The Open Digital Badge Series of courses are designed to be the best single learning opportunity to fill the badging knowledge niche in an adult learning organization.
Filling the badging knowledge niche will provide organizations with new opportunities to promote their learning events, increase engagement and learner retention while also providing learners with a valuable portable credential they can be proud of. After this course, learners will have the knowledge they need to fully implement an effective open digital badging initiative in their organization.
To leverage the amazing benefits of 21st century credentialing technology, organizations must have someone prepared to implement these powerful tools in the right way which is what these series of courses are designed to do. The open digital badging series is a set of four courses that progressively provides the learner with the necessary skills and tools necessary to design and execute a successful open digital badging initiative.
This is an online course providing learners with the opportunities to learn the basics of open digital badging in a user friendly online asynchronous environment. This means you can take the program any time you prefer. The program is designed to take approximately six hours to complete. Once you purchase the course from the online store, check out your My Courses section in the portal to access the online course.
Prerequisite: None
EnrollThis is an instructor-led, live webinar that delves deeper into the open digital badging ecosystem by helping participants devise a badge program within an organization. This interactive session is a four-hour virtual webinar that builds upon the knowledge previously gained in the introductory course in an entirely practical way with the sole intent of designing an operational badges program within the organization.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 103: Open Digital Badges: An Introductory Course
This is a continuation of the badge design work completed in Course 203. This advanced webinar provides a live, four-hour session to build a prototype open digital badge with expert help. After an overview of existing badging platforms, participants work with the expert in small groups to problem-solve various design issues, with particular attention being paid to metadata.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 203: Open Digital Badges – Intermediate Virtual Webinar – Building a Badge Program
This is the capstone course in the series that develops the mastery skills of designing open digital badge programs and credentials. Building on the refined knowledge from the previous courses, this course is designed to ensure proper scaling of a badges program at an organization. Problem-solving of individual participants’ design considerations, peer-review of badge programs, and finalization of tools needed to scale a program are devised in this three-hour, live session. Participants should complete this webinar with an immanent plan to successfully implement a badges program and the credentials used within it.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 303: Open Digital Badges – Advanced Virtual Webinar
This series is designed for those who need knowledge and skills involving open digital badges at a basic, intermediate and advanced level. This program is applicable for training coordinators, managers, chief learning officers or others who desire practical knowledge and skills regarding open digital badging.
Each live event is limited to ensure high levels of collaboration and interactivity.
Earn these stackable credentials to document your knowledge and skill involving open digital badges by completing each course and post-course exercise.
Background
In 2016, members of the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), formed a taskforce to study the issue of open digital badges (ODB) and decide how to best help its members with the new innovation and fulfill its leadership role in the global adult learning ecosystem. A taskforce was formed that ultimately led to the creation of a metadata standard for open digital badges. In addition, the need was identified to help members and other adult learning stakeholders learn about ODB credentials and how to effectively use them in adult learning environments. The IACET 1-2018 Standard for Continuing Education and Training requires processes involving record keeping and transcripts. Open Digital Badging is a natural extension of these elements of that important standard.
Research
A survey of 225 IACET accredited learning organizations in 2018 shows only 23% of respondents use digital badges. 76 percent do not use badges or do not know what a digital badge is. Orbis Research reports, “Global Digital Badges Market is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 29.3% over the forecast period 2017-2025.” (Orbis Research, 2018) These factors contribute to the view that learning interventions and other resources are needed to assist organizations with understanding open digital badges and how they can be optimally used in today’s adult learning environment. This course limits its scope to how ODBs are used in adult learning environments. This course does not provide focus on alternative learning environments like k-12 and university undergraduate programs.
Instructional Design
IACET’s instructional design research for this series of courses revealed that a blended learning environment would be needed. The blended approach will work well to facilitate the flipped classroom strategy where learners engage in the basics online, and come to our live events to learn collectively with their peers and instructors.
Course Description: Are you confused by all the information out there about open digital badges? Are you interested in badges, but don’t know where to begin? Have you been tasked with developing badges for your organization, but need a good starting place? In this introductory online course, open digital badges are presented along with explanations about how they developed, where they work in organizations, and how badges fit nicely within new and existing training programs. Working at your own pace, this course is a well-balanced combination of theory and application, along with plenty of examples. This course will help you ascertain whether badges would be a good fit for your organization.
Prerequisite: None
Mode of Delivery: Asynchronous modules completed at any time.
Completion: When all modules are completed, an assessment is given. When the assessment is successfully completed and the module completion is verified, a bronze badge is issued to the participant.
