Exploring the Potential of Open Badges in Blog-

Based University Courses

Hans Põldoja, Mart Laanpere Tallinn University

1st International Workshop on Open Badges in Education (OBIE2014) Tallinn, Estonia, 17 August 2014

Blog-based courses

Assessment issues in blog-based courses

• Private grading in open learning environment

• Recognizing the learning outcomes of informal participants

Badge design patterns?

Composite badges

Blog posts on each of the 13 course topics

OpenEd Overview

Badge

In-depth blog posts on 3 selected course topics

OpenEd Researcher

Badge

(Wiley, 2013)

Activity-based badges

N blog posts or tweetsActivity Badge

N received comments or retweets

Quality Badge

Completed milestone or assignment

Result Badge

(Santos, Charleer, Parra, Klerkx, Duval, & Verbert, 2013)

Grade-based badges

95% of points or more Gold Badge

85% of points or moreSilver Badge

75% of points or moreBronze Badge

(Rughiniș & Matei, 2013)

Hierarchical badges

Course Level Badge

Project Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

Project Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

Lower Level Badge

(Randall, Harrison, & West, 2013)

Our proposal: outcome-based badges

Basic knowledge badges

Basic knowledge on

learning objects and repositories

Basic knowledge on authoring tools

Basic knowledge on

computer-based

assessment

Basic knowledge on

new technologies

Basic knowledge on copyright of

digital learning

resources

Basic knowledge on

quality of digital

learning resources

Content package author

Assessment test author

e-Textbook author

Advanced knowledge on

learning objects and repositories

Advanced knowledge on authoring tools

Advanced knowledge on

computer-based assessment

Advanced knowledge on

new technologies

Advanced knowledge on copyright of

digital learning resources

Advanced knowledge on

quality of digital learning

resources

Blogging assignment 1 Blogging assignment 2 Blogging assignment 3 Blogging assignment 4 Blogging assignment 5Group assignment on developing a digital learning resource

Blogging assignment 6 Literature review

Describing the advantages and

disadvantages of learning objects approach

Searching for learning objects from learning object repositories by metadata and licenses

Creating simple content packages, tests and e-

textbooks, and describing these with metadata

Following copyright principles for digital learning resources

Evaluating the quality of a learning resources using an evaluation framework

Using one authoring tool to create a more

comprehensive digital learning resource

Analyzing the current issues, research studies and trends in one sub-topic related to digital

learning resources

Learning outcomes

Assignments

Advanced knowledge badges

Skills badges

Students' perspectives on Open Badges

• Main benefits: feeling of recognition and confirmation about accepted assignments

• Badges would become more valuable, if they are used in several courses, not as a one time experiment

• Students are interested in recognizing prior learning with badges

Recommendations for future courses

• Offer at least two levels of badges for each assignment

• Provide more choice of different badges / learning paths

• Visual aesthetics of badges is also important for learners

Food for thought

• Extending the badge metadata (“weight”, etc)

• Combining outcome-based badges with other types of badges

• Student-designed and student-awarded badges for peer-assessment

• Combing personal learning contracts and badges

References• Wiley, D.: Assignments: Introduction to Openness in Education, https://

learn.canvas.net/courses/4/assignments

• Santos, J.L., Charleer, S., Parra, G., Klerkx, J., Duval, E., Verbert, K.: Evaluating the Use of Open Badges in an Open Learning Environment. In: Hernández-Leo, D., Ley, T., Klamma, R., Harrer, A. (eds) EC-TEL 2013. LNCS, vol. 8095, pp. 314–327. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2013)

• Rughiniș, R., Matei, S.: Digital Badges: Signposts and Claims of Achievement. In: Stephanidis, S. (ed) HCI International 2013 - Posters’ Extended Abstracts, pp. 84–88. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2013)

• Randall, D.L., Harrison, J.B., West, R.E.: Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: Designing Open Badges for a Technology Integration Course. TechTrends. 57, 88–95 (2013)

Thank You!

Mart Laanpere !mart.laanpere@tlu.ee @martlaa

Hans Põldoja !hans.poldoja@tlu.ee @hanspoldoja http://www.hanspoldoja.net