Digital Badges Discussion in the Technology and Learning Group Starts Today!

The Digital Badges Discussion Starts Today!

Join the conversations by clicking on the questions below, which will be updated throughout the week. This event runs through December 9 in the Technology and Learning group and will consider the following questions:

Question 1. How are badges different from credentialing methods used in the past? Adult education examples may include career pathways, certificates, and stackable credentials.  How are these similar and different from digital badges? (Tuesday, December 3)

Question 2. If “the technology for issuing badges is available to anyone with access to the Web,” what then are the roles for quality & content standards (in awarding badges)? Of accreditation?  What are the bottom-up or top-down processes needed for developing badges? (Wednesday, December 4)

Question 3. Where do badges derive their value, what is their value, and how might it evolve? (Friday, December 6)

Question 4. What adult education issues may arise for public sector (local, state, federal) involvement in badges? For private sector involvement? (Saturday, December 7)

Discussion overview:

What is a digital badge and how is it different, or similar, to the credentialing systems now in use in adult education? What is the value of digital badges for our education field and how can we use this emerging electronic system to measure or validate individuals’ knowledge and skills? What would an adult education digital badge system look like and which individuals and programs would offer badges?

Follow this link http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/resource-collections/profile-716 to read The Potential and Value of Using Digital Badges for Adult Learners, a report recently released for public comment by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, through a contract with the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

This exciting discussion will be facilitated by Steve Reder (http://www.pdx.edu/profile/meet-professor-steve-reder) and David Wiley (http://davidwiley.org/), two researchers who bring combined knowledge of adult education, technology, and digital badges to our forum.