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OpenBadgeNetworkDiscussionPaperonOpenBadgesforIndividuals

OutcomeO3A1–DiscussionPaperonOpenBadgesforIndividuals

Documentinformation

Declaredduedateofdeliverable 30thAPRIL2016

Reviewedduedateofdeliverable 30thJUNE2016

Actualsubmissiondate 24thJUNE2016

Organisationnameof leadcontractor for thisoutcome ARTES

Revision Final

Author Partner

LiliaInfelise ARTES

LeonardoFranceschi ARTES

Reviewer Partner

IlonaBuchem BeuthUniversity

Copyrightlicence:ThisworkislicensedunderaFreeCultureLicenceCreativeCommonsAttribution-ShareAlike4.0InternationalLicense.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVESUMMARY............................................................................................................................................3

Theobjectiveofthispaper.................................................................................................................................3

Whoisthispaperaddressedto?........................................................................................................................3

Abstractandconclusions....................................................................................................................................4

1. HOWLEARNINGOFINDIVIDUALSOCCURSINTHENEWSOCIETALENVIRONMENT?.....................................6

1.1Societalmajorchangesandtheshiftinthelearningsystem........................................................................6

1.2.Whichmajorimpactoccursinthecertificationofindividualcompetencesinthelabourmarketandthesocietalcontext?.................................................................................................................................................9

1.3WhereareOpenBadgescollocatedinthenewsystemofrecognitionoflearningachievements?...........11

2.ADVANTAGESANDRISKSOFOPENBADGESFROMTHEINDIVIDUALPOINTOFVIEW....................................15

2.1WhatisthevalueofOpenBadgesforIndividuals?....................................................................................15

2.1.1CanOpenBadgesempowerindividuals?.............................................................................................16

2.1.2CanOpenBadgesrevealindividualtalents?........................................................................................17

2.1.3CanOpenBadgesimproveindividualdegreeoffreedom?.................................................................17

2.2WhataretherisksofOpenBadgesforindividuals?...................................................................................19

2.2.1AreOpenBadgesameanstocontrolindividuals?...............................................................................19

2.2.2DoOpenBadgeshavenegativeeffectonlearning?............................................................................20

2.2.3Riskofsocialexclusion.........................................................................................................................21

3.THEROLEOFINDIVIDUALSINTHEOPENBADGEECOSYSTEM.........................................................................21

3.1WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsdesigningOpenBadges?...................................................................21

3.2WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsissuingOpenBadges?.......................................................................22

3.3WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsearningOpenBadges?......................................................................23

3.4Whatisthevalueofendorsedorpeer-reviewedOpenBadges?...............................................................24

3.5Howcanindividualscontributetobuildingtrustnetworks?......................................................................25

4.OPENBADGEBESTPRACTICES..........................................................................................................................26

4.1HowdoindividualsuseOpenBadgesineducation?..................................................................................26

4.2HowdoindividualsuseOpenBadgesintheircareer?................................................................................28

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4.3HowdoOpenBadgespromotesocialinclusion?........................................................................................29

4.4HowdoOpenBadgespromotecivicparticipation?....................................................................................30

5.FINALRECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................................................31

5.1HowthecommunityofexpertsandtheinstitutionsshouldfacilitatethefamiliarisationandaccesstoOpenBadgesbyindividuals?............................................................................................................................31

5.2WhatfuturescenarioscanweexpectforOpenBadges?Inwhatfields?...................................................32

Bibliography..........................................................................................................................................................33

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EXECUTIVESUMMARY

Theobjectiveofthispaper

The Open Badge Network (OBN) is an Erasmus+ project, which brings together organisations from acrossEurope to support the development of an Open Badge ecosystem, promoting the use of Open Badges torecognisenon-formalandinformallearning.

Thispaper is focusingon thediscussionof theuseofOpenBadges from thepointof viewof individuals, asOpen Badges users, recipients and consumers/readers, issuers and endorsers. It addresses all educationalsectors, formal, informal andnon-formal aswell as the employment and social sectors. This paper uses theinputs from selected case studies and information collected mainly from internet sources (blogs, articles,videos, magazines) regarding Open Badges. Together with the complementary discussion paper on OpenBadgesforOrganisations,itservesasafoundationtoproducespecificguidelinesaddressedtobothindividualsandorganisationsfortheimplementationofOpenBadges.

The aim of this paper is to present an overview on the current opinions and points of view related to thehottestissuesaroundOpenBadges,withthehopetoprovidelessexperienceduserswithausefulintroductorytoolandtostimulatefurtherdiscussionswithinthecommunityofOpenBadgepractitioners.

Thisdiscussionpaper tackles thetopicstarting fromthepointofviewof individuals,and inparticular, itwillfocusthediscourseonthefollowingkeyquestions:

- Whatarethemajorchallengesthelearningandtrainingsystemisfacing?- HowcanOpenBadgesaddressthesechallenges?- HowwouldtheindividualsbenefitfromtheintroductionofavalidsystembasedonOpenBadges?- WhataretherisksinvolvedintheintroductionofacertificationsystembasedonOpenBadges?- What is the role of individuals in the process of legitimation of the Open Badge standard? Can

individualscontribute,andinwhichway?- HowareOpenBadgesappliedaroundtheworld?Inwhatfields?

Whoisthispaperaddressedto?

Thepaperaddressesindividualsandorganisations,whicharenewtotheOpenBadges,membersoftheOpenBadgeNetworkandallthosewhoarelookingforsupportinapplicationofOpenBadgesintheircontext.

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This paper has evolved in collaborationwith all theOBNproject partners andhas beenpostedon theOBNportal1 in order to receive further contributions and comments from the whole community of associatedpartnersandstakeholders.

Abstractandconclusions

Theworldisexperiencingamajorshiftinthelearningsystem.Thepreviousformsofrecognitionoflearningarebecomingobsolete,andsoarethereferencingdefinitionsandtaxonomiesrelatedtoeducationandtraining.Learners develop their skills and competences in a variety of learning environments, and not only in thecontext of formal education (for examples schools and universities). Economists of innovation recogniseknowledge, and therefore learning, as themost important resource in today’s society.However, the formaleducationsystemseemsunabletocopewiththeserapidsocietalchanges.Companiesandinstitutionsstruggleto find the appropriate skills for their job vacancies, and at the same time individual learners lack tools forcertifying thewhole set of capacities and experiences that they own, very often gained outside the formaleducationandtrainingsystem.

The Open Badge system tries to address these issues by providing a flexible and adaptive technology ofcertificationofcompetences,whichcouldbepotentiallyappliedtoalllearningenvironments.

However, inorder for it tobecomewidely recognisedasa credible certificationmethod,OpenBadgesmustsolvesomecriticalissues,whichstillrepresentasourceofdebateamongexperts.Theseissuesarerelatedtothereliability,validityandqualityofthecredentialingwithOpenBadges.Inthepaper,wetackletheseissuesbypresentingtheopinionsoftheOBcommunity,andbyprovidingpracticalexamplesofapplicationsofOpenBadges, in order to assess, without preconceptions, what is the real “value” of Open Badges from theindividuals’pointofview,butalsowhatarethe“risks”impliedinthistechnology.

Individualusersmaybenefit fromearningOpenBadges invariousways, in theireducation, intheirwork lifeandintheirleisureactivities.Therecognitionofsoftskills,priorlearningandabilitiesdevelopedininformalandnon-formalenvironmentsmayincreaseemployabilityandacknowledgementofskillsbytheemployers,whilealsofacilitatingintroductionintonewworkingplacesandpositions.Studentsmayaddthissetofcredentialstotheirresumesattheendofadegreeandberecognisedfortheirextra-curricularactivities.OpenBadgesmayalsohelptransformtalentsandpassionsintoactualcompetencesandthereforeopennewjobopportunities.

Individualscangaincontrolovertheireducationpathwayandeasilycomposeanddisplaytheirdigitalresumeon the web, collecting Open Badges they earned from different sources (schools, online courses, externalorganisation).

1http://www.openbadgenetwork.com/

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In the paper, we briefly present the dispute regarding the effect of gamification of the learning process,acknowledgingthepointofviewaccordingtowhich“externalmotivators”,suchasOpenBadges,mayhaveadetrimental effect on learning. However, we support the idea that rigorously designed Open Badges mayimprovelearningperformanceandmotivationduringclassandtraining.

OpenBadgesmayfindusefulapplicationsalsointhecontextofpromotionofcitizenshipandsocialintegration,forexampleinthecaseofrecognitionofskillsofmigrantworkersoracademics.CitizensmayberewardedwithOpenBadgesfortheactivitieswithintheircommunity,whichwouldinreturnincreasethegroupcohesionandtheirsenseofbelonging.

However,individualswillplayanimportantroleinthefutureofOpenBadgesalsoasdesignersandissuers.TheOpen Badges technology is free and relatively easy to access, which gives a chance to independentcommunities of learners to develop and award their own set of Open Badges, using their own criteria andcompetencyframeworks.However,anoppositeviewarguesthatthiscouldcarrysomerisks.

Individual issuers can use Open Badges to provide organisations and institutions with suggestions andbenchmark their needs. Innovative and responsive organisations will build systems of Open Badges thatconsidercontributionsfromagrassrootslevel.

Ingeneral, theresponseofthefinalconsumersofOpenBadges is fundamentaltoreachthecriticalmassforthetechnologytobewidelyrecognised.Besidethis,inthepaper,wediscusshowthe“value”ofasingleOpenBadge iscloselyrelatedtotheusers’perspectiveandtotheestablishmentofnetworksoftrustamongOpenBadge issuers, earners, companies, institutions and education providers. We discuss also how the“endorsement”featurecontributesinachievingthisresultbyenablingOpenBadgestobepeer-reviewed.

