TF Digital Tech Literacy: Digital Badges (From UMASS Boston Wikispaces)

Introduction

Digital Literacy Class: We are going to learn about so many incredible ways to be creative, collaborative, and to communicate. We will focus on computer skills and applications. Some topics you already know about, and you will know better, and other topics and applications will be new to you! Either way, we will work together to find the ones you are able to use best. This class consists of Project-Based-Learning. You will be given plenty of time to learn the skills and applications that you will use for a lifetime. I hope you enjoy the material we will cover. - Mr. S

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Digital Badges (From UMASS Boston Wikispaces)

What are Digital Badges?

A digital badge is an online representation of a skill you have earned. They can be used in e-learning environments to certify accomplishments, track growth, increase motivation among students, among other things.

These badges take the form of a digital emblem/image that can be collected by students and viewed by both students and instructors (and potentially even by the public). It works much like the Boy Scout badge system, only it's digital.

(A video from the MacArthur Foundation on digital badges)

Benefits and Use of Digital Badges

Motivation

Studies have shown that by highlighting and commending achievement, digital badges increase student motivation, therefore, their participation and engagement with the material. Not only do badges serve as reward for exceptional performance, but also act as record for challenges a student has overcome.

Metadata

Digital badges carry metadata that indicate where, when, and how a badge was earned. Additional information attached to the digital badge might include the credentials of the issuer, among other verifying details. This metadata travels with the badge so that a viewer can see the whole story of the badge holder's growth.

Shareability

With Mozilla's Open Badges initiative, the sharing of badges has become very fluid. It is easy to share your digital badges on social media or through other technological pathways. This flexibility across platforms encourages communication and more active participation. It makes it easy for students to show publicly how they are progressing in their learning.

Profile Building

Many companies and educational institutions have begun to recognize digital badges as a valid form of credentials. Digital badges are quickly becoming more acceptable as a way demonstrating the value of your skill-set to potential employers or higher ed institutions. With digital badges, students can display their specialization and commendations to the public in a manner that has potential for tangible rewards.

Badges in Blackboard

Blackboard has Mozilla Open Badges integrated into the Achievements tool. This enables instructors to issue digital badges in Blackboard courses.

Badges in a Blackboard course are tied with the graded learning activities; a grade center column must exist for a learning activity prior to setting up a badge.

Building a Badge in a Blackboard Course

In a content area:

Build graded learning activity, and/or

Build activity with review status

In Achievements tool:

Select badge type

Set rule for criteria for score/grade or review status

Choose digital badge image

Choose location for display of earned badge

Here are more detailed steps on how to create a badge.

Publishing and Sharing a Badge

A digital badge earned in a Blackboard course may be published to a Mozilla Backpack (if the instructor has enabled this feature). This transports the evidence of the student’s learning and achievement to a space outside Blackboard Learn. From the Mozilla Backpack, students can publish and share their digital badges on social media and elsewhere.

Students will need to create a free account with Mozilla Backpack with their UMB email address to be able to publish the badge. Have them follow the instructions below to create an account and publish a badge.

Create Account with Mozilla Backpack (for students)

Please note: The email address associated with a Mozilla Backpack must match the email address associated with the Blackboard account with which a user earns badges.

Go to https://backpack.openbadges.org/backpack/login/

Click Log in or Sign Up.

Type in your UMB email address in the provided screen and follow the steps to create an account.

Publish Badge

For best results, log in to your Mozilla Backpack in a separate tab in the same browser before starting publishing.

Earn a badge in a Blackboard course

Go to My Achievements or My Badges area on the Course Menu

Locate the earned badge and click Publish to Mozilla (screenshot below)

Follow the prompts to authenticate with your Mozilla Backpack account until you receive a confirmation that your badge was published.

Share Badge Collection on the web.

Share Badge

Badges collected in a Mozilla Backpack can be easily shared in social media platforms in a number of ways. Here are some ideas: http://openbadges.org/display/

Here is an example of a Mozilla Backpack that was shared on Twitter (click the link in the post to view Backpack).

Additional Info

Using Achievements in Blackboard

Open Badges

The Lure of Badges (Blackboard)

Achievements

Case Studies

Deeper Overview

Getting Help with Badges in Blackboard

Request an appointment with an Instructional Designer to get help with building badges in your Blackboard course: elearning@umb.edu

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Overall Academic Class Standards

SELF-ASSESSMENTS

Student Self-Assessments refer to training students to evaluate themselves, and their work, for the purpose of improving outcomes. To become capable evaluators of their work, students must have:

- a clear target (goal)

- the opportunity to help create definitions of the quality of work.

- the opportunity to correct, or self-adjust, their work before turning it in.

Students are also prompted to reflect and evaluate strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. These skills will allow for planning, improvement, goal-setting, and reflection. Emphasis will be placed on integration of previous learning across the school curriculum.

ISTE 2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others:

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media

b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information:

a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media

General Computer-Based / Project Based Classroom Standards Met:

PA Common Core 8.5.6-8G: Integrate visual information (e.G. charts, graphs, maps, video, etc.) with other information in print or digital format.

ISTE 3.3A: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information, and other resources, for intellectual and other pursuits.

ISTE 3.3D: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real world issues and problems, developing ideas, and pursuing answers and solutions.

CSTA Collaboration 1: Apply productivity/multimedia tools, and peripherals, to a group collaboration and support learning throughout the curriculum.

CSTA CPP1: Use advanced tools to create digital artifacts.

PA CEW Standards Met

PA 13.1.8A Career Awareness and Preparation

Relate careers to individual interest, abilities, and aptitudes.

PA 13.1.8G Create an individualized career plan including, but not limited to Assessments, Career Goals, individual interests and abilities, and Training/Education requirements.

TF Digital Tech Literacy