Originally developed for the CAPLA 2015 Conference and updated several time since then, this fast-paced presentation explores evolving global practices for digital credentialing systems using the Mozilla Open Badges standard. It frames the needs, outlines how Open Badges meet those needs, then provides living examples, case studies, and active research across a wide variety of contexts. Open Badges are used as digital credentials by educators, professional bodies and employers around the world because they provide a better way to recognize learning, especially learning that takes place outside a classroom. They are trustable quality tokens of skills and achievements that can be displayed in e-portfolios and social media. Open Badges are modular and ”stackable”: they can be linked together into flexible development pathways and can support Competency Based Education and RPL.

1. Open Badges
Milestones for
Learning and Careers
Red River College
“RPL@Noon”
January 21, 2016
Presentation support page:
bit.ly/openbadges4he

3. “Paper Silos”
Issues with certification today
freedesignfile.com/92259
Transparency issues
 “Dumb” paper often needs other
documents, e.g. syllabus
 Proxy only – not the “whole story”
 Easy to forge
Physical issues
 Difficult to share, easy to lose
Recognition issues
 Lack of granularity
 Lack of context
 no links to supporting evidence
 Experiential learning not valued
 Lack of alignment, transfer,
articulation (“stackability”)

4. Employers want competency credentials
cwf.ca April 2015
“...training to competencies is
faster, easier and cheaper than
“going back to school” to earn a
new credential.”

5. Education à la carte: Udacity
www.udacity.com/nanodegree

6. “The Ones That Got Away”
Study: completion stats miss the point!
WestEd Slideshare
Key Findings about non-completion of programs:
1. Many non-completers had significant earnings gains
2. Economic value: content vs. credential
3. Non-completers are “non-traditional” students
4. Unknown factor: value of 3rd party credentials

7. Trends in Professional Credentialing
• Use technology to:
• reduce waste (paper, effort)
• increase quality
• Re-use credential information for:
• onboarding
• HR planning
• Performance review
• Accreditation
• Quality Assurance, systemic analysis
• Enable “continuous credentialing”
SEER Health: The Future of Provider Credentialing

8. Soft Skills disconnect...
2015 AACU Study

9. 70:20:10 Rule
Not all learning takes place in the classroom
deakinprime.com wikipedia.org
Estimated time spent in school and
informal learning environments.
Best available statistics for a whole year basis on
how much time people at different points across the
lifespan spend in formal instructional environments.
(Reproduced with permission of The LIFE Center.)
Continuing Education
learning delivery model at
DeakinPrime (Australia)
“Balances the need for you to
practise and learn in the workplace
while providing you with the
foundational understanding
required to reposition your mind.”

10. Co-Curricular Records
A transcript for graduate employability
ccr.utoronto.ca bit.ly/TrentU_CCR

12. ePortfolios
What are they?
“…collections of digitally represented
artifacts that:
• document practice
• include reflection
• integrate experience
• map to goals and/or standards
• promote deep learning &
knowledge transfer
Tracy Penny Light, CAPLA 2013
• NB: Formative and Summative (“FOR/OF”)
• Workshop/Showcase

13. >75%
5 key learning outcomes:
critical thinking, complex
problem-solving, written and
oral communication and applied
knowledge in real-world settings
“It Takes More than a Major”
2013 survey of 318 employers
bit.ly/AAEEBL13_AACU
Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)
93%
Candidate’s demonstrated capacity
to think critically, communicate
clearly, and solve complex problems
is more important than their
undergraduate major
>80%
An electronic portfolio would
be useful to them in ensuring that job
applicants have the knowledge and
skills they need to succeed in their
company or organization

14. Your “Accidental ePortfolio”
Tracking your digital footprints – study
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Use Google or other search engines to
research candidates
Research the candidate on Facebook
Monitor the candidate’s activity on
Twitter
Employers who would…
n = 2,775 US/Canada July 2013 cb.com/18xbgez
Some of the search activity happens
before candidates are even called
for a job interview.