ThefutureofOpenBadgewilldependontheengagementofthewholecommunity,includingindividualusers,intheconstructionofvalueandtrust.

Inthepaperwesupporttheideathattheeducationsystemcouldplayamajorroleinthisregard,byhelpingeducationprovidersandthecommunityof learners to familiarise themselveswith this toolandbyprovidingthe right indication for rigorous application of competency frameworks and evaluation methodologies.Institutions andorganisations should facilitate the encounter between the expectation of the users and theintentsoftheissuers,whileensuringabsolutefreedomandthecost-freebasisforeverybodytodesign,issueandobtainanOpenBadge,withoutimposingacommonstandard.TheyshouldprovideOpenBadgedesignersand issuers with appropriate guidelines and frameworks, to nurture the building of trust networks amongissuers,earnersandviewersandsupportindividualsintherecognitionoftherightmethodologytoassessthequalityandreliabilityofOpenBadges.

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1. HOW LEARNING OF INDIVIDUALS OCCURS IN THE NEW SOCIETALENVIRONMENT?

1.1Societalmajorchangesandtheshiftinthelearningsystem

Theindustrialisedworldiscurrentlyfacingthemostseverecrisisoftheeconomicandproductivesystemofthelast 500 years: 90% of all the planet’s resources, including knowledge, know-how and intellectual property,belongto17%ofits inhabitants.Thissystemisfallingapart.Thesymptomofthiscrisisandits impactonthelabour and education sphere was already anticipated by the well know White Paper entitled: “Growth,competitiveness, employment. The challenges andways forward into the 21st century”2, but it is only from2008onwards,when ithit the richest industrialisedcountries, that thewholemodelofdevelopment,whichexcludesalargemajorityofpopulationformaccesstoknowledgehasstartedtobequestioned.Thereisahugeinequalityinthedistributionofknowledge,know-how,andintheabilitiesforthedevelopmentandutilisationofindividualandcollectivetalents:thehumancapital.

Some key features, which characterise the present societal changes, have a major impact on the learningsystemandtheroleofindividualsinit:

§ Amarkeddropinbirthratesandafastandmeasurableageingofpopulationindevelopedcountries;

§ A huge historical migration of people, especially young people, from developing and countries inconflicttowardsthedevelopedcountries;

§ Anasymmetrybetweenskills/abilitiesofferedbyyouthenteringthelabourmarketandadultlife,andthoserequiredbytheextraordinarychangeinthegeopolitical,technologicalandproductionsystem,atagloballevel.

Thelogicthatpostulatedalinearrelationbetweenthedevelopmentofhumanresourcesandformaleducationismoreandmorebroadlychallenged.

Life-long learning revolutionises the concept of environments and actors. There are no more distinctionsbetweenformaleducation(thescholastic institutions),thenon-formalones(organisations),andthe informal(alltheotherscenariosofday-to-daylife)andalsothetaxonomyuniversallyacceptedbyspecialistsbecomesmoreandmoreobsolete.

Therearedifferentviewsonwhatroletheeducationandtraininginstitutionsshouldplayinthechangingworld

2BulletinoftheEuropeanCommunitiesSupplement6/93.COM(93)7005December1993PartsAandB

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where formal learning loses itsprimadonna role!Theauthorsof thispaperverymuch support thepositionexpressed by the “Report From The Education Council to the European Council on the Concrete FutureObjectivesofEducationAndTrainingSystems”3,whichrecommendtheopeningupofeducationandtrainingsystemstothewiderworld.

“The future of the Union requires a solid contribution from the world of education and training. Itrequiresthateducationandtrainingsystemscanbeadaptedanddevelopedsoastodelivertheskillsand competencies everyoneneeds in the knowledge society; tomake lifelong learningattractiveandrewarding;andtoreachouttoeveryoneinsociety,howeverfarfromeducationandtrainingtheymayconsiderthemselves,withwaysofdevelopingtheirskillsandmakingthebestuseofthem.(…)”

Twomajor contributions could bementioned,which could help deepen theunderstandingof the extensionandpathscharacterisingtheroleofindividuallearninginafastandradicallychangingworld.Particularlymeaningful istheOECDcontributiontotheunderstandingoftherelationbetweenmajorsocietalchangesatagloballevelandtheimpactonEducationandTrainingSystemsaswellasthewaylearningoccursinthenewglobalisedworld.

“(…)Fromabroadersocialperspective,knowledge,skills,andcompetenciesareimportantbecauseoftheircontributionsoutsidethedomainofeconomicsandwork.Theycontributetoincreasingindividualparticipation in democratic institutions; social cohesion and justice; and strengthening human rightsand autonomy as counterweights to increasing global inequality of opportunities and increasingindividualmarginalization.

The development and maintenance of human and social capital represents an important factor forsocietiestonotonlygenerateprosperity,socialcohesion,andpeace,butfirstandforemosttomanagethechallengesandtensionsofanincreasinglyinterdependent,changing,andconflictualworld.(…)thenew interest inoutputsof educationextendsbeyondeducationalattainment-measured innumberofyearsofeducationorhighestdegreeearned-towhatindividualsknowandhowmuchtheycando,andto the relationship between these capabilities to the goals of education (i.e., the effectiveness ofeducationalsystems)andtotheinputstoeducation(i.e.,theefficiencyofeducationalsystems).”4

Inviewofopeningthehorizonofexploration,itmayalsoresultinagreatinteresttoexploretheliteratureoftheeconomistsofinnovation,oftenunknownbyspecialistsofeducationandlearning.

3CounciloftheEuropeanUnion(2001)"Theconcretefutureobjectivesofeducationandtrainingsystems".Brussels,14February2001-5980/01 4 OECD (2005). The Definition and Selection of Key Competences. Retrieved on June 21st from:http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/definitionandselectionofcompetenciesdeseco.htm

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Thestudiesconductedbytheeconomistsofinnovation,especiallyatAalborgUniversitybyBengt-ÅkeLundvall,theexpertswho supported theEUpolicymakers in the LisbonAgendaDraftingandhis research team,paidparticularattentiontostudyingthethemesofindustrialdevelopmentandcompetitivenessfromanalternativeperspectivetothetraditionalone:aperspectivethatputs interactive learningandinnovationattheheartoftheanalysisofmajorindustrialandsocietalchanges.

Thestudiesaredevelopedaroundthreetheses:

1. themostimportantresourceinamoderneconomyisknowledge2. themostimportantprocessislearning3. learningisaprocessinwhichtheinteractionbetweensubjectsispredominant;asaphenomenon,itis

therefore structurally incorporated in the socio-relational fabric and cannot be understood withouttakingitsinstitutionalandculturalcontextintoconsideration.

Lundvallintroducesvariousformsoflearning(byproducing,byusing,byinteracting,byexploring,bysearching,etc.),whichaccordingtohismodelleadtogrowthinthestockofknowledge.Whenhabitsbecomegeneralisedand common to groups of people, they generate different forms of routine behaviour and become norms,traditions,rules,laws.Theycanbeinformal–orimplicit–asaremanymoralandsocialnorms,orcodified–explicit.

(…)Theuncertaintyinvolvedininnovationandtheimportanceoflearningimplythattheprocesscallsforacomplexcommunicationbetweenthepartiesinvolved.Thiswillespeciallybethecasewhentheknowledgeexchangedistacitanddifficulttocodify.(Bengt-ÅkeLundvall,1992)

Learning isat thecoreofany fast changingeconomyandcalls foranawareparticipatory roleofall societalactorsstartingfromtheeducationsystems.

Inthecontributionoftheseexperts,wecanidentifythebeginningoflesssuperficialtheoryoflife-longlearningwhichcouldgreatlycontributetotheintellectualanalyticaleffortsofspecialistofeducationandlearning.

Inthischangingscenario,therecognitionofthevariouswaysinwhichlearningoccursisnotaneasytaskanditneedsamultidisciplinaryandsoundtheoreticalapproach.Thedefinitionsofformal, informalandnon-formallearningadoptedbythespecialistsineducationandlearningcouldgreatlyprofitfromthesetheories,andtheymaycontributetoreducethegapsinthehighlycontroversialperspectivesoflearningspecialists5.

5Oneofthemostaccrediteddefinition,inthecommunityofVETspecialististheoneprovidedbyCedefop,theEuropeanCentrefortheDevelopmentofVocationalTraining.Formal learning=Learningthatoccurs inanorganisedandstructuredenvironment(suchas inaneducationortraininginstitutionoronthejob)andisexplicitlydesignatedaslearning(intermsofobjectives,timeorresources).Formallearningisintentionalfromthelearner’spointofview.Ittypicallyleadstocertification.[…]Informallearning=Learningresultingfrom daily activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not organised or structured in terms of objectives, time or

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ForthepurposeoftheOBNproject, itwouldbeofgreatvaluetoopenandleadadebateinordertoreviewandeventuallydevelopamoreconsistentdefinitionadoptingamultidisciplinaryapproach.

1.2.Whichmajorimpactoccursinthecertificationofindividualcompetencesinthelabourmarketandthesocietalcontext?

The societal changes mentioned in the previous chapter make the construction of individuals’ professionalfabricmoreandmoredependentfromalargevarietyoflearningenvironments.

