C2: Digital Badges: Future Technologies and Their Applications

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Future Technologies and Their Applications

A one-day workshop at ILI 2013 facilitated by Brian Kelly and Tony Hirst

Twitter hashtag: #ili2013fut

Available under a Creative Commons (CC-BY licence)

C2: Technology Trends: Digital Badges

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What Are (Digital) Badges?

Digital badges:• A validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality or

interest that can be earned in various learning environments.

They aim to provide:• Motivation to Participate: they offer a new pathway of

lifelong learning separate from traditional, formalised academic pathways.

• Motivation to Collaborate: they promote active, engaged involvement.

• Recognition and Assessment: badges can recognize quality or demonstrate community approval

• Alternative Credentials: may be a potential challenger to the dominant paradigm of diplomas in higher education

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_badges

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Evidence of their Significance

We are now seeing:• Events on badges e.g. Online Conference

2013 on MOOCs, badges and OER• MOOCS on badges e.g. Badges as New

Currency for Credentials• Global organisations overseeing

developments of badges infrastructure i.e. Openbadges.org

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A Sceptical Perspective

After initial participation in the Hyperlinked Library MOOC I had received badges for:

• Asking someone to be a friend• Accepting a friendship request• Deleting a private message• Writing 5 blog posts• Comments on 5 blog posts

(“I agree”)• Receiving 5 badges

Some concerns:• Are badges trivial• Are they just for kids?• Will kids care?

My GetGlue badge – a social sharing TV app (motivates watching TV!)

See “Initial Reflections on The Hyperlinked Library MOOC & the Badges I Have Acquired”

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Thoughts

If you wish to convince others of the importance of new technologies:

• Be prepared to hear criticisms and concerns (both legitimate and unlikely concerns)

• Try to address the concerns

For example see post on “Assignment 2: Emerging Technology Planning” on Hyperlinked Library MOOC blog which illustrates how I intend to evaluate the potential of badges whilst addressing concerns I’ve raised through use of a risk assessment approach.

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Questions

Any questions?