Open Badging What is the Disruptive Media Learning Lab doing with open badges and what does this mean for students?
WHAT IS An OPEN BADGE?
- An online representation of a skill earned. Rather than a physical badge, it is displayed digitally on platforms such as LinkedIn.
- The concept of an open badge has gained momentum in recent years and is not limited to one organisation or platform.
- They can be displayed on a variety of online spaces including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your personal website.
- You can also see what evidence is attached to a badge and who has awarded it. This is particlualry good for employers who want to see what you have done!
Open badges can be displayed on LinkedIn.
When clicked they push through to the badge criteria and issuer.
In this case, the badge issuer is 'Adobe Education' and the details state the expiry date of the badge and the evidence submitted to gain it.
Why Should Students Care?
- Open Badging recognises skills development and learning in an online and open space.
- It has the potential to be the future of Skills Accreditation. At Coventry University we are working to develop the range of Open Badges available and knowledge of how to effectively use them.
- It evidences your development in learning. At Coventry University we are using Open Badges to evidence extra-curricular learning development with an emphasis on employability skills.
- Having an accreditation showing what makes you stand out from the crowd can be an extremely powerful thing.
- Earn a badge, save a tree! No printing! Whilst not the deliberate purpose of an Open Badge, less paper qualifications mean using less trees!
- Small badge, big data! An open badge contains a wealth of data including; evidence, the issuer, the criteria needed, and personalised testimonials.
How can they help students?
- They compliment a digital CV allowing skills which are traditionally hard to accredit to be evidenced, thus demonstrating key employability traits in various industry fields.
- They are open. This part is key. Students should be able to showcase the skills they have developed throughout their learning journey. Giving potential employers access to information which would otherwise be hidden could be a major drive in the future of Open Badges in Higher Education.
- It gives students the flexibility to demonstrate key skills that are appropriate for their chosen area of work. For example, if you want to show your proficiency in a specific type of software which is not otherwise confirmed by your degree, Digital Badging allows you to do so.
Who use Open Badges already?
Various Higher Education institutions and companies already use Digital or Open Badging to evidence and reward learning and skills development. These include the BBC, Cisco, WWF, Sheffield Hallam University, the Open University, and University Campus Suffolk amongst many others.
...What platform?...
At the Disruptive Media Learning Lab (DMLL) we are trialling two different Open Badging platforms. 'Credly' is a U.S. based company which offers a simple and flexible 'off the shelf' issuing platform. We are also working with Mark Ritches from U.K. based 'MakeWav.es' to pilot an issuing platform called Open Badge Academy which is tailored towards Digital and Open Badging in Higher Education
For more information on Open Badging at Coventry University please contact Jacqui Speculand at the Disruptive Media Learning Lab on arx092@coventry.ac.uk
Criteria
- Evidence of Market Research
- Evidence of professional communication within a media context
- Evidence of knowledge in basic media theory
- Evidence of learning new technical equipment skills OR software skills
- A finished product / portfolio of work from the project