Thetraditionalportfolioofaccreditedachievements,suchasdegrees,diplomasandcoursecertificates,isabletoattestonlyaminorpartofthewholesetoftalentsandcapacitiesthatanindividualcanuseintheworkingand more generally in the societal context. Nowadays, many employers look not only at formal educationcertificatesanddiplomas,butatrangeofextracurricularactivitiesandinterests.Thetraditionalcertificationmodelsrevealmajorweaknesses:

1. Thelearningoccurredintheformaleducationandtrainingsystemneglectsanimportantvaluablesetofcapacitiesacquiredthrougha largevarietyof learningexperiencesandenvironmentandproducesanunderestimationoftheindividualcapabilitiesinthelabourmarketaswellasmoregenerallyinthesocietalcontext;

2. The certification of curricula, which validates which education and training programmes wereundergonebyanindividual,doesnotprovetherealcapabilitiesownedbytheindividual;

3. Thecertificationofcurriculamakesacomparisonamongdifferentculturalandnationalcontextsverydifficult.

Beside themajor societal changes,an important shift is takingplace in thecertificationmodelsandamajorfocus is now on both input factors such as the duration, location and particular pedagogical methodunderpinningaqualification,andonwhata learnerknowsand isabletodoattheendofa learningprocess(learningoutcomes)6.

learningsupport. Informal learningis inmostcasesunintentionalfromthelearner’sperspective.Comments: 1. Informallearning outcomes may be validated and certified; 2. Informal learning is also referred to as experiential orincidental/randomlearning. […]Non-formal learning= learningembedded inplannedactivitiesnotexplicitlydesignatedaslearning(intermsoflearningobjectives,learningtimeorlearningsupport).Non-formallearningisintentionalfromthelearner’spointof view.Comments:1.Non-formal learningoutcomesmaybevalidatedandmay lead to certification;2.Non-formallearningissometimesdescribedassemistructuredlearning.5(Cedefop(2014).TerminologyofEuropeaneducationandtrainingpolicy–SecondEdition.Aselectionof130terms.Luxemburg:PublicationOfficeoftheEuropeanUnion,2014.Link:http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/4117_en.pdf)6Cedefop(2008).TheShifttoLearningOutcomes.Luxembourg:OfficeforOfficialPublicationsoftheEuropeanCommunities,2008.Link:http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/node/11104

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The European Qualification Framework is a good example of this major change undertaken by the formalEducation and Training Institutions to define a European recognised model of certification, which bothconsiderstheinputsorprocesses(knowledgeandexperiencesacquired,curriculastudiorum)andtheoutputs(learningoutcomes):

- “learningoutcomes”meansstatementsofwhata learnerknows,understandsand isable todooncompletionofalearningprocess,whicharedefinedintermsofknowledge,skillsandcompetence;

-“knowledge”meanstheoutcomeof theassimilationof informationthrough learning.Knowledge isthebodyof facts, principles, theories andpractices that is related to a field ofworkor study. In thecontext of the European Qualifications Framework, knowledge is described as theoretical and/orfactual;

- “skills” means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solveproblems. In the context of the EuropeanQualifications Framework, skills are described as cognitive(involvingtheuseoflogical,intuitiveandcreativethinking)orpractical(involvingmanualdexterityandtheuseofmethods,materials,toolsandinstruments);

- “competence” means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/ormethodologicalabilities, inworkorstudysituationsandinprofessionalandpersonaldevelopment. Inthe context of the European Qualifications Framework, competence is described in terms ofresponsibilityandautonomy7.

From many perspectives, the framework meets the need of a systemic approach to certification of both‘processes’andachievements,butdoesnotsolveastillopenissueofunivocalterminology.

One of the major difficulties concerns the concept of ‘competence’ or ‘a competence’ which still lacks asatisfactory unanimously shared definition. Even when restricted to its specialist professional context, avarietyofradicallydifferentunderstandingsofthetermpresentsitself,rangingfromsomethingmoreorlesssynonymouswith‘qualification’,ontheonehand,to‘performance’ontheother.TheproblemisbornlargelyofthefactthatwhilstthewordexistsinmostEuropeanlanguages,itsmeaningisbynomeansuniform.The

7EuropeanCommission“TheEuropeanQualificationsFrameworkforLifelongLearning(EQF)”,Brussels2008-ISBN978-92-79-08474-4.SeeAnnex1p.11.

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resultisthatevenwithinasingletextthewordmayassumeavarietyofdifferentapplicationsandambiguityfrequentlyresults.

Hereweproposethreedefinitions,whichcouldbeconsidered:

(…) “competence” means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and/ormethodologicalabilities, inworkorstudysituationsandinprofessionalandpersonaldevelopment. Inthe context of the European Qualifications Framework, competence is described in terms ofresponsibilityandautonomy(TheEuropeanQualificationsFrameworkforLifelongLearning(EQF)”,p.1)

(..) A competency is more than just knowledge and skills. It involves the ability to meet complexdemands, by drawing on and mobilising psychosocial resources (including skills and attitudes) in aparticularcontext.Forexample,theabilitytocommunicateeffectivelyisacompetencythatmaydrawonanindividual’sknowledgeoflanguage,practicalITskillsandattitudestowardsthosewithwhomheorsheiscommunicating.8(DeSeCo).(inCompetencyFramework–OECD,Paris2005p.4)

(…) We define competence as the proven capability to integrate (with a dynamic and systemicapproach)all thevalues,attitudes, theskillsandknowledgeneededtoachieveaprofessionalactivitygoal.(ReattoredelleCompetenzein“Ilmodellodistandarddiqualitàdellavoroestandardformativi”,(Work&trainingqualitystandards)TalentTree(2007).p.9)

DespitetheimportantprogressinthecertificationmodelsadoptedbytheEducationandTrainingInstitutions,a transparent and intelligible certification system, without national barriers, which recognises individualachievementsalongthewholeworkinglifeandirrespectivefromanylearningenvironmentandprocess,isstilla challenge to bemet. However, this iswhat the globalised labourmarket and the new societal challengesrequire.

1.3WhereareOpenBadgescollocatedinthenewsystemofrecognitionoflearningachievements?

OpenBadgeshavecharacteristicsthatmakethemdifferentfromstandardmethodsofrecognitionoflearningachievements.Weneedtofocusonthesecharacteristicstobeabletounderstandtheirpossibleapplicationsandassesstheirpotential.

➢ OpenBadgesaredigital,andhaveagraphiccomponent➢ OpenBadgesarenotlimitedtocertainkindsofapplications,educationsmethods,thematicfields,nor

objectives.

8http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/definitionandselectionofcompetenciesdeseco.htm

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➢ OpenBadgescontainmetadata,definedbythe issuer,whichgiveinformationaboutthecriteriausedtoawardOpenBadgesthemselvesandthesourcefromwhichtheycomefrom.

➢ Theycanbeorganisedtoform“pathwaysofcompetences”➢ OpenBadgescanbeeasilysharedontheinternet.➢ OpenBadgeshaveasocialcomponent,inthesensethattheyalsodependon“trust”amongusers,and

theycouldbringsocialvaluefortheindividual(seenextsection).

ThefollowingdiagramsbyCarlaCasillirepresentsthepositioningofOpenBadgeswithinthesystemoflearningcredentials,intheformal,informalandnon-formalenvironment.

Figure1OpenBadgesintheeducationecosystembyCarlaCasilli9

TheauthordescribesOpenBadgesas the“chameleon(s)”of thecredentialingworld10,duetotheir flexibilityand pliability,whichmake them applicable in any learning environment, formal, informal and non-formal.11Here to follow we want to highlight some of the features that make them different from other forms ofcredentials:

9Casilli,C.(2016).Badges+credentials,anothervisualtake.RetrievedMay9,2016,fromhttps://medium.com/@carlacasilli/badges-credentials-another-visual-take-9a5350b8c1de#.6ufwbt4q610Ibid.11Hastac(n.d.).DigitalBadges.RetrievedMay16,2016,fromhttps://www.hastac.org/initiatives/digital-badges#projects

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1. Comparedtophysicalcredentials(suchasdiplomas,degreesandstandardcertificates),OpenBadgeshavethepotentialtodescribeindividuals’competenciesinamore“granular”way,whichmeanstheycanrepresentevensmallspecificachievements,skills,capabilities,experiencesandsoon.12Open Badges are based on standardised technology, which makes them interoperable, and couldenhancecomparability13.This isasubstantialdifferencefromotherformsofdigitalmicro-credentials(such as the listing of competencies on LinkedIn, or other kinds of electronic certification ofaccomplishmentsawardedonline).14

OpenBadgescouldfindusefulapplications inbothformaleducation, inthesensethattheycancomplementand enrich traditional credentials, and in informal and non-formal education, by certifying competenciesachievedinalllearningenvironments.TheOpenBadgeSystemhasthepotentialtomeetallthesechallengingexpectations,exactlybecauseitisafullyopensystemoftransparentdefinitionandrelatedaccreditationofapersonalwealthofcapacities.15Inchapter4,wepresentexamplesofOpenBadgesinthecontextofeducation,workandciviclife.

1.4 Can the OB system gain enough credibility to be recognised as the “newstandard”forrecognitionoflearningoutcomes?

The traditional system of recognition of learning achievement relies on the standardisation of certificates.Nationalorextra-nationalauthoritiesdefinerulesandmethodologies,andeducationprovidershavetorespectcertainqualitystandardstoissuethesecertificates.Inthisway,thetraditionaleducationsystemensuresthatthereliabilityandvalidity16ofcertificationsarewidelyrecognised.