15. Is LinkedIn enough?
With ideas from: Does LinkedIn work as an ePortfolio?
PRO
Awareness
Workplace focus
Evidence
Slideshare, infographics, videos
Recommendations (?!)
Social network
“Friend of a Friend”
Personal Learning Network
LinkedIn Groups
Timelines
Lynda.com
CON
Lack of flexibility
Customization, alignment
Versioning
Interoperability - feeding
to/from other sites
No Archiving
File storage
No private modes
Reflection, formative assessment,
mentoring
Minimal learning support
Self-assessment, plans, rubrics, etc.
Audience bias
White collar
Older worker (79% are 35+)
Ownership/privacy control
Terms of Use, business model

16. Is LinkedIn Your Competitor?
jobboardfinder.net

17. Benefits of ePortfolios
Employer
acceptance
2015
AACU survey
aacu.org 2015
EVIDENCE OF SOFT
SKILLS IS KEY
e.g. “effective
communication, applied
skills, evidence-based
reasoning, and ethical
decision-making”
Designed for learning and development
More supportive, flexible than Web 2.0 tools; good for RPL
Personal control and privacy
Not at the mercy of social media business models
Integrated public/private use
Archive, reflective chamber, showcase, recognition tool

18. University President’s Vision
Alan Davis, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
What would Proust have done with an eportfolio – Dr. Alan Davis, ePIC 2013

19. Idealized as a Personal Learning Environment
Individualized learning & performance support
Alec Couros 2010

20. ePortfolio Use in Canada
Informal CarletonU scan in 2014
Ontario
 Carleton, Brock, Guelph, McMaster*, Guelph,
Mohawk, OCAD, OISE, Ottawa, Queens, UOIT,
Toronto, Windsor, Western, Wilfrid Laurier, Waterloo
 Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, College
of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario,
De Souza Institute (Nursing)
Outside Ontario
 Athabasca, Alberta, Saskatchewan...(RRC Pilot!)
More prevalent in US, UK, AUS, NZ

21. Critical mass in the US
52% US undergraduates use ePortfolio
Campus Computing 2013 (n=451)

22. ... But Not a Magic Bullet
Implementation-dependent
 Need to be clear about purpose, ownership
 Need to make it work for multiple stakeholders
 Needs clear outcomes, competencies
“Softness”
 Can be hard to assess at scale
 Pros & cons of “holistic” assessment
 Remixable, but not modular or “articulate-able”
Technology limitations
 Often an LMS extension (technically and cognitively)
 Silo - integrated toolset may not mesh with learner’s actual
PLE (arriving or leaving)

24. www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7253
metronews.ca/
Origins of Badges
Authority
Badge Tracking Android App
Since pre-Roman times
Blue Light
Achievement
Affiliation
Skills
Military
Scouting
Heraldry

25. A digital representation of an accomplishment, interest or affiliation that is visual, available online and
contains metadata including trusted links that help explain the context, meaning, process and result of an
activity.
As an open artefact, the earner can present the badge in different contexts from which it was earned.
What is an Open Badge?
Micro-credential – portable record of learning
Clear progress markers
motivating learners,
supporting advisors
Flexible learning pathways
granular, incremental, multi-
source, laddered, remixable
Online trust system
demonstrate skills &
capabilities
proof of performance
backed by issuer
Visual branding
issuers and earners

26. What is an Open Badge?
Different perspectives…
“…a simple digital standard for recognizing and sharing
achievements, skills and performance over networks.”
or:
...a node in a network of trust
SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
A micro-credential
A discrete record
in a modular
eportfolio
TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
A portable “smart”
graphic with
embedded data and
links to supporting
information
FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
A reward for
positive (prescribed)
behaviour
A marker on a
development path

27. Some uses of badges
can be combined...
Recognize Status
Reputation
Group affiliation
transformingassessment.com/TA_webinar_5_mar_2014_Simon_Cross.pdf
Keep artefacts
Souvenirs of
experience
Motivate learning
“Game mechanics”
Set goals (missions)
Track progress
Set goals
Learning pathways
Assess &
Recognize Learning
Formal, non-formal,
informal
Fill recognition gaps
not currently well-
served

28. Open Badges and Gamification
Some similarities, some differences
Game Mechanics Open Badges
Points (xAPI), sub-badges
Levels Milestone badges
Quests Badge pathways
Mastery Competency
Bonuses, “easter eggs” Stealth badges
Leader boards Social networks
Formative Formative & summative
Internal recognition External recognition

