See http://www.openbadges.org/ and https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges
Introduction
Mozilla Open Badges, or any similar initiative, may become a well-used infrastructure for assessment, accreditation, claiming and display of skills, abilities, competence. It aims to give an alternative to traditional qualifications and certificates issued by educational institutions and related awarding bodies. If this happens, the InLOC initiative would benefit from being able to provide the structured definitions that people want to assess, accredit, claim, and use for many purposes including employment.
Model
The Infrastructure Tech Docs give the following "metadata spec" as at 2012-03.
- Badge Title
- Badge Image URL
- Short Badge Description (plain text, hashtags, 140 characters?)
- Badge Criteria (URL, required - optional metadata at url?)
- Issuer (Human readable organization name or just individual name)
- Issuer Contact (email address)
- Issue Date
- Badge Expiration Date (optional; default none)
- Badge Evidence URL (optional; highly recommend?)
There seems to be a clear possibility of a fit here. The Badge Criteria could contain the URI of any LOC represented by the badge. What is not covered by the current Mozilla spec, but could be, includes:
- a link to the assessment and other procedures surrounding the issue of the badge, separately from the definition of the LOC claimed
- in cases where a greater badge is awarded for a set of lesser badges, the links to the lesser badges could be explicit at the top level of the badge metadata.
Links to more blogs, articles etc. about Badges
- http://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2208
- Badges for Lifelong Learning: Reframing the Debate
- What did we learn during a ‘semester of learning’ on #openbadges over at P2PU.org?
- If not now, when? Why we need #openbadges and #dmlbadges for lifelong learning RIGHT NOW
- Open Badges for Lifelong Learning (pdf)
- It's not what you know
- 'Badges' Earned Online Pose Challenge to Traditional College Diplomas
- Is There Merit in a ‘Badge’ System That Certifies Higher Education Achievement?
- Why I would like to use Open Badges for Assessment
- STEM Scouts
- Badges for Lifelong Learning on Scoop.''it''
From CETIS