ThesystembasedonOpenBadge isradicallydifferent,asthistechnology ismadetobeextremelyopenandflexible.AnissuerdonotneedtobecertifiedinordertoawardOpenBadges,andneitherithastofollowany

12Casilli,C.(2016).Badges+credentials,avenndiagram.RetrivedMay9,2016,fromhttps://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/badges-credentials/13WithintheCompetencyRepositoryactivity(O2A3)intheOpenBadgeNetworkProject,weareaddressingtheissuethatOpenBadgemaynotbecomparableenough.OpenBadgeslooksandmetadataarecomparablebyhumans,but,sinceissuersusedifferentcompetencyframeworksandtaxonomies,itisstilldifficulttodetectcompetenciesbehindanOpenBadgeandcomparetheminsimilarity,especiallyfor“machines”.14Belshaw,D.(2015).TakingAnotherLookattheDigitalCredentialsLandscape.RetrievedMay9,2016fromhttp://dmlcentral.net/taking-another-look-at-the-digital-credentials-landscape/15WylesR.(2014,January).OpenBadgesandEducation–Challengesinthe21stCentury.InsideLearningTechnologiesandSkills,pp.81-83.Link:http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/38b45363#/38b45363/84 16Criteriaofreliabilityandvalidityarefundamentalcomponentsofanapproachforcompetencesevaluation.Thereliabilitydependsonthefactthattheresultsoftheevaluationarereproducibleinoccasionofothertests;thevalidityreferstothefactthattheevaluationsucceedinmeasuringthecompetencethatwasoriginallyintendedbytheevaluators.

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given criteria to design it. There is no single authority overseeing the OB system, but only a multitude ofindependentandautonomousindividualsandorganisationsdesigning,issuingandusingOpenBadges.

Therefore,howcouldthissystemgainawidecredibilityamongusers?

InourviewthemarketwillautonomouslyrecognisethegoodoffersofOpenBadgesandneglectthosethatarenot reliable. We can expect that one or more standard currencies will progressively become the mostappreciatedandmostwidelyused.Thisdoesnotexcludethepossibilitytocreate,issueandearnamultitudeofdiversifiedOpenBadgestailoredanddependingontheissuer.

This process of progressive expansion of certain Open Badge models will therefore depend more on theexperimented reliability than on the authority of the issuers. This process of gradual acceptance of OpenBadgesasareliabletoolforvalidationofcompetenciesisoftendefinedas“trust-building”.TheissueoftrustiscentralinthecurrentdebatearoundOpenBadges,anditreferstotheconfidenceoftheuserstowardthetoolsandamongthemselves,thefamiliarityoftheeducationinstitutionswiththesystem,anditseffectivenessforemployers.ThesuccessofOpenBadgesdependsnotonlyonthefactthattheybecome“trusted”asavalidandreliablemethodofcertification,butalsoonthecapacityofissuersanduserstobuildtrustrelationshipsamongeachother.

However, we are at the very beginning of this adventure and there are stillmany differentmodels to give“currency” to the individual’s capacity to properly perform in the labour market as well as in the societalcontexts and to ensure that the individual is respected and empowered without damaging the collectiveinterest.So,howcanwefoster/acceleratethisprocessof“trustbuilding”?

Theformaleducationandtraininginstitutionscouldplayamajorroleinthisprocess,buttheyshouldbeabletodoso,avoidingtheimpositionofschematicandrigidstandardsonotheractorsoftheecosystem,suchasindividuals and their representatives (for example trade unions, professional associations), employers,labouragencies.Formaleducationshouldenhance familiarisationwithdesigningand issuingOpenBadgesandpromotemutuallearningamongkeyactorsonrigorousmethodologytodescribetheachievementsandtheirtransferabilityaswellasontheuseofobjectivecriteriaandmeaningfulevidencestoassessandcertifythem.

ThephilosophythatgavebirthtotheOBcertificationsystem,istheabsolutefreedomandthecost-freebasisforeverybody todesign, issueandobtainOpenBadge.To imposeacommonstandardor tosettle ruleswillmean to limit the rangeofpossibleapplicationsofOpenBadgesand to reduce theirpotential.Moreover, itwouldbedifficult(ifnotimpossible)tothinkofasingleauthoritywhichcoulddesignandapplyrulestosuchaheterogeneousandmultifacetedcertificationsystem,suchastheoneofOpenBadges.

Nevertheless,thisdoesnotmeanthatthereisnotawaytoensurereliabilityandvalidity,thatisthattheymeettheneedsforwhichtheyhavebeencreated.Forthispurpose,itisnecessarytoprovideOpenBadgedesigners

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and issuers with appropriate guidelines and frameworks, to nurture the building of trust networks amongissuers,earnersandviewersandsupportindividualsintherecognitionoftherightmethodologytoassessthequalityandreliabilityofOpenBadges.

The validity and reliability should stay in the capacity to build trust among issuers and users because theyfacilitatetheencounterbetweentheexpectationoftheusersandtheintentsoftheissuers.

2. ADVANTAGES AND RISKS OF OPEN BADGES FROM THE INDIVIDUALPOINTOFVIEW

2.1WhatisthevalueofOpenBadgesforIndividuals?

TheOpenBadgetechnologyhasthepotentialtorevolutionisethesystemoflearningcertifications.However,fortheOpenBadgestobecomeactually“valuable”,theymustbecomerecognisedandacceptedbyallrelevantstakeholders:companies,institutionsandindividuals.

Figure2BryanMathers,CCBY-NC-SA2.0(https://www.flickr.com/photos/122135325@N06/)

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Thereareat leastthreemajorchallengesthatmaypreventawideadoptionofOpenBadges:reliability,trustand quality.17 Unlike diplomas and degrees, Open Badges do not refer to the same quality standard. EveryOpen Badge uses its own assessment process, verification of earner’s competences, methods of evidencesubmissionandmayrefertoadifferentclusterofOpenBadgesorframework.AllthesefactorsdeterminethereliabilityandqualityofanOpenBadge,whileitstrustworthinessdependsalsoontheconsiderationthattheearner has of the issuer. The “value” of the Open Badge is decided by the judgement of the earner andperceptionof theviewers,basedonall these inputs, rather thanbyan institutionora regulatorybodyviaatraditionaltop-downmodel.

Inorder tohelpnewcomers todistinguish thecharacteristics thatmakea “valuable”OpenBadge, theOpenBadgeNetworkprojectiscollectingthemostcompellingusecasesthatcouldgiveindicationoftheapplicationsofOpenBadgestovarioussectors.Inthenextsections,someofthemwillbeanalysedinspecificcontext.

TheOpenBadgeNetworkProjecthasalsopreparedasurveyrelatedtoQualityofOpenBadges,wherebothexpertsandnovices(organisationsand individuals),canexpresswhatmakesanOpenBadge“valuable”fromtheirpointofview:https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/OBN-QualityOpenBadges.

The results of the survey, due to arrive in the early summer, will be considered to further improve thisparagraph.

2.1.1CanOpenBadgesempowerindividuals?Digital credentials have been analysed in a multitude of psychology and educational studies. A number ofstudiesindicatethatOpenBadgesmayhaveapositiveeffectonlearning.ThestudybyDavis&Klein(2015)inhigh school context shows that students recognise digital credentials as an empowering tool.18 This issue iscomprised in a wider discourse related to “gamification” of learning and organisation management, theprocess through which game-design and game-mechanics, such as quest accomplishments and rating, areincluded in a learning environment or within an organisation in order to improve the users’ engagement,productivity, learningperformanceandtofacilitatethereviewandcomparabilityofresults19.However,OpenBadgesmay have other advantages from the point of view of individuals. A psychological study by Antin&Churchill (2011)suggeststhatOpenBadgesmayactasmotivational tools for learners, throughthefollowingmeans:

17Belshaw,D.(2015).Threebiggest(perceived)problemswithbadges.RetrievedMay4,fromhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2015/04/16/three-biggest-problems-with-badges/18Davis,K.,&Klein,E.(2015).InvestigatingHighSchoolStudents'PerceptionsofDigitalBadgesinAfterschoolLearning.Proceedingsofthe33rdAnnualACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystemsPp.4043-4046.ACM,NewYork,2015.Link:http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2702413&dl=ACM&coll=DL19

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1) GoalSetting:markrelevantaccomplishmentsandthesmallerstepstoreachthem2) Building Confidence: help an individual understand what skills and capabilities they have and help

themcommunicatethem3) Instruction: badges could be displayed to give the viewer specific knowledge of the learning offer

withinacertainenvironment4) Reputation: especially in the social media context, badges could be useful tools to determine the

trustworthinessandreliabilityofanindividualoracontent5) Status:owningbadgesmeansalsotoaffirmastatus,anideaorapositionaboutsomething,todisplay

one’sownaccomplishmentsandthereforecontributetoaperson’sself-esteem6) Group identification: a badgemay constitute a bondbetweenpeople sharing the same experience,

competenceorpassion.20

2.1.2CanOpenBadgesrevealindividualtalents?

OpenBadgesareabletotestifycompetenciesorachievementsthatcouldnotberecognisedotherwise.Theycanbeatoolforindividualstodiscoverthepossibilitiesofapplicationoftheirowntalentsandvocations:OpenBadgescanenhancetheformalcredentialsbyaddingtheelements,whichcomefromrecognitionofinformallearning. By providing evidence of capabilities, an individual can illustrate to the potential employer theabilities that are not assessed as a result of formal education and training systems.21 Open Badges add aninsight into theextracurricularelementofour lives,orpersonalityorevenahobbyorparticipation in socialactivities.TheybecomeauniqueadditiontoourCVs,digitalfootprintsofinvolvementineducationalandsocialactivities.

