Badges

	Open Badges Project Page
	Owner: P2PU & Mozilla	Updated: 2011-04-8
	We're building an open platform that will enable anyone to issue, collect and display badges. Providing learners with new ways to get public recognition for their skills and achievements.

What's this about?

• One-page summary. A simple summary of the Open Badges project, with pictures. (PDF) (draft only)
  
• Working badge paper. "An Open Badge System Framework" paper. Authored by Peer 2 Peer University and Mozilla in collaboration with The MacArthur Foundation. (draft for comment)
• Learner stories. Everyday examples and use cases for badges in the real world. (draft only)
  
• Napkin sketch. A simple visual overview of how the open badge system works. (draft only)
  
• Technology diagram. A visual overview of how the underlying technology works.
  
• Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) Got questions? Please add them here. (draft only)

The project in a nutshell:

• Today's learning happens everywhere, not just in the classroom. But it's often difficult to get credit for it.
  
• Peer 2 Peer University and Mozilla are working to solve this problem by developing an Open Badges infrastructure. 
  
• Our system will make it easy for education providers, web sites and other organizations to issue badges that give public recognition and validation for specific skills and achievements.
  
• And provide an easy way for learners to manage and display those badges across the web -- on their personal web site or resume, social networking profiles, job sites or just about anywhere.
  
• The result: Open Badges will help learners everywhere unlock career and educational opportunities, and regonize skills that traditional resumes and transcripts often leave out.
  

Get involved

• Read the working working badge paper.
  
• Check out the School of Webcraft badge pilot program.
  
• Join the Open Badges mailing list to share your own ideas, tools and resources.
  
• Check out screen captures from the "Badge Backpack" prototype.

Draft one-pager for feedback

• PDF version is here

What does an "Open Badge Ecosystem" look like?

What does an "open badge ecosystem look like -- and how can it benefit you? Any BADGE ISSUER (for example, an after-school programs, free online course, or vocational institute) can award certified BADGES to learners like you. Learns can then collect and manage their badges in a BADGE BACKPACK. This makes it easy to display your skills and achievements across a range of different DISPLAY SITES -- from your personal resume or web site, to social networking profiles, to employment sites. The result? Jobs, new learning opportunities and unlocked privileges.

The Open Badge Infrastructure

Description

Enabling learners to earn badges wherever they're learning across the web requires support for multiple individual badge issuers. The Open Badges framework is designed to allow any learner to collect badges from multiple sites, tied to a single identity, and then share them out across various sites -- from their personal blog or web site to social networking profiles. The infrastructure needs to be open to allow anyone to issue badges, and for each learner to carry the badges with them across the web and other contexts.

Prototype

A prototype of the badge infrastructure was built at the Mozilla Drumbeat Festival in Barcelona. The prototype was updated and advanced in early January 2011, and a more complete and working prototype is now in use for the School of Webcraft badge pilot program.

Screen capture from the prototype:

Similar Tools & Projects

• Mozilla Hub identity systems
• Badger badge issuing system
• CodeSchool

Use Cases

• Open education training & courses
  • Example: Web Developer Training
  • Partner: Mozilla / P2PU School of Webcraft
• Informal learning outside of schools
  • Example: Afterschool programs, museums and libraries
  • Partner: The MacArthur Local Learning Networks & You Media Centres
• Formal Education
  • Example: Badges for learning and achievements in formal higher education courses
  • Current Implementations: Badges for courses at Quinnipiac University. Arizona State University is including badges on transcripts in addition to completed courses and final grades.
• Community Affiliation and Reputation
  • Example: Earning badges within a local art community to signify identity and reputation in that community, can then carry across communities
• Others? Let us know!

The School of Webcraft Badge Pilot Program

The School of Webcraft is a joint initiative between Mozilla and Peer 2 Peer University offering free, peer-driven courses and study groups on open web development. The School of Webcraft Badge Pilot, running in the January and April 2011 course cycles, will provide an opportunity to test the open badge infrastructure and prototype by introducing assessments and associated badges into the School of Webcraft. These include skill badges (e.g., Javascript, PHP), value badges (e.g., Accessibility), and peer-to-peer badges that learners can award to each (e.g., Good Teammate, Peer Mentor, etc.).

More information & documentation

• School of Webcraft Badge Pilot:
  • Web page
    
  • Assessment and badge plan
  • P2PU wiki page
  • Summary for School of Webcraft course organizers
• Background Work:
  • Starting point
  • Deep dive on concrete examples
  • Initial School of Webcraft badge planning
• Related
  • Identity

Project Tools

• Open Badges mailing List
• Roadmap: draft in progress here
• community calls: Thursdays 8am PST/11am EST, Call details and notes
  
• Project wiki page: wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Badges
• Presentation deck: (coming soon)
• Issue tracker: (coming soon)
• Source code: (coming soon)
• Drumbeat project page: (coming soon)
• Chat room (IRC): coming soon

Team

• Erin Knight, Badge and Assessment Lead, Mozilla and P2PU
• Brian Brennan, Open Badge Infrastructure Tech Lead, Mozilla
• Philipp Schmidt, Executive Director, P2PU
• Pippa Buchanan, School of Webcraft Community Lead, Mozilla and P2PU
• Matt Thompson, Communications & Education Lead, Mozilla