social History Project).
Also, recently, as part of “Connected Educators Month” (August, 2012), the U.S.
Department of Education Connected Educators initiative solicited additions for
a database of professional development opportunities for teachers to earn
badges.
A pilot program conducted
during summer, 2012 yielded positive results with 36 teachers earning a total
of 154 awards; post-pilot survey respondents highly valued the learning from
the modules as well as recognition provided by digital badges. Future
development plans include increasing the content offerings of the learning
units, to incorporate a social network such as NEON, alignment with standards
and possibly incorporating a cohort framework to facilitate collaborative
learning. See more Teacher
Learning Badges here
Implications for Educational Administration Faculty
Clearly there is a gap
between the skills necessary to function in the workplace of tomorrow, and what
is measured, gets done (credit Peter Drucker).
“For all the talk by educators and policymakers about the need for
“multiple measures” for evaluation or for the need to value other types of
learning not demonstrated on multiple choice tests, there hasn’t been much
discussion about how exactly these alternatives could actually be implemented
in reality” (Ledesma, 2011). The conversation regarding teaching, learning and
assessing new skill sets and competencies is by no means “new”; however, the
digital badges concept provides a nexus around which meaningful discourse on
these problems of both theory and practice can occur.
A digital badge ecosystem may
provide a flexible, inclusive system to bridge the gap between formal and
informal learning to effectively create learners identity through skills,
competencies and abilities. At the very
least, the digital badge discourse compels us to reevaluate the content,
context and assessment of learning. Educational administration faculty, visionaries
in learning, have unique opportunities and challenges to become leaders in these
crucial conversations, or to watch and
follow as new paradigms of learning emerge.
Comments, questions and responses welcomed
and encouraged!
Resources:
Badgestack: http://badgestack.com/
DML Competition 4, (2011).Badges 101 webinar (Video file). Retrieved October 10, 2012 from: http://dmlcompetition.net/competition/4/badges-competition-cfp.php
DML Competition (Curators), (2012).Badges for Lifelong Learning. Retrieved September 22, 2012 from: http://www.scoop.it/t/badges-for-lifelong-learning
HASTAC, (2011). Digital badges for lifelong learning: An open conversation (Video file).Retrieved October 2, 2012 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqVidWPVBKA
MozillaWiki, (2012). Badge FAQ’s. Retrieved October 5, 2012 from: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges/FAQsNASA and NSTA (2012). Teacher Learning Journeys: http://learning-interfaces.com/tlj/v2/login.php
Peck, Kyle (2012). Teacher Learning Journeys v3.0: Prezi presentation. Retrieved September 29, 2012 from: http://prezi.com/blogb7d5qpxh/teacher-learning-journeys-v30/?auth_key=f29aca32eb1792ab75c8827c726bcefcae2fe801
Cited
works:
Duncan, A. (2011). Digital badges for
learning: Remarks by Secretary Duncan
at 4th annual launch of the MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Lifelong
Learning Competition. Retrieved April 10, 2012 from: http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/digital-badges-learning
Goldberg, D. T. (2012). Badges for learning: Threading the needle
between skepticism and evangelism. Retrieved April 10, 2012, from http://dmlcentral.net/blog/david-theo-goldberg/badges-learning-threading-needle-between-skepticism-and-evangelism
Grant, S. (2012). Questions about badges in higher ed. Retrieved October 15, 2012
from: http://hastac.org/blogs/slgrant/2012/10/05/questions-about-badges-higher-ed
Halavais, A. (2012). Badges: The skeptical
evangelist. Retrieved April 10, 2012, from http://alex.halavais.net/badges-the-skeptical-evangelist
Hickey, D,. (2012). Incorporating
Open Badges into a hybrid course context. Retrieved October 16, 2012 from: http://remediatingassessment.blogspot.com/2012/10/incorporating-open-badges-into-hybrid.html
Ledesma, P. (2011). Can badges offer viable alternatives to standardized tests for school evaluation? Retrieved September 25, 2012 from: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/leading_from_the_classroom/2011/07/can_badges_offer_viable_alternatives_to_standardized_tests_for_school_evaluation.html
Olneck, M.(2012). Insurgent
Credentials: A Challenge to Established Institutions of Higher Education. Paper presented to
"Education in a New Society: The Growing Interpenetration of Education in
Modern Life" at Radcliffe Institute for
Advanced Study, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 26-27,
2012. Available from: http://hastac.org/documents/insurgent-credentials-challenge-established-institutions-higher-education
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