Description

Badging involves a feedback for concepts and skills gained, which lends itself to classroom application.  Badges provide a tangible and familiar way to reward and incentivize learning.

Purpose

Increase student engagement

Provide extrinsic rewards for intrinsic achievements

Involve the pleasure center of the brain

Foster community

Provide instant feedback of progress

Process to implement badging

1) Determine which skills are going to be represented with specific badges

Some suggestions: attendance, commenting on posts, sharing resources, leading a group, creative solutions, presentation skills

2) Design a digital badge for each skill using either a badge design site or (if you want to get creative) software such as Photoshop or Illustrator

3) Decide on a deployment system (class web page, LMS, badging site, stickers)

4) Define for students the steps necessary to receive each badge

5) Award badges as students acquire skills

Considerations

It can be hard to find a balance between ease of achievement and value

There are some concerns with leaderboards and FERPA

Time commitment

Moderate to High – in setup (5) and in upkeep (3)

Terminology

Badges – Tangible reward for acquiring specific skills

Leveling Up – Moving from one level to the next (e.g. Apprentice to Journeyman, Journeyman to Master, etc.)

Resources

• “7 Things You Should Know About Badges.” EDUCAUSE Homepage. <http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-badges>.
• “7 Things You Should Know About Gamification.” EDUCAUSE Homepage. <http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-gamification>.
• “9 Reasons Why Badges Are Better than Degrees – ECampus News.” ECampus News.
  <http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/digital-badges-degrees-324/>.
• “Achievements.” Credly. <https://credly.com/>.
• “Blackboard and Mozilla Digital Badges Could Have Role in MOOCs – ECampus News.”ECampus News.
  <http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/blackboard-and-mozilla-digital-badges-could-have-role-in-moocs/>
• “OpenBadges.me.” OpenBadges.me. <https://www.openbadges.me/>.
• “Six Ways to Look at Badging Systems Designed for Learning.”Online Leadership Program. <http://www.olpglobalkids.org/content/six-ways-look-badging-systems-designed-learning>.