Cost: $499 (members) / $599 (non-members)
Offering: Start any time
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Asynchronous Module |
Course Description |
Intended Audience |
Learning Outcomes |
103 Module 1: Introduction to IACET and Open Digital Badges |
In this introductory course, the history of IACET is presented alongside its efforts to promote high-quality open digital badges. |
Individuals interested in a broad history of IACET and its recent work in open digital badges. |
In this module, the learner will:
|
103 Module 2: What are Badges? |
In this foundational course, badges are presented within their technological context. Topics include the metadata fields, differentiating learning and accomplishment, curriculum design, the centrality of evidence, and common biases against badges. |
Individuals interested in a foundational course to explain what badges are, what they do, and how they can be used in a variety of contexts. |
In this module, the learner will:
|
103 Module 3: Philosophical Characteristics of Open Digital Badges |
In this module, the learner is introduced to some of the principles of open digital badges which contribute to best practices. Topics include advanced curricular design with badges, principles of stackability, use of metadata for particular goals, and the importance of creativity and flexibility in design of badges. |
Individuals who are interested in an advanced understanding of curriculum design as it relates to the incorporation of badges. |
In this module, learners will:
|
103 Module 4: Open Digital Badges Technical Standards and Structure |
In this module, a brief history of the open digital badge standard is introduced, along with the role of IMS Global in badges today. |
Individuals who are interested in the open digital badges standard and why it is critical to the success of badges. |
In this module, the learner will:
|
103 Module 5: IACET's Open Digital Badges Metadata Standard and Badges |
In this module, the IACET badging standard is introduced with key additions to the open digital badge standard. Topics include the introduction of the badges taxonomy and communication strategies for promoting badge acceptance and use. |
Individuals who are interested in issuing badges which conform to the IACET badging standard. |
In this module, learners will:
|
103 Module 6: Instructional Design and Open Digital Badges |
In this module, advanced concepts of instructional design, assessment, and evaluation are introduced in relation to open digital badges. |
Individuals who are interested in implementing a full-scale badging program and evaluating its effectiveness. |
In this module, the learner will:
|
Course Description: After completing the online course introducing badges, this live webinar helps participants devise a badge program within an organization. This interactive session is a 4-hour virtual webinar that builds on previous knowledge in an entirely practical way with the sole intent of designing an operational badges program within your given organization. Topics include thinking through design ideas, resource inventories, metadata possibilities and challenges, and curriculum and training factors. Also covered are how to build portable and sharable credentials. The number of participants in each session is limited so you can have personalized attention with the badges expert and your fellow participants.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 103: Open Digital Badges: An Introductory Course
Mode of Delivery: Synchronous, webinar-style interaction with expert. Small group interaction. Scheduled in advance.
Completion: Successful completion includes active participation in the 4-hour virtual webinar. Instructor verification of active participation is needed. When the active participation is verified, a silver badge is issued to the participant.
Cost: $299 (members) / $349 (non-members)
Offering: 4x / year (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Course Description: As a continuation of badge design work completed in 203, this advanced webinar provides a live, 4-hour session to build a prototype open digital badge with expert help. The session begins with an overview of existing badges platforms along with a demonstration to show the different functionalities of badges. The demonstration shows what it takes to build a badge in each of the covered platforms. Participants are then led in a design exercise to build a prototype badge. With particular attention paid to meta-data, participants work with the expert and in small groups to problem-solve various design issues. The number of participants in each session is limited so you can have personalized attention with the badges expert and your fellow participants.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 203: Open Digital Badges – Intermediate Virtual Webinar – Building a Badge Program
Mode of Delivery: Synchronous, webinar-style interaction with expert. Small group interaction. Scheduled in advance.
Completion: Successful completion includes active participation in the 4-hour virtual webinar and the submission of a prototype badge. Instructor verification of active participation is needed. When the active participation is verified and the instructor approves a submitted badge prototype, a gold badge is issued to the participant.
Cost: $299 (members) / $349 (non-members)
Offering: 4x / year (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Course Description: Building on previous knowledge acquired in 203 and 303, the purpose this webinar is to develop mastery skills of designing open digital badge programs and credentials within those programs. Participants have refined their knowledge in previous webinars, and this mastery webinar is designed to ensure proper scaling of a badges program at an organization. Problem-solving of individual participants’ design considerations, peer-review of badge programs, and finalization of tools needed to scale a program are devised in this 3-hour, live session. Participants should complete this webinar with an immanent plan to successfully implement a badges program and the credentials used within it.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of 203: Open Digital Badges – Intermediate Virtual Webinar – Building a Badge Program and 303: Open Digital Badges – Advanced Virtual Webinar
Mode of Delivery: Synchronous, webinar-style interaction with expert. Small group interaction. Scheduled in advance.
Completion: Successful completion includes active participation in a mastery-level, implementation-driven webinar. Instructor verification of active participation is needed. When active participation is verified, and instructor agrees that implementation of a badging program is immanent, a platinum badge is issued to the participant.
Cost: $299 (members) / $349 (non-members)
Offering: 2x / year (Q2, Q4)
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Dr. James E. Willis, III was introduced to open digital badges at Purdue University when he worked as an Educational Assessment Specialist in Information Technology. He later worked on a MacArthur Foundation grant as a Research Associate and Project Coordinator for Open Digital Badges in Higher Education in the Center for Research on Learning and Technology at Indiana University. Since 2016, James has worked as an educational consultant with the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) where he wrote the Badging Standard, supplementary materials, and educational materials for the Open Digital Badge Series.