29. Adding value to grades
Purdue University
Open Badges Grades
Learner control over presentation
and “ownership”
A-F grading system focuses on
sorting-based assessment.
Transparency of learner
attainments and mastery
Can be opaque, not always
indicators of actual capabilities.
(Often) provide specific evidence
for learner attainments from life-
wide contexts
Do not explicitly address informal
learning except via Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) processes
Adapted from Bill Watson, PurduePoly 2014 (YouTube )

30. ADULT
YOUTH
Open Badges: Lifelong, Lifewide Learning
LOW
STAKES
HIGH
STAKES
Volunteer
Experience
After
School
Programs
Classroom
Engagement
Workplace
Engagement
MOOCs
Co-Curricular
Record
Admission to
Higher Ed
Admission to
Post Grad
Schools
Job Hire
Conferences
Recognition
of Prior
Learning
Employability
Portfolio
Career
Transition
Communities
of
Practice
Memberships,
Affiliations
Awards,
Achievements
Tracked
PD Professional
Credentials
“Soft”
Credentials
Formative
Feedback
Awards,
Achievements
Continuing
Education
Employee
Development

31. www.badgealliance.org/why-badges/
A new skills ecosystem
Open Badges, micro-portfolios in social networks
Going digital
helps…
searchingdeconstructingvalidating aligning
sharingcombiningassessing “valorizing”

32. Open Badges & social media
Curated in ePortfolio
Interactive criteria
Pulled from Backpack
LinkedIn Profile
Facebook timeline

33. Workforce lifecycle with Open Badges
City & Guilds (UK vocational qualifications body)
bit.ly/pipeline-CandG

34. Open Badges & workplace learning
Filter new
hires
Track
internal
training
Broker
external
training
Recognize
informal,
experiential
learning
Build skills
passports,
eportfolios
Assemble
teams
Build
organizational
portfolios
Develop
careers,
groom talent
Benefits
for
employers

35. Early Trends

36. Early Trends - Summary
• >6 million badges issued, thousands of issuers
• Early adoption:
• K12, After School, Community Programs (youth)
• Professionalization and PD
• Product training (esp. ICT)
• Business Soft Skills
• PACE, non-degree programs, contract training
• Testing Recognition
• Pre-employment training, testing
• (In-course game mechanics)
•Emerging: badge ecosystems

37. Supporter to Reporter (S2R-UK)
Transforming interests into skills
www.digitalme.co.uk/s2r
Project based learning programme that develops skills
and confidence through sports reporting

38. Cities of Learning: Next Chapter
www.lrng.org/cities

39. Professionalization & PD
Unregulated:
•AXELOS
•HR Certification Institute
•AACE (total cost management)
•Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM)
•International Board of Credentialing
and Continuing Education
Standards (IBCCES)
•ASIS International
Regulated:
•American Board for Certification in
Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics
•Institute of Management
Accountants
•Association of Clinical Research
Professionals

40. Regulator & Sector Council:
192,000 workers in Scotland
badges.sssc.uk.com/badges
 Work based qualifications:
 enter with little education, achieve
a degree
 Open Badges to recognized informal
learning
 Potential for formalized RPL later

41. Educator PD (K12 & PSE)
One example, lots more to show
educause
Community Service Communications
Leadership Development
Awards
Subject Matter
Development

42. Product training (esp. ICT)
REALLY popular
Sample issuers:
•IBM
•Adobe
•Oracle
• Autodesk
•Hortonworks

43. US Community Colleges (PACE, ICT)
ict-dm.net

44. Madison College
CBE PACE & Contract Training
Strategic Objective:
Creation and promotion of
innovative, market-based
credentials in credit, non-
credit and customized
programming (i.e. Badges)
Modular curriculum, learning pathways
based on clear standards and outcomes
Kate Radionoff “Digital Badges 3.0”

45. Colorado Community College System
Badge Consortium
Consortium of PSE
institutions,
business and
workforce to create
a comprehensive
badging ecosystem
to address
stakeholders
(education,
industry/ business
& workforce)
needs..
...where digital badges convey value through micro-
credentialed learning.
slideshare.net

46. Colorado State University
Granular learning pathways Community focused
Industry driven
Learner centric
Ecosystem friendly
slideshare.net/secret/xBjQY3Ipdsc06l
bit.ly/1E0TqAM “...an opportunity to facilitate large numbers
of learners from across the world with just-
in-time education from a multitude of
educational providers.”

