A1: Use leveled badge systems | Design Principles Documentation Project

Use leveled badge systems:

Design assessments around sequences or structures to help students progress through stages of learning.

For specific examples of assessing learning through leveled badges, please see the following principles: competency levels, hierarchical categories, and metabadges.

4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Christine Chow — No Comments ↓

The 4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges initiative is a collaborative badging effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 4-H National Headquarters/USDA, and Auburn University. Over the course of badge system development, Auburn University focused on the project’s technical side, while University of Nebraska-Lincoln played a role in developing assessments and curriculum. 4-H described, “The Nebraska faculty has developed an outstanding suite of robotics learning experiences supported through almost $5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (#ESI-0624591 and DRL-0833403), the NASA Summer of Innovation, and 4-H. These learning experiences will serve as the core content for the 4-H Robotics digital badging system for youth ages 9 to 18.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R2: Align badges to standards R4: Seek external backing	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A3: Align assessments to standards A4: Use performance assessments A5: Use e-portfolios	M2: Recognize identities M5: Build outside value for badges M8: Use different types of assessment	S2: Improve badge impact

Badges Work for Vets

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Rebecca Itow — No Comments ↓

Badges Work for Vets is a veteran-run initiative that aims to translate military training and experience to civilian skills accessible to potential employers. Two seasoned veterans and a trained veteran psychologist worked together to form a badging system that both highlights veterans’ skills and positions them in a workforce network, increasing potential employment.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R6: Use badges as external communication of learning R10: Promote discovery	A1: Use leveled badge systems	M2: Recognize identities M5: Build outside value for badges	S1: Study badge impact

BuzzMath

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Nate Otto — 1 Comment ↓

BuzzMath is a platform where middle school students develop mathematics competencies corresponding to the Common Core standards. The project issues Open Badges aligned to these standards as students complete activities on buzzmath.com.

The BuzzMath team from the small software development firm Scolab wants to help students in grades 6 through 8 achieve competency in the mathematics standards included in the Common Core State Standards system. To this end, the website guides students through “practice documents” and “challenge documents” targeting each element of the standards (Figure 2). These take the form of sets of assessment questions that progress in difficulty and build on learned concepts as they go. They are designed to complement classroom instruction and assessment. In addition, teachers that use BuzzMath in their classrooms will be able to track their students’ skill development through an integrated dashboard

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory R2: Align badges to standards R3: Have experts issue badges R4: Seek external backing R7: Determine appropriate lifespan of badges	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A3: Align assessments to standards A7: Use mastery learning	M1: Provide incentives M7: Set goals M8: Use different types of assessment M6: Give badges for small accomplishments to hook in learners	S5: Improve badge impact with badge evidence

Computer Science Student Network (CS2N)

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Joshua Quick — No Comments ↓

Preface The information contained in this project appendix was gathered from the original project proposal that was funded in 2012 and interviews with project leaders through the end of 2014. This appendix and the overall design principles database from the…

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory R2: Align badges to standards R4: Seek external backing R6: Use badges as external communication of learning R8: Recognize educator learning	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A6: Use formative functions of assessment A7: Use mastery learning	M5: Build outside value for badges M7: Set goals	S1: Study badge impact S2: Improve badge impact

Cooper-Hewitt DesignPrep Badges

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Joshua Quick — No Comments ↓

Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt and National Design Museum and technology partner LearningTimes proposed to build the DesignPrep badge system (which at the beginning was called Design Exchange). Their program is a digital badge system that has been integrated into Cooper-Hewitt’s DesignPrep program, which engages underserved high school students in New York City in design activities. The program provides youth the opportunity to develop design, collaboration, and presentation skills through participating in activities focused around fashion, architecture, and 3D design.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory R3: Have experts issue badges R4: Seek external backing R6: Use badges as external communication of learning	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A6: Use formative functions of assessment A10: Involve students at a granular level	M1: Provide incentives M5: Build outside value for badges M7: Set goals M8: Use different types of assessment M6: Give badges for small accomplishments to hook in learners

Design for America (DFA): A Badge Community for Innovation

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Christine Chow — No Comments ↓