Examplesofsuchactivitiescouldbetheparticipationofaconferenceoraseminar,volunteeringactivities,butalso achievements in sports, arts and crafts or “soft skills” recognised in the workplace and/or educationenvironments.

2.1.3CanOpenBadgesimproveindividualdegreeoffreedom?

SomeresearchersseetheOpenBadgesasatoolforindividualstogaincontrolovertheinformationregardingtheirowneducationandtheircareer,andtherefore,tosomeextent,theirownprofile.Thiswouldallowpeopletobemoreindependentfromtherecognitionofeducationinstitutionsandcolleges.

AnindividualmaychoosetoearnanddisplaytheOpenBadgesthathe/sheconsidermorerelevantforhis/herownpersonal andprofessional recognition,highlighting skills and competencies thatoften remainhidden in

20Antin,J.,&ChurchillE.F.(2011).BadgesinSocialMedia:ASocialPsychologicalPerspective.Copyright:BY-NC.RetrievedMay5,2016,fromhttps://www.scribd.com/doc/182342460/Badges-in-Social-Media-A-Social-Psychological-Perspective.21Pearson(2013).Openbadgesareunlockingtheemergingjobseconomy.RetrievedApr5,fromhttp://www.pearsonvue.com/sponsors/acclaim/open_badges_unlock_jobs.pdf

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the standard credentials. Thus, on the one hand, Open Badges can be used to complete, personalise andcomplementone’sacademiccertifications.On theotherhand, forpeoplewhocannotafford tuition fees,orareforotherreasonsunabletoattendfulltimecoursesinatraditionaleducationinstitution,OpenBadgescanactuallybecomeinthefutureavalidalternativetostandardcredentials.

MassivelyOpenOnlineCourses (MOOCs), online educational content andonlinedegrees are experiencing agreatexpansionandarelikelytohaveanimportantimpactonthemarketofsecondaryeducationinthenearfuture. Open Badges have the potential to become the adopted technical standard for organisations andinstitutionsofferingonlineeducationand training, thus giving individualsmaximum freedomover theirowneducationalpath.22

OpenBadgeissuerscancreatesystemsofinterconnectedOpenBadges,forexamplebyintroducingrelationsofdependence between Open Badges, putting them in the form of “collection” or structuring them as“constellations.”23TheseOpenBadgesystemsarecalledpathwaysandcanbegenerallydividedintwomajorgroups: prescriptive and non-prescriptive. In the first case, the issuer decide a fixed sequence inwhich theOpenBadgesmustbeearned,whichcouldnotbechangedbytheusers.Inthesecondcase,theissuerletstheusers decide their own pathways. This last kind of pathway could be organised in many different ways,dependingonthe levelof freedomthe issuer iswillingto leavetotheusers.Forexample, theusercouldbeasked in advance to choose a sequence he/she wishes to pursue, and then follow it until the end of thepathway(contractpathway).Otherwise,anissuercouldletOpenBadgeearnersfreelychooseandearnOpenBadges inadifferentorder,performingleap-frogpassagesfromoneOpenBadgetotheother,andfromoneclusterofOpenBadgestothenext(desirepathway).24ThedifferentformsofpathwaysarerepresentedinthefollowingdiagrambyCarlaCasilli.

22CareyK.(2015,March5).Here’sWhatWillTrulyChangeHigherEducation:OnlineDegreesThatAreSeenasOfficial.TheNewYorkTimes.RetrievedAPR62016,fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/upshot/true-reform-in-higher-education-when-online-degrees-are-seen-as-official.html?_r=3.23ThinkOutLoudClub(2016).Whyusebadgepathways?RetrievedinJune2016,from:http://badges.thinkoutloudclub.com/modules/why/do/#24CasilliC.(2013).Badgepathways:part2,the“quel”.RetrievedJune18from:https://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/badge-pathways-part-2-the-quel/

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Figure3CarlaCasillirepresentationofOpenBadgepathways25

Even in the absenceof pre-definedpathways, just by earningOpenBadges fromdifferent sources, learnerstakecontrolofdesigningtheirownspecificlearningroute.Earnersarefreetoconstructtheirowneducationalandworkingprofile in a flexible andoriginalway,bymixingprescriptiveandnon-prescriptivepathwaysandindividualOpenBadges. Learnersare free to follow theirown specific itineraryandOpenBadgesmayallowthem to construct a narrativeof their experiences, showing the steps they followedand the criteria behindtheirchoices.Tohaveavisualrepresentationofone’slearningtrail,notonlyprovidesusefulinformationtotheexternal viewers (for examples employers and/or academic institutions), but alsomay have a value for theOpenBadgeearnersthemselves,asithelpsthemtocriticallyreflectontheirchoices.26

2.2WhataretherisksofOpenBadgesforindividuals?

2.2.1AreOpenBadgesameanstocontrolindividuals?

SomeresearchersseeOpenBadgesasadisempoweringtoolforindividuals.Thekey4pointsofconcernabouttheroleofdigitalcredentialsineducationarethefollowing:

25Casilli,C.(2015).Badgepathways:part1,theparaquel.RetrievedMay16fromhttps://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/badge-pathways-part-1-the-paraquel/

26CasilliC.(2013).Badgepathways:part2,the“quel”.RetrievedJune18from:https://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/badge-pathways-part-2-the-quel/

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1) Open Badges are not scalable and therefore it is unlikely that they will become a “valuable” and“recognised”tool.OpenBadgeswereconceivedandcreatedalsoinhopeofprovidingcommunitiesofengagedlearnerswithatoolfordesigningandcraftingtheirowncompetencyframeworks.TheOpenBadges created by these communities, however, will face serious issues of credibility andrecognisability outside those communities. Because of the problems of interpretability andcomparability,itislikelythattheOpenBadgesthatbecomewidelyrecognisedbyrecruiters,willbetheonesusingstandardisedcompetenciesandassessmentmethods.27

2) OpenBadgesaremostlyusedtorecogniseatomisticandgrainedsetsofcompetencies.Thistendencywillpush learners towards theacquisitionof singleusefulcompetenciesandskills,at theexpenseofgeneral, theoretical and critical knowledge, which might be less useful in the job market, but alsoprovidethelearnerswiththeintellectualtoolstointerpretandprocesssocietal,politicalandeconomicmechanisms.Hencedigitalcredentialswouldbeunlikelytoattest“powerful”knowledge.28

3) Open Badges are the result of a more general trend of secondary and vocational education andtraining,which reflect the individualism,atomisationandconsumerismofmodernsociety.Accordingto this view, Open Badges would represent a commodification of learning, which will ultimatelypromoteeconomicandmarketvalueoversocialandpedagogicalvalueandthatwillempowerleadingeconomicorganisationsoveracademicinstitutionsandlearners’communities.29

4) Thelastpointisofeconomicnature.ThevalueoftheOpenBadgesinthecredentialingmarketreliesontheirscarcity.IfanOpenBadgebecomestoocommon,itwillloseitsvalueonthemarket.30

2.2.2DoOpenBadgeshavenegativeeffectonlearning?Many scholars have questioned the usefulness of digital credentialing in education. While there are manyexamples thatwould suggestapositiveeffecton the learners’performances, someothers indicatenegativeeffects,suchasmotivationdisplacement.Accordingtothisview,externalmotivators,suchasbadges,tendtohaveadetrimentaleffectonindividuals involvedinlearningactivities:notonlymaytheycausealoweringofperformance levels, but also a decrease of interest and a diminishing ofmotivation for a given task in thefuture.31

27OlneckM.R. (2015).WhomWillDigitalBadgesEmpower?SociologicalPerspectivesonDigitalBadges.Proceedingsofthe Open Badges in Education (OBIE 2015) Workshop, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. Retrieved May 16 2016, fromhttp://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1358/paper1.pdf.28Ibid.29Ibib.30Ibid.31DevedzicV.&JovanovicJ.(n.d.).DevelopingOpenBadges:aComprehensiveApproach.UniversityofBelgrade.RetrievedMay16,2016,fromhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=forums&srcid=MDIzNzA4MDY0MDU1NzY5MDg2NjEBMTUwOTIzNTMwOTMyNTEwNDUwMzkBZUFVTUluRjNmVVlKATAuMQEBdjI

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ConsideringthatOpenBadgescantakeasmanyformsasonecouldimagine,itwouldbeindeedunreasonabletothinkthatALLOpenBadgeshaveperseapositiveeffectonlearning.CertainOpenBadgeswouldbetrivial,whileotherscouldhavenopedagogicalbasesoruseunclearcriteriaandassessmentmethods.Ontheotherhand, certain quality standards and methodologies, may help conceiving Open Badges that enhance theindividual inclinationtolearn32. TheOpenBadgecommunityisattemptingtodevelopafewtoolstosupportthe design of quality Open Badges. Examples are DigitalMe’s Open Badge Design Canvas(http://www.digitalme.co.uk/assets/pdf/DigitalMe-Badge-Design-Canvas.pdf), OBN’s Discussion Paper onQualityofOpenBadgesandGuidelinesforIndividualsandOrganisations(tobepublishedin2016).

2.2.3Riskofsocialexclusion

Another critical aspect ofOpenBadges is their applicability tomarginal groups in the society.OpenBadgeshavebeenconceivedalsowiththeintentofdemocratisationoflearning,butsomeareconcernedaboutOpenBadgepossibledriftingfromthecreators’expectations.

