Open Badges, ePortfolios and Co-Curricular Records
Suggestions for loosely coupled solutions for authentic
graduate outcomes and employability
August 23, 2014Don Presant
Co-Curricular Records
Right problem, wrong solution?
What Problem are We Solving?
• Student Engagement ≈ Student Success• Value learning outside the classroom
– Track, measure & authenticate:• Leadership, community service, athletics, special
interests, specialized skills and knowledge
• Evidence-based support for further goals:– Academic
• Scholarships, awards, bursaries, transfer to senior college (community college to university) graduate school…
– Employment• WBL, internships, placements, permanent jobs
What Problem are We Solving?
• Student Engagement ≈ Student Success• Value learning outside the classroom
– Track, measure & authenticate:• Leadership, community service, athletics, special
interests, specialized skills and knowledge
• Evidence-based support for further goals:– Academic
• Scholarships, awards, bursaries, transfer to senior college (community college to university) graduate school…
– Employment• WBL, internships, placements, permanent jobs
“when they are going out to search for a job, they are able to submit their co-curricular record along with their transcript and show their whole, overall student experience.”
University of Calgary
Employability (Trent U 2013)“Employer Responses to the Co-Curricular Record”
• Top Skills or Qualities– Problem Solving Abilities, Adaptability/Flexibility,
Enthusiasm/Dedication, Communication (Written & Verbal), Personable Nature, Ability to Learn, Reliability
• Types of activities– Longer-term commitments demonstrate a greater level of
student investment; leadership roles are valued.
bit.ly/TrentU_CCR
Three Pillars of the CCR
• Build a database of eligible elements– Volunteer activities, events, awards, non-formal learning– Provided & validated by campus organizations– Selected & tracked by students
• Connect experience to learning– Linked to competencies, outcomes– Self-reflection prompts, checklists: “achievement
statements”
• Produce the (paper) record– Database report– Institutional branding– Security features
http://www.collegequarterly.ca/2013-vol16-num01-winter/elias-drea.html
ExampleCarleton University
Good for Campus OrganizationsFeatures and Benefits
• Community of microsites for digital footprint• Communications
– Pages, galleries, newsfeeds, news letters, forums, social media
• Membership– Member management, self-service
• Events– Management, calendar consolidation, room bookings…
• E-commerce, budgeting tools• Integration with other systems:
– Academic, work placement, career, etc.
• Choice– CollegiateLink(UM-CCR), Orbis (UM-CC), Org Sync, Data
180
Good for Student Recognition?Issues with Co-Curricular Records
• Only “approved” (campus) activities– No academic service/experiential learning,
research– No off-campus employment, community
service
• Portal-generated, mostly time-based• Little/no reflection, evidence, integration
– Few tools or opportunities, especially after upload
– No ePortfolio integration
• Summative, “one time ”paper report from a database– A “laundry list”: linear, siloed, inflexible,
archaic(NB: some variation in functionality between platforms & product suites)
Employability (Trent U 2013)“Employer Responses to the Co-Curricular Record”
• Top Skills or Qualities– Problem Solving Abilities, Adaptability/Flexibility,
Enthusiasm/Dedication, Communication (Written & Verbal), Personable Nature, Ability to Learn, Reliability
• Types of activities– Longer-term commitments demonstrate a greater level of
student investment; leadership roles are valued.
• Interest in CCR as a document: minimal– “Students should use the document as a tool for reviewing their
co-curricular experiences and reflecting on what skills/learning achievements were gained from each.”
– “Any relevant co-curricular experiences should be incorporated into the resume, and potentially referenced in the cover letter.”
– “Reference the skills identified in the job posting….accuracy and conciseness are valued in applications.”
bit.ly/TrentU_CCR
Why Such a Narrow Scope?
Academic Transcript
Co-Curricular
Record
ApprovedCo-Curricular.
Activities
Personal Life Experience
-past-currentWork
Experience-past
-current AccreditedExperiential
Learning
UnapprovedCo-Curricular
Activities Courses
Thesis / Capstone Project
PLAR/RPL
ExperiencedLearning
FormalLearning
Other Approaches
• Université de Sherbrooke:“Plan de développement individuel” (PDI)– Online tool, choosing self-assessment over
authentication (16 skills)– Used for WBL (work on 3 skills on work term,
with employer participation
• Université de Laval: “Webfolio”– Optional eportfolio, certified by university
placement counsellor– Support for CV & letter
http://bit.ly/UA_CCR
Broader Scope for RecognitionCollect, Select, Reflect, Connect
• Catalogue your lifewide learning experiences
• “De-silo” your compartmentalized skills and knowledge:– Evaluate, compare, integrate, transfer– Align to goals, contextualize, support– Rehearse, edit
• Rince, repeat…
Sound familiar?