47. Testing recognition

48. Pre-employment training
youracclaim.com/

49. Business soft skills

50. Business soft skills training
http://bit.ly/1LhzYTp

51. Leadership Training – BC
Can you say BRANDING?
http://badges.roygroup.net/cert/?CID=88827
• Issued: 952, accepted: 220
• Accepted on LinkedIn: 92%
ENDORSEMENT:

52. Lipscomb University/Polaris
Fortune 500 Competency Performance Model
www.lipscomb.edu/professionalstudies/core-for-employers
“CORE measures 15 competencies on a badge system, which is based on a nationally respected and
Fortune 500-proven competency performance model—the Polaris Assessment System. Companies
already utilizing this system include Nike, PetSmart, Disney, Mars, Wendy’s among many others.”

53. Recognizing Co-Curricular Learning
University of Michigan

54. “If you add up all the time undergraduate students spend in
their four years at college, only about 8 percent of their time is
on the curricular, and 92 percent is on everything else.
....the light really went on when we saw how well the service
learning students picked up on this opportunity to earn badges
and showcase them in their eportfolios, at the same time truly
highlighting, as never before, their co-curricular experiences.”
G. Alex Ambrose
Professor of Practice, Associate
Ass. Director of ePortfolio Assessment
Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning
University of Notre Dame
Showcasing the Co-Curricular
ePortfolios & Open Badges at Notre Dame
campustechnology.com

55. Deakin University
Badges for Employability Soft Skills
“Communication is the
fundamental generic
skill needed to attain
employment and to
engage in professional
written, oral and
interpersonal
communication with
colleagues, clients and
the general public.”
deakin.edu.au

56. Deakin University
Displayed on Social Media
t.co/ior8y5pbqe

57. DeakinDigital: Credentials for your career
deakindigital.com
Recognition of
Professional Practice
Targeted at mid-career professionals;
an alternative to traditional higher
education
Lower cost, less time commitment
Modular evidence-based credentials
for capabilities achieved through
independent learning, experience and
employment
Meaningful to employers
Used for continuous career
development

58. Emerging in Canada
Early Adopters (#badgeCAN)

59. Career
Pathways
Humanitarian PLE - across the career lifecycle
Talent
Pipeline
Recruitment
Induction
Formative Assessment
Gap Training
Team Building
Performance Management
Talent Management
Experience
Achievements
Professional Development
Career Development
Leadership
Development
SME Specialization
Career Change
Outplacement
External
Performance
Support
Google, YouTube
External repositories
Coaching
and
Mentoring
Other External Learning
MOOCs, Open Ed Resources,
Personal Learning Network,
Communities of
Practice
OCBA
OCG
Academic
recognition?
New
Career?
OCB
OCA
OCP
Other
MSF LMSs
such as:
HRIS/ERP
Systems
Performance
Management
System Talent
Management
System
Skills
Marketplace
Demand
Supply
Badge
Passport/
ePortfolio
Digital
Credentials
External
Recognition
Other
Humanitarian
LMSs such as:
Workplace
Assessments
&
Achievements
New
Mission?
New
MSF role?

60. A Badge-Enabled Skills Ecosystem
“Small pieces, loosely joined”
Promotion
New
Specialization
New
Career
New
Mission
TYPES OF LEARNING
AND RECOGNITION
RECORD
OF LEARNING
DISPLAY
OF LEARNING
TRANSFER
OF LEARNING
and/or:
Mozilla Backpack
Open Badge Passport
& other Backpacks
Websites:
Online Communities:
ePortfolios:
Skills
Passport
LMS Profiles:
Informal and
Non-formal
Workshops, CoPs
Formal
PSE/PD
e-Campus
Logistics
Roles
Awards &
Recognition
Experiences
(debriefed)
HAITI
2010
Functional
Skills
Trainer
WatSan

61. “The Ones That Got Away”
Study: completion stats miss the point!
WestEd Slideshare
Key Findings:
1. Many non-completers had significant earnings gains
2. Economic value: content vs. credential
3. Non-completers are “non-traditional” students
4. Unknown: value of 3rd party credentials
Implications for Open Badges:
1. Badge sub-skills for employability
Recognize discrete sub-skills within larger programs that are
valuable in the workplace
2. Badge individual program outcomes
Quantify the value of short-term course-taking: granular
measurement of program quality