AlthoughtheprocedureforearninganddisplayingOpenBadgesisrathereasy,peoplewithlowdigitalliteracymightbestillpreventedfromaccessingthistechnology,ortheymightnotbecomfortableusingit.

Researching,selecting,earninganddisplayingOpenBadgesrequiresacertainlevelofindependenceandself-awareness,whichnoteverybodyhas,forexamplepeoplewithformsofmentalorphysicalhandicaps,oryoungchildren. Not only these groups, but also people who are just not acquainted with education and trainingstandards,termsandmethodologies,mightfinditdifficulttochoosethemostvaluableOpenBadges.

Anotheraccessbarriercouldbethelanguage,asmostofthedocumentation,guidesandOpenBadgesarestill,onlyavailableinEnglish.

FromtheseissuesderivestheneedtosetuppropermethodologiesandsafetymeasurestoensurethatsociallyandeconomicallydisadvantagedgroupsearnOpenBadgesthesamewayastheonesinbetterpositions.

3.THEROLEOFINDIVIDUALSINTHEOPENBADGEECOSYSTEM

3.1WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsdesigningOpenBadges?

IndividualscouldbenefitfromthedesignofOpenBadgesinvariousways:32Hickey,D.T.,Otto,N.,Itow,R.,Schenke,K.,Tran,C.,Chow,C.(2014).BadgesDesignPrinciplesDocumentationProject.InterimReport-January2014Update.CenterforResearchonLearningandTechnologyIndianaUniversity.RetrievedMay162016,fromhttp://dpdproject.info/files/2014/05/DPD-interim-report-v4-january.pdf

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● Individualteachers/educatorscancustomiseanddesignOpenBadgesinordertofocustheattentionoflearnersontopicstheyconsiderimportantand/orusetheOpenBadgestomotivatestudentstowardstheadoptionofcertainattitudesand/or theaccomplishmentofside-activities.Thiscouldbedone inintegration/completion of normal activities, and does not require prior approval by the educationinstitution.33

● Single learnersand/orworkersareable todesign theirownOpenBadges,giving shape to theirownobjectives and perspectives. By establishing an alternative set of values and awards at a grassrootslevel, the learners/workers are on the one hand challenging the standard top-down methods forrecognitionof skillsandcompetencies,andon theotherhandactingasbenchmarkor influencer fortheofficialsystemitself(seenextsub-section).34

● ThepossibilityofdesigningsystemsofOpenBadges,shouldbeseenasanincentiveforindividualOpenBadgedesignerstoconnectonewithanotherandmaketheirresultsmoreshared,andthereforemorevaluable.35

3.2WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsissuingOpenBadges?

IndividuallearnerscandesignandissueOpenBadgestailoredtotheirneedsandexpectations.Communitiesoflearners could use Open Badges to recognise competencies that would otherwise remain hidden. Asmentionedinthechapter2.2.4(aboutrisks),thereisthepossibilitythattheseOpenBadgeswouldnotgainalot of value outside these communities. Even if we admit that it is true, we have to acknowledge thatcommunities,especiallyinthedigitalworld,couldbehuge.Thecommunitiesofgamersandthecommunitiesofpeoplesharingthesameinterestsarealreadyusinginternalcredentialsandotherformsofhierarchiesforinternalrecognition.OpenBadgeswouldallowtheserecognitionstobesharedinacommonlanguagewiththeexternalworld.

Moreover,OpenBadgesopenthedoortothepossibilityof introducinggrass-roots inputs intocorporateandinstitutionaldecision-makingmechanisms.Individualissuerscouldprovideusefulinformationtoorganisations,education institutions and team-members. In this regard, Carla Casilli proposes a model divided into threecomponents, in which individuals, teams and organisations all create, issue and earn Open Badges: (1)Company/organisationbadges;(2)Team/productbadges;(3)Individual/communitybadges.

33DevedzicV.&JovanovicJ.(n.d.).DevelopingOpenBadges:aComprehensiveApproach.UniversityofBelgrade.RetrievedMay16,2016,fromhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=forums&srcid=MDIzNzA4MDY0MDU1NzY5MDg2NjEBMTUwOTIzNTMwOTMyNTEwNDUwMzkBZUFVTUluRjNmVVlKATAuMQEBdjI34Ibid.35Ibid.

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Figure3ImagebyCarlaCasilli-The3PBSmodelwithdifferenttypesofinfluence.36

The single components reflect the needs of the group but they also reciprocally influence each other, byprovidingbenchmarkanddifferentpointsofview.e.g.AnOpenBadgedevelopedbytheCommunitywithoutanycontrolfromthecompany/organisationcouldbeadoptedbythecompany(directlyorthroughthereviewoftheTeam)andbecome“officially”issuedbythecompany.37

3.3WhatarethebenefitsofindividualsearningOpenBadges?

ThemostevidentbenefitsofOpenBadgesfromtheindividual’spointofviewisthatcanbeearnedeverywherein theworld, followingone’sownscheduleanddesiresandoften for free.However,what is thevalue theirbringtoanindividuals’life?

Anumberofresearchersandpractitioners,e.g.Braun&Calhoun(2012),havearguedthatOpenBadges:

● Areanexcellentwaytodocumentanddemonstratewhatsomeoneknowsandcando36Casilli,C.(2014).Afoundationalbadgesystemdesign.RetrievedMay16,2016fromhttps://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/a-foundational-badge-system-design/37Ibid.

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● Areagoodwaytobuildanindexoflearningbiography● Allowcustomisationoflearningpathways● Carrymultimediacontentanddirectproofsofanindividual’saccomplishmentsandrealisations● Helpindividualstocommunicateandarticulatetheirskills● Areusefultogainrecognitionforpriorlearning● Carrytheirownlearningdataandtransferthisacrosssystems/borders● Helpindividualsstandoutfromthecrowdinanincreasinglycompetitiveandfast-pacedjob

market38Gamifiededucationbasedonsystemsofbadgesandrewardsallowthelearnertochoosethesequenceandthespeedinwhichtoaccomplishtheactivities,berecognisedwithtransversalcompetencies(suchasspeed,useofgrammar,teamwork,etc.)byachieving“side-quests”39,andgivesthepossibilitytore-dotestsuntilyougetthedesiredgradeorresults.40

3.4Whatisthevalueofendorsedorpeer-reviewedOpenBadges?

Recent updates to the Open Badges Specification mean that individual users and organisations can now“endorse” Open Badges, thus providing extra information to the Open Badge. This sort of audience-reviewmakestheOpenBadgefurtherpersonalisedandisusefultodifferentiateindividualearnersfromtheoneswhohave the sameOpenBadge.Anyobjectof theOpenBadge canbeendorsedand theendorsement containsinformationonthesourcestheycomefrom:

Assertion (ex. “Monica has earned the Achiever Badge” ← “Monica really deserved that badge!”);Badge Class (ex. “Achiever Badge, by Friendly Org” ← “Friendly Org’s is backed by qualityassessments”);Issuer(ex.“FriendlyOrgissuesnothingbuthighqualitybadges”).41

Moreover,consideringtheinteractionsbetweenindividualsandorganisationsthatmighttakeplaceinanOpenBadgeecosystem,wecanthinkaboutthefeedbackeffectthatissuerscouldtakefromOpenBadges’earners.Bychoosingaspecificlearningpathway(sequenceofOpenBadges),anindividualgivespreciousinformationto

38Braun,L.,W.,&Calhoun,T.(2012).TheFutureofBadges,Resumes,andProfessionalCredentials.RetrievedMay16,2016,fromhttp://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2012/08/21/the-future-of-badges-resumes-and-professional-credentials/39Asidequestcouldbeforexample“complete5questin5days”,or“completeaquestworkingwithotherpeople”,or,again“makenogrammarmistakesinsubmissionofevidences”.Astudentcanobtainextrarewardsbycompletingtheseobjectives.40Haskell,C.(2012).3DGameLabfromStudentPerspective.Exampleofaquest-basedlearningplatform.RetrievedApr12,2016from:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsen5rg7Lb041Otto,N.(2015).Endorsementfeaturepresentation.RetrievedApril5,2016fromhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19uR_-zAd04SDTMNfI04vgGFS0zf0MN0nBjEhnUaM6YQ/edit#slide=id.g776612b14_0_25

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the issueronhisperspectives.Organisations thatareopen to receive thesekindof inputsby thegrass-rootlevelaugmenttheflexibilityandadaptabilityoftheireducationalandtrainingoffer,makingitmorerespondentto the individuals’ aspirations anddesires. Individuals could showorganisations newpossible pathways thatwerenotinitiallyintendedorconfirmwhichOpenBadges,orpathwaysofOpenBadges,arethemostrelevantandusefulfromtheirownpointofview.42OrganisationscouldthencorrecttheirOpenBadgeofferstakingintoaccount this benchmarking and establish cross-fertilisation mechanisms among Open Badge issuers andearners.

3.5Howcanindividualscontributetobuildingtrustnetworks?

