Reward and Recognition
There are many ways we can recognise completion of a learning experience. Traditionally, certificates have been used to acknowledge everything from showing up to training room and sitting in the back row of a computer class, to completing a six (+) year doctorate on the study of neural networks in insects.
When we unpack this a bit more, both acknowledgements are simply pieces of paper with words and a logo printed on them. The value of that certificate is defined by the issuing body and the person receiving that certificate. Various sociological factors can also determine the values of these pieces of paper as well.
As we move faster towards a technology heavy future, we see other types of reward and recognition mechanisms appearing in the learning landscape. Digital badges are replacing certificates, and as such, industry bodies are “responsible for managing and advancing the Open Badges standard—a vital component in advancing the digital credentials ecosystem.”
The following video is nearly half hour long but has some interesting takeaways.
Joyce Seitzinger is Director of SX Innovation at RMIT (Victoria)
A guest to our classes, Ryan Tracey shares his thoughts on Digital Badges via his blog
When the Open Badges standard was established in 2012, the mission was straightforward: Create a method for packaging information about accomplishments and embed it into portable image files as digital badges. The use cases were thin and value to business was unknown. But when IBM jumped in and decided to develop its own digital badge program, the value to corporations began to emerge.
IBM have been an advocate for digital badges for many years. There were noticeable improvements in enrollments and completions when digital badges were introduced.
The following link takes you to the Open Badges website.
Open Badges is the world’s leading format for digital badges. Open Badges is not a specific product or platform, but a type of digital badge that is verifiable, portable, and packed with information about skills and achievements.