Bett 2013 Creating a new learning currency with open badges Tim Riches & Doug Belshaw

Creating a new learning currency with Open Badges BETT 2014

Tim Riches (@triches) & Doug Belshaw (@dajbelshaw)

Hashtags: #bett2014 & #openbadges

Who are you?

Tim Riches CEO, DigitalMe & Open badge partnerships

@triches tim.riches@digitalme.co.uk

Who are you?

Dr. Doug Belshaw Mozilla Foundation

@dajbelshaw doug@mozillafoundation.org

Mozilla! (global non-profit)

“Mozillians are champions of a web where people know more, do more and do better”

Mitchell Baker Mozilla Chair & Chief Lizard Wrangler

<1/40 are paid contributors

http://mozilla.org

Structure

•  Mozilla •  Open Badges 101 •  Badge the UK •  Badge Canvas •  Tools •  Examples of badges •  Web Literacy Map •  Conclusion & Q&A

“…qualifications are worthless as a criteria for hiring” Google 2013

“…over 50% of employers not satisfied with employability skills of school leavers” CBI 2007

How do we create a new learning currency?

Three things we need to create a new (decentralized) learning currency

1.  Tools –  Free tools to design, create and issue Open Badges –  Open source standard

2.  Community / ecosystem –  Vibrant ecosystem that connecting teachers, nonprofits

& employers 3.  Maps – skills, competencies & achievements & knowledge

navigation

1. What are open badges?

Aren’t badges just for kids?

Mozilla Open Badges: a web standard which captures & communicates learning

How do they work?

CC BY-SA Kyle Bowen

www.backpack.openbadges.org  

What makes Open Badges different? 1.  Open & free skills standard 2.  Anyone can create open badges 3.  Data is owned by you

Badge Stats 235,000 badges issued 1900 issuers 50k+ Backpacks 1400% Growth since Nov 12-13

Who is involved in the ecosystem?

http://dmlcompetition.net/Competition/4/badges-projects.php?id=2246

http://sweetwaterfoundation.com

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/dln/special/DigitalBadges.html

http://workforce.io/

http://www.itap.purdue.edu/studio/passport/

http://www.digitalme.co.uk/student-digital-leaders-badgeathon/

http://www.kenteq.nl/smartsite.net?id=KT_HOME_EN

http://www.proexam.org/index.php/technology/digital-micro-credentials

Part 2 – the ecosystem 120+ partners

Compe22on  Winner  Only  UK  Badge  pla;orm  

33,000  badges  awarded    since  Jan  2013  

23,000  students  have  earned  a  badge  from  over  1000  schools  

How do I make and issue badges?

Growing range of tools including Makewaves, Moodle, Blackboard, Achievery, Badgekit, Makebadg.es…

Vital stats

6,000 Schools

80,000 Students

9,000 Teachers

Monthly Activity •  1Million Views •  50,000 Visitors •  8 Mins Per Visit

D B A I C

iscover uild ssess

ssue ollect S hare

Download  canvases  at  www.digitalme.co.uk/badgetheuk  

Designing Open Badges

How are they being used? 1.  Learner feedback & motivation 2.  Recognising skills outside of assessed curriculum 3.  Creating a fuller picture achievements 4.  Continual professional development 5.  Build links with employers

How will value develop in badges? -  Endorsement -  Distributed ecosystem -  Community rated

Three things we need to create a new (decentralized) learning currency

1.  Tools –  Free tools to design, create and issue Open Badges –  Open source standard

2.  Community / ecosystem –  Vibrant ecosystem that connecting teachers, nonprofits

& employers 3.  Maps – skills, competencies & achievements & knowledge

navigation

webmaker.org/standard

‘Standard’? Web Literacy

The Web Literacy Standard comprises a map of competencies and skills that Mozilla and our community of stakeholders believe are important to pay attention to when getting better at reading, writing and participating on the web.

Web Literacy ≠ Digital Literacy

On Twitter:

@triches / @dajbelshaw / @openbadges

Via the discussion group:

http://community.openbadges.org

Ask us hard questions!

•  h=p://openbadges.org  •  h=p://digitalme.co.uk      

•  h=p://webmaker.org  

Useful links:

I love badges for motivating me in my learning!

We use metadata-infused credentials aligned with the OBI

I’m using micro-accreditation to make achievements more granular

Roll your own solution (using onboarding documentation)

Use plugin for an existing system (plugins available for most major platforms/systems)

Third-party issuing platform (URLs in metadata point to their servers)

3 main ways to issue badges (pre-BadgeKit):

Use plugin for an existing system (plugins available for most major platforms/systems)

How to get involved – become a BTUK partner www.digitalme.co.uk/badgetheuk

Tim Riches Tim.riches@digitalme.co.uk

@triches www.digitalme.co.uk