Theissueof“trust”iscloselyrelatedtothetopicof“value”ofOpenBadgesasdiscussedinchapter1and2.InanOpenBadge system, thevalueofOpenBadgeswill be constantlynegotiatedamong individualdesigners,issuers,usersandorganisations.The reliabilityofanOpenBadge,and therefore its relevance, is likely tobegreaterwhenanetworkoftrust is inplace.Forexample,anorganisationwouldbemoreconfidentaboutanOpenBadge,whenitisissuedbyaninstitutiontheorganisationalreadyknowsandtrusts.43Ontheotherhand,sinceeachusercanassessinastraightforwardwaythequalityofOpenBadgecomponents(assertion,source,criteria,andendorsements),OpenBadgescouldactually facilitate thebuildingofnewtrustnetworksamongindividuals,organisationsandinstitutions.44

Trust networks are likely to arise from Open Badges issued by organisations and institutions, or by thecooperationamongthetwo.However,individualscanplayanimportantroleinthebuildingoftrustnetworks.Individual users can act as peer-reviewers ofOpen Badges, asmentioned in the previous paragraphs. Theiropinionrepresentsanindependentandpersonalpointofview,whichcouldbeconsideredevenmorereliablebyfriends,acquaintances,ormembersofthesamecommunities,comparedtoan“officialapprovalstamp”byagovernmentalinstitutionforinstance.Thankstodigitaltechnologiesandconnectedcommunication,thebasisof users reachable by an individual could also be extremely vast. Considering the increasing relevance of“influencers”ofthesocialmediainshapingpublicunderstandingsandchoices,onesingleTwitteraccountwitha hundred thousands followers, could ultimately have a relevant impact on building trust around an OpenBadgeorinanOpenBadgeissuer.

42CasilliC.(2015).Badgepathways:part1,theparaquel.RetrievedMay16fromhttps://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/badge-pathways-part-1-the-paraquel/43Grant,S.(2014).WhatCountsasLearning:OpenDigitalBadgesforNewOpportunities.Irvine,CA:DigitalMediaandLearningResearchHub.RetrievedMay162016from:http://dmlhub.net/wp-content/uploads/files/WhatCountsAsLearning_Grant.pdf44Casilli,C.(2012).MozillaOpenBadges:BuildingTrustNetworks,CreatingValue.RetrievedMay16,2016,from:https://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/mozilla-open-badges-building-trust-networks-creating-value/

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4.OPENBADGEBESTPRACTICES

This sections aims to provide useful references to practical examples of Open Badges in various fields. TheOpenBadgeNetworkiscollectingusecasesastheyriseanditwelcomeseveryone’scontributions.TosubmitanOpenBadgeusecase,itispossibletofillintheonlinequestionnaire,atthefollowinglink:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cBsD0y0ZQDQjgC5CMkR6QSp5WscIVSWoPLRmN2E-2h8/viewformThecompletesetofusecasesisavailableonthewebsiteofOBNproject:http://www.openbadgenetwork.com/outputs/infrastructure/AnothersourceofusefulexamplesofOpenBadgeswasthewebpageOpenBadges:MakingLearningvisible45,whichconstantlylooksforgoodapplicationsofOpenBadgesinCanadaandaroundtheworld.

4.1HowdoindividualsuseOpenBadgesineducation?

OpenBadgesinformalandnon-formaleducationcouldservevariouspurposes.ItispossibletogrouptheOpenBadgesinclusters,startingfromtheexampleofOpenBadgesalreadyissuedbyeducationinstitutions,trainingcentresandindividualtrainersandteachers,accordingtotheircoreaim:

1-Makelearningvisible.OpenBadgescanrepresentthosecompetenciesandskills,acquiredbythestudentsalongtheirschoolcareer,butthatarenotincludedintheirdiplomaordegree.

2-Recognisepriorlearning.Institutes,universitiesandschoolsoftenstruggletorecognisepriorlearningofstudentscomingfromtheworklifeorfromabroad.OpenBadgescouldhelpthoseorganisationverifyprecedenteducationandskillsandincomingstudentstobeintroducedtotheirnewlearningenvironments.

3-Recogniseteachers’skills.AFinnishschoolhasdesigned60OpenBadgestobeissuestoitsteachers,eachdemonstratingaspecificcomputer-skill.Thesamesystemcouldbeappliedtorecogniseteachers’softskillsortovisualiseteachers’involvementinsideactivitiesinschool.

4-Setgoalsandlearningpathways.AsystemofOpenBadgescouldbeusedtoorientatetheprogressesofaclass.AsmentionedinSection2,asystemcouldbesetwithdifferentpossiblepathwaystoearn

45Presant,D.(n.d.).OpenBadges:MakingLearningvisible.RetrievedMay9,2016,from:http://www.savvyfolio.net/user/don/open-badges-for-training-professional-development

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thefinalgoal(representedbyaMilestoneBadge),thusgivingstudentsthepossibilitytochoosetheitinerarythatsuitsthembest46.

5-Rewardandmotivatestudents.AsmentionedinChapter2,OpenBadgescanbeusedingamifiedlearningcontexts.

6-Certifyaccomplishmentofcoursesandnanodegreesofferedonline.Moreandmoreinstitutionsareemployingonlineeducationtoofferhigh-levelcoursesworldwide.Theattendancecouldbeforfreeorasubjectoftuition.

ThefollowingexamplesshowhowOpenBadgesmaybeusedineducation:

A. The Tech Partnership, in the UK (www.thetechpartnership.com), brings together employers in thedigital industry to offer schools, companies and students resources to develop and recognise digitalskills. The partnership promotes training programmes in schools, apprenticeships and coursesaddressed to children, students, and workers, with the aim of inspiring talents, creating jobs andensuringhighstandardskillsinthedigitalsectorfortheyearstocome.OpenBadgesaredesignedbytheTechPartnershiptodirectlyrespondtotheneedofthecompanies inthedigitalworldandtobeintegratedintoeducationalprogrammes.47

B. InAuroraPublicSchool (http://aurorak12.org/category/digital-badges/)OpenBadgesareclustered insectors and employers are called to give their endorsement, meaning that they accept the OpenBadgesas“useful”forfutureemploymentintheircompanies.

C. MadisonAreaTechnicalCollege(http://madisoncollege.edu/badges)usesOpenBadgesforcontinuingeducation.

D. Educase (http://www.educause.edu/badging), an IT consulting company for education organisation,developedabadgingsystemtorecogniseengagementandexpertise.

E. TheUniversityofMichigan(http://www.mblem.umich.edu/v/overview)usesOpenBadgestorecognisestudents’co-curricularlearningexperiences,gainedwithintheUniversityCampus.

F. The Colorado State University (http://www.online.colostate.edu/badges/) offers online master levelcourses,attheendofwhichyouearnOpenBadges.

G. Deakin University (http://www.deakin.edu.au/learning/designing-assessing-and-evaluating-learning/deakin-hallmarks) issues theirOpenBadgesunder thename “hallmarks” toundergraduates

46Rousselle,E.(2016).OpenBadgesinschoolsandhighereducation.OpenBadgeNetworkO2A1CollectionofUseCases,pp.8-11.RetrievedMay16,2016from:http://www.openbadgenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Use-Cases_for_OBN_portal.pdf47DigitalMe(2015).TechFutureBadgeAcademyLaunchesonOpenBadgeAcademy(OBA),retrievedMay162016,fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A61_uL6c8uY

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andgraduatesdemonstratingspecificextra-curricularskillsandforaccomplishmentofmasterdegrees,organisedinagranularway.

4.2HowdoindividualsuseOpenBadgesintheircareer?

OpenBadgeshavebeenused indifferent contextswith the aimofmaking soft skills easily verifiableby jobrecruiters andemployers. Soft skills include critical thinking, innovative thinking, communication skills, teamwork,leadership,motivation,etc.

TheICThasbeensofar,quitepredictably,themostreceptivesectortotheOpenBadgetechnology.Leadingcompanies like Microsoft, IBM48 and Oracle have developed their own Open Badge Ecosystems and havestartedusingOpenBadgestorewardemployeesfortheirsoftskills.

The GRASS Project (Grading Soft Skills, https://sites.google.com/site/llpgrassproject/), financed by the EU in2013,usesOpenBadgesasmicro-credentialstovalidatesoftskillsoflearnersofdifferentagesandindifferentcontexts.TheUKimplementedaprogrammecallediDEA(idea.org.uk/),whichusesOpenBadgetechnologytopromoterecognitionofskillsindigitalmedia,withtheaimoffacilitatingemploymentandcarrierbuilding.

Other sectors have also started applying Open Badges. In the humanitarian field, Disaster Ready(www.disasterready.org)providesaidworkersandvolunteersaroundtheworld,withtrainingandprofessionaldevelopmentresourcesforfree.AchievementsareawardedwithOpenBadgesthatarerecognisedbymanyofthemostimportanthumanitarianorganisations,suchasOxfam,SavetheChildrenandUNHCR.

Other badges, such as the ones developed by Doctors without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org),aimattwodifferentobjectives:

1) showingsupportandincreasingawarenessandcommitmentofthepublic2) attestingparticularexperiencesofstaff,gainedinthefield

Individualswillingtoenterthejobmarket,mayjoinoneofthevariousplatformsthathavebeendevelopedtocollect,searchanddisplayOpenBadges.

One example is the Open Badge Passport (https://openbadgepassport.com/), developed in Finland byDiscendumOy.ItisafreeservicewhereissuerscanpublishandstoretheirOpenBadges.TheuserscanselecttheOpenBadgesinwhichtheyareinterested,uploadevidenceandcreatetheirownpage,asadigitalresume,includingtheOpenBadgestheyearned.Potentialemployerscaneasilysearchandcompareprofilesandselectthemostsuitablecandidates.

