1

Some requirementsfor badge systems

Simon GrantJISC CETIS

CETIS Conference, Nottingham2012-02-23

2

Summary

What is a badge? What else is like a badge? What are the issues with badges? Four requirements ...

badges must add value over self-authored descriptions nature and extent of any claim must be clarified evidence and veracity must be checkable (where needed) steps on ladders and paths must be sound

… for three interlocking badge systems personal badge use system badge quality system pathways quality system for composite badges

3

What is a badge, anyway?

Wikipedia (2012-02-16)"A badge is a device or fashion accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fire), a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple means of identification. They are also used in advertising, publicity, and for branding purposes." [emphasis added]

So I include uniform, T-shirts, ties, colours as “etc.”

4

Badges etc. I may have worn ...

Staff ID Conference attendee

perhaps categorised 1999 path of totality Conference helper Choir member Dysgwr

siaradwch yn araf Old school tie School uniform Team player

Swimming badges personal survival lifesaving

Cub Scout badges PDSA Busy Bees I am ...

(number of years old)(could have but I think not...)

Team supporter NGO org member Religious symbol

5

So, agreement with Doug …

“visual representations of a skill or achievement” ability ability-related achievement responsibility undertaken (needs abilities) role (which is often “awarded” according to ability) also simply completion of a defined experience

Also (but let's not focus on these): skill aspiration? identity membership support

6

… but issues remain

For “display layer” to be worth anything, people must have confidence in the “assessment layer” particularly employers and the like who rely on them

If badges are to be “credentials”, they have to be effective in giving clarity and trust (“credence”)

How can we simultaneously open up the issuing process avoid hopeless over-proliferation allow people easy ways of verifying and checking

to their satisfaction (that's the challenging part)

7

Requirement 1:make things better

(than self-authored text and traditional certificates) We already have electronic certificates and CVs Badges can still add value in three basic ways

by giving a unique identifier for a self-claim, making it global by having quality processes in place for something awarded by plotting out good pathways to something desirable

These relate to three interrelated systems Let's consider each requirement and system in turn (The “looker” is the party wanting people with badge)

8

Requirement 2: clarify nature and extent of claim

Self-awarded badges have value only if unambiguous URIs give clarity independent of human language then able to be searched for by machine

Awards in general vary in their detail some are generic or broad, and imprecise some are highly specific, detailing exactly what is entailed

Needs to be scope for claim to link to further detail either terms from controlled vocabularies or free text explanations

Badges may also be private and effective credentials needed to view claim

9

The personal badge use system

Person claims a badge Badge has an identifier (URI)

linking to overall description – many languages possible Detail by further identifiers or free text (e-portfolio?) E-portfolio claim includes link to issuer site

similarly to electronic certificate, maybe with “transcript” maybe “issuer” is self or peer – OK if that is clear

Looker goes to issuer site to see claim detail directly, or linked from badge or claim text

Ties in with systems supporting personal learning, action planning, goal setting and achievement, matching

10

Requirement 3: able to check evidence and truth

Lookers want to check credentials they have seen the claim, but they still want

a good basis for trusting the claim confidence in the assessment and awarding processes to assess the badge claim's value for them

Portfolios can give particular personal evidence Further evidence from site of awarding body

body may be well known with good reputation or look for more information about the body

including the body's membership of wider bodies body's credentials may include badges (meta-badges?) …

evidence of badge assessment (etc.) process quality

11

The badge quality system

Designing Specifying and managing assessment Providing information about significance Ensuring award quality Confirming awards and holders to third parties Expiry or retraction for time-limited or revoked badges Gathering statistics of use including employer use Managing versions and revision Protection against misuse Managing badge reputation with employers and others

12

Requirement 4:steps on paths must be sound

Open Badges white paper talks a lot about paths an analogy: you can't trust a path with slippery stones another: you can't trust a ladder with weak rungs

A badge may define pre-requisite badges Pathways quality management means ensuring each

step is right to fit in with the other steps select appropriate pre-requisites, not too strict or too lax check and monitor quality of pre-requisite badges

Composite badges are useful for employers who look the degree itself is a kind of composite badge, but losing support time to create better ones

13

The pathways quality system

Devising new ways of reaching objectives giving up reinventing wheels adding value by putting together existing badges

Effective goal decomposition mirroring personal action planning

Investigating providers of each step Checking and matching quality of each step Promoting composite badge to employers and others Managing composite badge reputation

14

Open Badges metadata spec

Badge Title Badge Image URL Short Badge Description (plain text) Badge Criteria (URL, required) Issuer (Organization name or just individual name) Issuer Contact (email address) Issue Date Badge Expiration Date (optional; default none) Badge Evidence URL (optional)

signed within an Authentication/Verification Framework

15

Missing useful information

Short badge description OK, but distinctions needed: overall badge significance true of all instances of the badge individual personal claim giving further specific details (evidence on which the award or claim is based is OK) authentication / verification

PKI signing is less than ideal for several reasons instead, could have a link to verification on issuer site

Quality confirmation for specific badges would be useful distinct from the overall significance of the badge

Definition of composite badge components + links and specify quality criteria for component badge selection

16

Conclusions / open questions

Badges can cover every sector school, HE, vocational, professional, voluntary, hobby

Democratisation of ability credentials for education, recruitment, training, advancement, matching but is this the best solution for a common language?

Mozilla Open Badges is a good start what extra metadata is needed to make badges work well?

I've proposed some ideas – needs to move towards consensus

Exercise envision more detailed scenarios consider SWOT

17

Reference resources

http://www.openbadges.org/ spec is in http://www.openbadges.org/infrastructure-tech-docs/

(seems more stable than https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges ) http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Are_open_badges_the_future_for_recognition_of_skills%3F

(this session) Scott wrote a very useful page for electronic certificates

http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Technical_architecture_considerations_for_implementing_the_HEAR

most of this could be applied to badges InLOC project will be taking badges into account

Integrating Learning Outcomes and Competences http://wiki.teria.no/display/inloc/Home

Thanks...

... for your attention ... for any feedback you may be able to give

either now or send to me at asimong@gmail.com