Road to Open Digital Badging Mastery
Leaders in the CET industry are adopting open digital badge (ODB) programs that create new opportunities to promote their learning events, increase engagement and learner retention, and provide learners with a valuable portable credential. Now, more than ever, employers and organizations need to implement ODB initiatives to guarantee modern credentialing for the evolving workforce.
The ODB program created with IACET is designed for those who need knowledge and skills involving open digital badges at all levels. These learning experiences are applicable for training coordinators, managers, chief learning officers, or others who desire practical knowledge and skills regarding open digital badging. They can also earn their own badges along their journey to OBD mastery. Each live event is limited to ensure high levels of collaboration and interactivity.
- Basic: In the ODB: Theory and Design, participants can earn a bronze badge. Learners have the opportunity to learn the basics of ODB in a user-friendly, online, asynchronous environment and complete the course at their own pace. The program is designed to take approximately six hours to finish. Once the course is purchased from the online store, it can be accessed through the My Course section in the portal.
- Intermediate: The ODB: Application, Scaling and Rollout is an instructor-led program which delves deeper into the ODB ecosystem by helping participants devise a badge program within an organization. This interactive session is an eight-hour virtual workshop that builds upon the knowledge previously gained at the bronze level. Since these workshops are highly interactive, you must have a webcam on your computer equipped with a microphone and speakers/headset in order to participate remotely. Participants earn a silver badge by designing an operational badge program within an organization. Then, they can earn a gold badge by building an actual ODB prototype with expert help with an emphasis on metadata.
- Advanced: Finally, learners will have an opportunity to earn a platinum badge when they demonstrate mastery of the ODB skills learned by completing a capstone project OBD: Program Development and Implementation. Participants provide evidence that an operational badging program, along with the credentials used, has been established at 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 learning experiences are designed to do. By participating in IACET’s Open Digital Badge program, learners will have the knowledge they need to fully implement an effective ODB badging initiative in their organization.
Take the first step on the “Road to ODB Mastery” and register to earn your bronze badge today!
About the Author
Dr. James E. Willis, III has worked as an educational consultant with IACET since 2016 where he wrote the Badging Standard, supplementary materials, and educational materials for Open Digital Badging. James 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.