62. Badge Quality Report Card
How Open Badges can support RPL
RPL Principles Open Badges
Context, Purpose, Value, Benefits
To Learners, Organizations, Society
“Get recognition for skills you learn
anywhere.”
Learner centred, employer friendly, lifewide
Internal governance
Policies, management, administration
External to the technology
Assessment
Processes and technical requirements
Requires good badge system design
“Easy to do badges badly”
Quality Assurance
Procedures, standards
Transparent criteria, evidence, assessment
Requires good program design & admin
Validation (valorization)
Equivalency; qualification frameworks &
standards
Modular, stackable, remixable, exchangeable
Pathway mapping, progress indicators
Alignment, Endorsement (coming in 2016)
External roles and responsibilities
Coordination of stakeholders, jurisdictions
Global community, open standard
Requires regional engagement, protocols
capla.ca/quality-assurance/

63. The value in Open Badges
Bryan Mathers

64. Open Badges, CCR, ePortfolios
Friends...with benefits?
Academic
Transcript
Co-Curricular
Record
Experienced
Learning
Formal
Learning
ePortfolio/
Passport
Accredited
Experiential
Learning
Degree
Courses
Thesis /
Capstone Project
Unapproved
Co-Curricular
Activities
Work
Experience
-past
-current
Open
Courses,
PD
Approved
Co-Curricular.
Activities
Personal Life
Experience
-past
-current
PLAR/RPL

65. How do I get started?

66. Wait - Are Open Badges for You?
Some questions to ask (similar to ePortfolio)
Behavioural goals?
Redeemable worth? (Recognition Value)
Worth the effort? Filling a void? Marketing ROI?
Value add?
Champions?
Sustainability?
What would your badges “buy”? Have you talked to employers?
Internal leadership? Professional bodies? Employers ?
Cost structure? Who will maintain & improve it over time?
Engagement, feedback, recognition, development? Skills frameworks?

67. Bringing Badges in
… should you decide to do so
Based on: MichaelBoll.me
Begin with “why”?
Lead with the need:
engagement, retention,
behaviour change,
branding, etc.
Learn from others
Join the global community
Sr. Leadership support
to sustain & scale
Find early adopters
PACE?
Co-Curricular Records?
Work Integrated Learning?
Make the mechanics easy
for both issuers & learners
Make it Professional
Get appropriate
technical & design resources
Plan
Consider building
a logic model
“Fail early”
Start small, get it working
Improve over time
Market!
Presentations, elevator
pitches, gentle nagging
Publicize adopters
(news, awards, etc.) Reports,
statistics

68.  Make/adapt your own (FOSS)
 Extend your LMS*
 License & install proprietary SW
 Software as a Service
Getting started
DIY versus Supported
 Explore: earn a badge, display it
 Immerse: research, LPP (lurking) in badge community
 Experiment: design a badge, design a small badge system
 Pilot, build internal support, implement, maintain and improve
Badge Canvas
Design Principles Card Deck
Do It Yourself
 Workshops: awareness, train the trainer
 Design & implementation support
 Technology support
Supported
Technology choices

69. Open Badges Ecosystem Road Map
Open skills exchange – modular, flexible, interoperable
Mozilla Backpack
Store, Share, Display
Open Badges
Open Badge
Factory
Create, Issue, Manage
Open Badges
Open
API
Global Badge Community
Issuers, earners, consumers
eLearning
Platforms
ePortfolio
Platforms
Community
Platforms
WordPress
(CMS)
New & future plug-ins to:
Open Learning
Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs)
Open Educational Practices
(OEPs)
ePortfolios
Personal
Websites
Communities
of Practice
ERP/HRIS
Other display alternatives
Career
portals
LMS
SAP, Oracle
(ERP/HRIS)
LinkedIn,
Facebook
Talent
Management
Open Badge
Passport
store, share, connect
skills passports
badge communities
“badge analytics”
Issuer
Groups
Earner
Passports
Push,
Share,
Upload
Upload

70. The future is already here;
it’s just not very evenly dis
tributed.
William Gibson
Final thoughts
en.wikiquote.org
openepic.eu

71. Don Presant
don@learningagents.ca
@donpresant
littoraly.wordpress.com
bit.ly/openbadges4he