Learning ePortfoliosElectronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are collections
of digitally represented artifacts that:
•document practice
•include reflection
•integrate experience
•map to goals and/or standards
•promote deep learning and knowledge transfer
Tracy Penny Light, CAPLA 2013
Research Says… “It Takes More than a Major”…
• Findings of 2013 survey of 318 employers for AAC&U:
– 93%: candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, & solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major
– >80%: an electronic portfolio would be useful to them in ensuring that job applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their company or organization.
bit.ly/AAEEBL13_AACU
What about ePortfolio as a
Co-Curricular Record?
One Simple ApproachHacking the CPD Module in Mahara
Video: youtu.be/RXBOWg6Bkm4
Page: bit.ly/Goshen_CCReP
University President’s Vision 1Alan Davis, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
BC RPL Summit presentation March 2013
ePortfolio Use in HEInformal Carleton survey
• Ontario– Carleton, Brock, Guelph, McMaster*, Guelph,
Mohawk, OCAD, OISE, Ottawa, Queens, UOIT, Toronto, Windsor, Western, Wilfrid Laurier, Waterloo*
– Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, College of Medical Radiation Technologist of Ontario, De Souza Institute (Nursing)
• Outside Ontario– Athabasca, Alberta, Saskatchewan
• More prevalent in UK, AUS, NZ
Critical mass in the US52% US undergraduates use ePortfolio
Campus Computing 2013 (n=451)
ePortfolios: Not a Magic BulletQuestions that need asking
• Is an ePortfolio just another way of getting a grade?
• Is ePortfolio just another way of “reporting up”?• If ePortfolios are used for learning assessment,
are you prepared to assess for prior learning?• If it is a tool for transition:
– What happens when a student brings an ePortfolio to your institution, say from high school?
– Will your students want to keep their ePortfolios after they graduate?
– If they do, can they? Is this a favour from your institution, or a deliberate strategy?
• Are ePortfolios really student-centred?
Potential Institutional ReachConstellation of Possible ePortfolio Stakeholders
“Documenting Learning with ePortfolios: A Guide for College Instructors”Penny Light, Chen, Ittelson 2012
ContinuingEducation,ProfessionalDevelopment
What about Open Badges?
What are Open Badges?Brief introduction
http://www.savvyfolio.net/user/don/overview-open-badges
A digital representation of an accomplishment, interest or affiliation that is visual, available online, and contains metadata including trusted links that help explain the context, meaning, process and result of an activity. As an open artefact, the earner can present the badge in different contexts from which it was earned.
• Clear progress markers– Motivating learners, supporting
advisors
• Flexible learning pathways– Granular, incremental, multi-source,
laddered, remixable
• Visual branding– Issuers and learners
• Online trust system– Demonstrate skills & capabilities– Proof of performance– Backed by issuer
What is an Open Badge?Micro credentials - modular record of learning
Open Badges and MOOCsMassive Open Online Courses
engineering.edx.org/author/bporter/
www.slideshare.net/sproutfund/serial-announcement
Career & Technical Education (CTE)National Occupational Competency Testing Inst. (NOCTI)
www.nocti.org/pdf/badges/Digital%20Badges-Are%20You%20Ready.pdf
High stakes credentialingProfessional Examination Service
http://bit.ly/ProExam_M-C
Formative, self-directed learningFinancial Services Competency CPD in the UK
openbadges.tumblr.com/post/94723877999/open-badges-community-project-call-august-13-2014
...It’s more important to find out what you don’t know (not what you do know) as that is where the risks to your business lie.