48https://www-304.ibm.com/connections/blogs/IBMTraining/entry/open_badges_a_better_way_to_track_skills_and_accomplishments?lang=en_us

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The company Kion, in Italy, has recently developed another project called .Bestr (https://bestr.it/),with thedeclaredaimto“bridgethegapbetweenthelearners,employersandtrainers”.Itisane-portfolioplatformforsearching,selectinganddisplayingOpenBadges.Moreover,.BestrprovideconsultancytoOpenBadgeissuerstodesign,issueandendorseOpenBadgesaccordingtointernationalstandardsforprofessionalcompetencies,andgivesassistancetoeducationandassessmentproviderstopublishandselltheircoursesandcertificationprocesses,againusingOpenBadgesascredentials.

TrainingorganisationssuchasCity&Guilds(www.cityandguilds.com/),haveadoptedOpenBadgestocreateskilldevelopmentprogrammesinclosecooperationwitheducationprovidersandemployers,inordertouncovertheirneedsandfacilitateyoungpeople’sfutureemployability.

4.3HowdoOpenBadgespromotesocialinclusion?

TherearemanypossibilitiesofapplicationofOpenBadgestofacilitateintegrationofpeopleconsideredatrisk.Currently,although,manyofthefollowinginitiativesarestillintheconceptualphase.

For instance, Open Badges can be used for recognition and certification of competences ofmigrant skilledworkers. While some trades and crafts are regulated and certifications are recognised worldwide (e.g.electricians, welders, truck drivers, airline pilots, etc.), most working skills cannot easily be recognised byemployers from other countries because of comparability issues such as unintelligibility of language,differences in norms and regulations, unknown reputation of previous employers or education providers,divergences inattitudesandvalues.AnOpenBadgeaddressing theneedsofmigrantworkerswould requireevidence and easily verifiable proofs of skills and capabilities against explicit criteria,whichwould be firstlyevaluatedbyacriticalassessor.Futureemployerscandirectlyaccessmultimediacontentprovingthelevelofmasteryofthecandidate inaspecificfield,andtheywouldbe likelytoacknowledgetheOpenBadgeduetotheintermediationofatrustedthirdpartyissuingtheOpenBadge.

TheBeuthUniversityofAppliedSciencesBerlin(https://www.beuth-hochschule.de/en/3001/)hasstartedthetheBeuthBonsqualificationprogramforenhancingcareeropportunitiesofmigrantacademics.49Theprojectallowsmigrants toobtain certificationof theirprofessionaldegreesand/or valuable skills and findadequateemployment.

Open Badges could support the reintroduction of offenders and their reintegration into the society, byrecordingpriorlearningandskillsandsocialactivitiesaccomplishedwhileindetention,asanintegralpartofa“new”identityandwork-lifeplacement.49BuchemI.(2015).OpenBadgeDesignatBeuthUniversityinBerlin.Retrieved18June2016from:http://www.slideshare.net/ibuchem/open-badges-a-beuth-university-in-berlin?next_slideshow=1

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OpenBadgesmaybeusedbyprofessionalsworkingwithdisadvantagedgroups (learnerswithspecialneeds,school push/drop out, women back to work, unemployed, migrants, etc.), to improve participation andrecognition of activities carried out. The Scottish Social Services Council (www.badges.sssc.uk.com/) hasdevelopedanOpenBadgeprogrammeforraisingstandardsinthecountry’ssocialserviceworkforce.Organisations working in at risk communities may also use Open Badges to increase relevance of theirinitiatives for the attendants. Newport City Homes (www.newportcityhomes.com) is a public housingorganisation, using Open Badges to facilitate the members of the community of residents to find new jobpositionsanduplifttheircareer.

4.4HowdoOpenBadgespromotecivicparticipation?

AnindividualmayuseOpenBadgestovisualiseandrepresenthis/heractivitieswithinacommunity.ChicagoCity of Learning (chicagocityoflearning.org/) is a great example of how Open Badges could be used forrecognitionofactivitiespromotedbymunicipalitiesandinstitutions.TheOpenBadgesdevelopedbytheCityofChicagoaddressesmainlytheyoungpeople,andincludesavastsetofactivitiesandskills.In2013,Chicagohasrealised a successful programme of summer training courses based on Open Badges for young people incollaborationwithprivateandpublicorganisationofthecity50.Moreover,justlikeincaseofphysicalbadges,anindividualcanchoosetoearnanddisplayanOpenBadgenotforcertifyingacertainabilityorskill,butasasymbolrepresentingasocial,politicalorcivicstatement.

Thebadgecriteriapagedoesn’ttellaboutthecriteriathatshouldbefulfilledtogetthebadge,butismorelikeamanifestpage,thattellsaboutideas,valuesandattitudesofthebadgedesignerandpersonsandtheorganisation,whichdisplaysthebadge.[…]Thiskindofbadgeisusedtocommunicatethatthebadgeearneragreesandsupportstheideasorvaluesexpressedbythebadge.Inthiscase,thebadgeearner(traditionalterminology),isnotreallyanearnerbutmoreabadgeclaimerorsupporter.Thebadgedesigner/issuerdoesnotrewardhimorher,butheorshejustwantstogetthebadgetodisplayit.[…]Badgescanbecreatedforexampletoincreasetheimpactofcampaigns,forexamplecampaignsabouthumanrights,environmentalquestions,etc.51

50ChicagoMayor’sOffice(2013).ChicagoSummerofLearning.RetrievedMay16,2016,from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXjHdZUTwMQ51 Rousselle, E. (2016). Using badges as a way to express social or political statements. Open Badge Network O2A1Collection of Use Cases, pp. 6-8. Retrieved May 16, 2016 from: http://www.openbadgenetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Use-Cases_for_OBN_portal.pdf

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5.FINALRECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 How the community of experts and the institutions should facilitate thefamiliarisationandaccesstoOpenBadgesbyindividuals?

In thenewperspectiveopenedby the structural changesof today’s society, the systemof formaleducationandtrainingshouldradicallyreshapeitsinstitutionalmissionandconsequentlytherangeofcompetencesandprofile the employed. It must conceive its main role as the highest authority in setting basic rules, from aneutralperspective,andprovidemethodsand tools, througha large investment in researchand innovation.Notanymoreasthemere providerof theformaleducation, itmustbecometherulerandsupervisorof thelifelonglearninginanycontextandformsithappens.

ConcerningOpenBadges,traditionaleducationinstitutionsshouldavoidtheimpositionofschematicandrigidstandards on other actors of the ecosystem, such as individuals and their representatives (trade unions,professional associations), employers, labour agencies.On the contrary, they should enhance familiarisationwith designing and issuing Open Badges and promote mutual learning among the key actors on rigorousmethodologytodescribetheachievementsandtheirtransferabilityaswellasontheuseofobjectivecriteriaandmeaningfulevidencetoassessandcertifythem.

The education system must promote research through public procurement initiatives and facilitateexperimentation,disseminationandpeerreview.Itshouldfacilitatetheencounterbetweentheexpectationsof the users and the intents of the issuers while ensuring absolute freedom and the cost-free basis foreverybodytodesign,issueandobtainanOpenBadge,withoutimposingacommonstandard.ItshouldprovideOpenBadgedesignersandissuerswithappropriateguidelinesandframeworks,tonurturethebuildingoftrustnetworks among issuers, earners and viewers and support individuals in the recognition of the rightmethodologytoassessthequalityandreliabilityofOpenBadges.

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5.2WhatfuturescenarioscanweexpectforOpenBadges?Inwhatfields?

TheOpenBadgetechnologyisconstantlybeingimprovedwithnewfeaturesanditisfarfromreachingitsfullpotential. In thenear future,wecanexpect theOpenBadgeStandard2.0 tobe realisedwithnew features,suchasimprovedinteroperabilityandgeo-localisation.52

Besidethat,themostcriticalissuethatthecommunityhastoaddress,willbetoensurecredibilityandspreadtheuseofthetechnologybyavastgroupofprivateorganisations,publicinstitutions,educationprovidersandusers.

In order to reach this objective, we can expect that the community will push for making Open Badgesincreasingly alignedwith a set number of accredited frameworks of competencies, taxonomies and skills. 53CertainOpenBadgeshavealreadybeenadoptedbyanexistingframework,suchinthecaseofNewZealand’sQualIT(http://www.qualit.co.nz/),whichhasaligneditsOpenBadgesystemforawardingemployeesfortheirITskills,withtheSkillsFrameworkfortheInformationAge(SFIA).54

However,weneedtofacilitatetheaccessandcomparabilityoftheseframeworksbyOpenBadgedesignersandissuers. To this aim, theOpenBadgeNetwork isdevelopinga tool fornavigating, comparingdefinitionsandtaxonomiesfromdifferentsourcesinanaccessibleway.

Theotherkeycriticalpoint thatwillneedtobe tackledsoon, is theneedtoestablish trustnetworksamonginstitutions,individualsandorganisationsaroundOpenBadges.Themosteffectiveway,followingtheexampleoftheCityofChicago,andothercitiesinvolvedintheLRNGProgramme(www.lrng.org/)willbetobuildOpenBadgeecosystemsataregional level,engagingpublicandprivateactors inthedevelopmentofOpenBadgesandconnectingthemtoexistingorbrandnewprogrammesforin-jobtraining,continuouseducation,schoolsandcivicactivities.55

52Presant,D.(2016).6PredictionsforOpenBadgesin2016.RetrievedMay162016,fromhttps://littoraly.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/6-predictions-for-open-badges-in-2016/53OBNprojectisworkinginthisdirectioninactivityO2A3(http://www.openbadgenetwork.com/outputs/infrastructure/),whichaimsacreatingatechnicalplatformforcomparisonofcompetencyframeworksusedbyOpenBadgeissuers.54Ibid.55Ibid.

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