Category: Badges

Badgr: Show Your Achievements!


“A free and open source achievement recognition and tracking system used to issue, organize, and share Open Badges.” Source

Why Badgr?

Badgr is a program teachers can use to create and disburse a credential or a “badge” to signify a specific accomplishment or skill acquisition. The badges contain detailed descriptions of the recipients’ achievements and can link to evidence of their work. These badges can be collected by the student to build a personal portfolio or resume. Students can also post these badges via social media. Badgr API integrates into websites and applications such as Canvas (learning management system). Additionally, Badgr has “Learning Pathways,” which allow learners to build their personal learning network and see a map view of where they are in a curriculum.

Check out this video from the Chicago Art Department about the benefits of badges.

How to use Badgr?

How to Create a Badge

Resources for Badgr

The Teacher’s Guide to Badges in Education
Case Studies on Open Badge Use
The Open Badge Network
How to Gamify Your Class

Guest Blogger: Raina Burditt

Making Micro-Credentials Matter

Here’s another post about micro-credentials that I enjoyed reading. Here are a few highlights.

“Badges, certifications, skill identifiers–you’ve probably seen micro-credentials in one digital form or another. But how do we know whether they actually matter in the real world?” How can we “get micro-credentials to the point where they’re valued as evidence of what adults have learned and can do.”

Here are a few of their suggestions.

  1. Keep time and autonomy sacred
  2. Badging platforms need to talk to one another
  3. Micro-credentialing should target the process, not just the end

I recommend reading the full post as it tackles many of the tougher issues around micro-credentialing.

Source: EdSurge

Can Micro-Credentials Create More Meaningful PD for Teachers?


With micro-crentialing educators “can no longer attend a workshop and receive credit for merely being there. Instead, they must take their learning back into their classrooms and try it out, submitting evidence, receiving feedback from peers and refining their approach. They also have to reflect on what they learned through those experiences. Participating teachers then submit these artifacts, which are evaluated before the micro-credential is awarded. If the reviewers feel the educator did not submit strong enough evidence of learning, they can provide feedback and ask the educators to try again.” — Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

Continue reading this article.

Image Source: CollectEdNY

There’s a Badge for That


“Digital badges have captured the imagination of many educators, including those frustrated with current assessment techniques and practices…a simple definition for a digital badge is digital recognition for accomplishing a skill or acquiring knowledge after completing an activity (e.g., a course, module, or project). In the world of digital badges, there are those who create badges, those who attempt to achieve badges, those who recognize badges, and those who seek to know people who have obtained certain badges. Digital badges have arguably taken off in popularity given the increase in massive open courses that are often free and thus do not produce credits. In sum, digital badges have become an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes. Though they may have capital in multiple domains, digital badges are often new to teachers and those who offer professional development. However, there are at least three key areas where digital badges have implications for teachers and their continuing education.” — Richard Ferdig and Kristine Pytash, Tech & Learning

Continue reading the full article.

Image Source: Caller-Times