Open Badges & Social Media
Curated in ePortfolio…Interactive criteria…
LinkedIn Profile…
Facebook timeline…
Pulled from Backpack…
Pearson Acclaim (VUE)If Pearson is getting into badges.… Acclaim’s unique approach…is to work with academic institutions and high-stakes credentialing organizations to offer diplomas, certificates and other professional credentials as Open Badges.blog.youracclaim.com/
Small pieces…loosely joined
Personal LearningEnvironment Social Media
Backpack (Passport)
BadgePlatform
OutsideCommunity
InstitutionLMS, SRS
ePortfolioBadge
Claim
StoryStory
Badge
Badge
Badge
Badge BadgeBadge
Badge
Artefact Artefact
Badge
Badge
With assistancefrom @szerge
Campus Portals
CCRCareer
Connect• Other institutions• Trainers• Open learning• Employers• Volunteer
organizations
BenefitsOpen Badges, ePortfolios &“Badge Passports”
• Flexible content• More sources and types of learning valued
• Flexible presentation and framing• Online or hard copy; presented face to face or
by self-serve link• Meaningful re-arrangement, alignment to goals
(e.g. jobs, post-graduate schools):• Add evidence, reflection and other context• Presented in full ePortfolios, or in “badge passports”
(micro-portfolios)
• Student centred
Why not the whole story?
AcademicTranscript
Co-CurricularRecord
Personal Life Experience
-past-currentWork
Experience-past
-current
PLAR/RPL
ExperiencedLearning
FormalLearning
ePortfolio(Badge Passport)
AccreditedExperiential
Learning
UnapprovedCo-Curricular
Activities
ApprovedCo-Curricular.
Activities
OpenCourses,
PD
DegreeCourses
Thesis / Capstone Project
MATUREADULT
YOUTH
Open Badges: Lifelong, Lifewide Learning
LOWSTAKES
HIGHSTAKES
VolunteerExperience
WorkPlacements
AfterSchool
Programs
ClassroomEngagement
WorkplaceEngagement
PersonalLearning
MOOCs
Co-CurricularRecord
Workshops
P/T & Summer Jobs
Admission toHigher Ed
Admission toPost GradSchools
Hiring
Conferences
Recognitionof Prior
Learning
EmployabilityPortfolio
CareerTransition
Promotion
Communitiesof
Practice
Memberships,Affiliations
Awards,Achievements
TeamBuilding “Hard”
Credentials
“Soft”Credentials
Red Cross, Cadets, Scouts,
etc.
E-learningCourses
FormativeFeedback
Awards,Achievements
ContinuingEducation
Emerging Research
• Digital Badges: An Annotated Research Bibliography v1
Curated by HASTAC
• Badges for Learning ResearchHASTAC blog
• DML Design Principles Documentation ProjectDigital Media and Learning; 30 funded projects
• Remediating Assessment Blog: Daniel Hickey et al, Indiana University
• Do badges work?Internal badge system in Peerwise (n>1000)
• Open University (Simon Cross)Upcoming journal article, Slideshare
Badge Solution: Open Badge Factory Cloud-based badge management & interoperability
bit.ly/ePIC2013_Rousselle
Features and Benefitsopenbadgefactory.com
• Currently:– Centralized cloud service with Open API: manage badges
in one place, issue in many (LMS, HR, etc.)– Controlled access for organizations– Controlled roles within organizations
• Creator, Issuer, Administrator
– Detailed reports– Badge applications (requests)– Milestone badges (meta-badges)
• Coming soon:– Multi-lingual badges– Badge Passport (c. October)
• Private/public badges, badge collections, mobile display
Open Badge FactoryCentralized Detailed Reports
Open Badge FactoryBadge Applications (request forms)
Open Badge FactoryMilestone Badges (metabadges)
Open Badge FactoryGetting Started
• Free in 2014• Subscription model starting
in 2015– Basic 250€, Premium 600€,
Enterprise 1500€– Badge Passport as additional
option
• Request account at openbadgefactory.com• More info at
Getting Started: Open Badge Factory
Options to exploreCCR, ePortfolio, Open Badges
• Publish digital CCRs, display in ePortfolios– Enhance with Open Badges, other evidence, curation,
reflection
• Get CCR platform to publish modular co-curricular records as Open Badges– Internally (like Moodle, Bb) or (better): – via API to, e.g. Open Badge Factory
• Generate Open Badges in parallel to CCR (hmm...silos)
• Replace CCR with ePortfolio/Open Badges (?)– Need to find substitutes for other functionality: student
community micro-sites, work placement, career, etc.
Final thought
The future is already here; it’s just not very evenly distributed.William Gibson
Creative Commons http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Gibson
New service: savvyfolio.netMulti-institution ePortfolio community
University
College
Adult Learning Centre
Professional Body Workplace Trainer
Employability Agency
Employer Industry Sector Body
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