Design for America (DFA) is an interdisciplinary network of university students and community members. The project aims to create local and social impact by using the needs of the community members to guide design and interaction within the system. This Human Centered Design (HCD) approach allows the project to have a broad focus on design, while creating learning opportunities that meet specific needs of users within that broader domain. Students in the program have developed designs to conserve energy, reduce the potential of acquiring infections in hospitals, and promote reading literacy, among other topics. Founded at Northwestern University in 2009, Design for America has since expanded to other universities across the country. Currently, several studios of student teams are located nationwide, operating as extracurricular programs.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory R3: Have experts issue badges	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A6: Use formative functions of assessment A9: Promote hard and soft skill sets	M3: Engage with the community M7: Set goals M8: Use different types of assessment	S2: Improve badge impact

Implementing a complex leveled hierarchy: S2R

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Nate Otto — No Comments ↓

S2R designed their medal system to allow students to progress through different levels of mastery in three different areas of journalism, targeting the roles of Journalist, Producer, and Coach. Moreover, they wanted to guide students through these badges along a…

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory	A1: Use leveled badge systems	M11: Stimulate competition

Leverage for Digital On-Ramps

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Christine Chow — No Comments ↓

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R2: Align badges to standards R3: Have experts issue badges R5: Recognize diverse learning R6: Use badges as external communication of learning R7: Determine appropriate lifespan of badges	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A3: Align assessments to standards A9: Promote hard and soft skill sets	M1: Provide incentives M4: Display badges to the public M8: Use different types of assessment	S2: Improve badge impact

Microsoft Partners in Learning Network Badges

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Christine Chow — No Comments ↓

Microsoft developed a badge system for the Partners in Learning Network (PiLN) of educators and school leaders to promote technological competencies and relevant skills in today’s digital age. A worldwide initiative, the Microsoft Partners in Learning organization aims to equip educators with the capacity to teach information & communications technology (ICT) and 21st century skills. They argued, “The abundance of knowledge, resources, and accessibility to information available today requires a different approach from the generic one-size fits all engagement models of the past” (DML Stage 1 Proposal). Given rapid technological advancement, the project built a system of recognition and assessment to assist educators in their professional development. The project envisioned the construction of a badge system to recognize educators for their abilities and accomplishments.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R2: Align badges to standards R8: Recognize educator learning R10: Promote discovery	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A3: Align assessments to standards	M2: Recognize identities M4: Display badges to the public M10: Promote collaboration	S1: Study badge impact

MOUSE Wins!

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Christine Chow — No Comments ↓

MOUSE offers opportunities for youth to develop skills and dispositions that can translate into the workplace and apply across professional settings. The program trains youth to join teams of help desk experts who provide technology support during the school day. This offers an environment that mirrors the workplace and enables students to gain practical experience. In school, youth receive the opportunity to lead in the field of technology, cultivating skills, and strengthening identities as valued contributors in technology-driven environments, in preparation for the careers and workplace that they would eventually enter. MOUSE explains that their “goal has always been to capture the milestones that emerge along the way as points of reflection (and as wayfinding devices) that empower the user to pursue pathways forward and demonstrate their expertise in learning and professional contexts where not enough of their experiences are being counted” (HASTAC MOUSE Q&A). By introducing youth to communities of practice, MOUSE enables them to gain exposure and develop their skills and teamwork in an age-appropriate professional work setting. The program extends students’ experience after school by connecting them with a peer community with shared interestsy support during the school day. This offers an environment that mirrors the workplace and enables students to gain practical experience.

Recognizing Principles	Assessing Principles	Motivating Principles	Studying Principles
R1: Use badges to map learning trajectory R3: Have experts issue badges R5: Recognize diverse learning	A1: Use leveled badge systems A2: Enhance validity with expert judgment A4: Use performance assessments A10: Involve students at a granular level	M2: Recognize identities M3: Engage with the community M8: Use different types of assessment M6: Give badges for small accomplishments to hook in learners	S2: Improve badge impact

Use leveled badge systems:

4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges

Badges Work for Vets

BuzzMath

Computer Science Student Network (CS2N)

Cooper-Hewitt DesignPrep Badges

Design for America (DFA): A Badge Community for Innovation

Implementing a complex leveled hierarchy: S2R

MOUSE Wins!

Recently Added

4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges

Badges Work for Vets

BuzzMath

Case Study: Badges for connected learning at PASA

Recent Comments