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Digital Distinction

Badges add a new dimension to adult learning

By Learning Forward
Categories: Implementation
August 2015
As a part of a professional learning team, we are constantly looking for new approaches and designs that promote deeper adult learning. If we really want teachers to be motivated to change behaviors and aspirations, we need to tap into what motivates adults to learn. According to Daniel H. Pink’s Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, these motivators are autonomy, mastery, and purpose (Pink, 2011). And this is where digital badges come in. Badges aren’t exactly new. Perhaps best known from organizations like the Scouts, badges can be physical representations of things accomplished or they can be digital icons associated with particular skills or tasks. Apps like Lose It! or Fitbit (programs designed to motivate users for health and weight loss) use digital

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Authors

Kellie Ady, Keli Kinsella, and Amber Paynter

Kellie Ady (kady@cherrycreekschools.org) is the district instructional technology coordinator and Keli Kinsella (kkinsella@cherrycreekschools.org) and Amber Paynter (apaynter@cherrycreekschools.org) are district technology and learning coaches in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado.

Learn more about digital badges

Expanding Education and Workforce Opportunities Through Digital Badges

Alliance for Excellent Education & Mozilla, August 2013

Digital badges offer students the opportunity to pave their own learning pathways and allow employers to verify necessary workforce skills, according to this report from the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Mozilla Foundation. The report defines digital badges as “credentials that represent skills, interests, and achievements earned by an individual through specific projects, programs, courses, or other activities.” A credible badge stores information online through a digital hyperlink about the associated skills, as well as what projects and tasks the badge holder completed to obtain it. This report explores digital badges and how they can be used to improve student learning and outcomes, as well as expand vocational and interest-based skills for learners of all age.

https://all4ed.org/reports-factsheets/expanding-education-and-workforce-opportunities-through-digital-badges

References

Pink, D.H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York, NY: Penguin.

Diaz, V. (2013, July 1). Digital badges for professional development. Educause Review. Available at www.educause.edu/ero/article/digital-badges-professional-development.

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Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

Categories: Implementation

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