The document discusses using e-badges to recognize faculty and staff development at an educational institution. It provides examples of traditional rewards like degrees, certificates, and continuing education credits. It then introduces e-badges as a new way to acknowledge expertise and learning in specific areas, including learning that occurs outside traditional programs. Implementing an e-badge system would encourage exploration of new topics, identify knowledgeable individuals, foster mentorship, and promote lifelong learning within the institution's community.

1. E-Badges 101
Using e-badges to encourage faculty & staff development in
the MCC Leadership Institute Community
Presented by Professor Sandra Rimetz
MCC Leadership Institute Advisory Board
February 13, 2012

2. What is a badge?
• An emblem given as an award, honor or
recognition.
• Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts to honor accomplishments
• Military to display rank
• Classrooms (stickers) to reward completed tasks
• Confirms an achievement, quality, interest or
skill.

3. Today’s Reward System
Traditionally, our educational
accomplishments are
rewarded through:
– Degree attainment (A.A. of
Arts)
– Certificates (Web
Technology)
– Continuing Ed Credits
(C.E.U.)
– Plaques (20 years of service)

4. Tomorrow’s Reward System
• A system of recognition for
those who learn beyond the
traditional paradigm
(degrees, certificates
awarded).
• Acknowledgement of
knowledge or expertise in a
specific area.
• Technology enables us to
easily capture a learning
pathway that may not have
been so obvious.

5. Just imagine…
Faculty and staff
Supporting
joining workshops Promoting lifelong,
participation in
with the excitement non-traditional
interest-driven
of becoming learning
programs
proficient

6. Why Use the Badges Model for the
MCC Leadership Institute?
 Encourages participants to follow each other.
 Validates a track or path of knowledge/expertise.
 Helps track topics that a user frequents for further
development (measures interest).
 Identifies knowledgeable users/experts’.
 Encourages relationships.
 Inspires participants to pursue the next level.
 Fosters mentorship and community.
 Encourages persistence.
 Provides an alternate path of education/learning
(rather than traditional coursework).

7. Aligns with the “big” Education Plan
“That's the vision outlined in the National Educational
Technology Plan we at the Department of Education
released last year. Our plan, "Transforming American
Education: Learning Powered by Technology", aims to
reframe learning as a process that is not only lifelong, but
life-wide.”
Digital Badges for Learning
Remarks by Secretary Duncan at 4th Annual
Launch of the MacArthur Foundation Digital
Media and Lifelong Learning Competition
September 15, 2011
http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/digital-badges-learning

8. How the Participants Benefit
Feeling of
accomplishment
Development of
leadership for Renewed sense
future workshop of community
leaders
Identifies their
expertise to Rewarded for
others time investment

9. Proposed Badge Type
“Collectible Achievements”
Defined as:
Rewards that can be collected
and displayed for others in the
community to see.

10. “Collectible Achievements” Assets
for Participants
Can track their
individual growth.
Non-competitive.
Broadens the
community
Encourages member’s view of
exploration in what is available in
areas they may not a particular area.
be comfortable
with (discovery).

11. Implementation
Develop a series of badges related to current
workshop themes (i.e. supervision).
Professional
Personal
Organization

12. Implementation
• Build an ecosystem so people can display e-
badges in their e-mail signatures, add them to
resumes.
• Eventually create interactive badge so
information can be accessed at a click.
• Oversee verification (authenticity).
• Start small  think big

13. More about this concept…
BADGES IN ACTION ON THE WEB

14. Yahoo! Fantasy Sports awards collectible
trophies for various sports. They are
temporal in nature, and are awarded for a
specific season of play. A "Trophy Case" on
the players profile keeps the achievements
on display.
http://designingsocialinterfaces.com/patterns/Reputation

17. Additional Resources
http://www.dmlcompetition.net/media/4/BadgesforLifelongLearning_Inf
o.pdf
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lydia-dobyns/digital-badges-the-great-
_b_1022751.html
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-badges-student-awards-anne-
obrien
http://opensource.com/points-and-badges

18. And now…
YOUR THOUGHTS?