Abstract
This chapter describes alternative credentialing practices related to competence-based open badges and their different audiences. The authors provide insights into different theoretical approaches to digital badging practices that could potentially support a competence orientation in continuous professional development and enhance lifelong learning. One aim of this chapter is to summarise the first European doctoral dissertation to address digital open badges and digital open badge-driven learning. The authors offer novel insights into reforms in education aimed at addressing students' individual interests and meeting the recognised needs of working life. They also present a set of innovative Finnish applications of digital open badge-driven learning in the context of educational research. Moreover, they describe the potential of badges as a tool to build ePortfolios. This chapter draws attention to the motivational effects of digital badging and the use of ePortfolios as an informative and interesting way to demonstrate competences in different contexts.
TopIntroduction
New “alternative credentials,” such as micro-credentials, digital open badges, and industry-recognised certificates (OECD, 2020a), are gaining popularity as an alternative approach to career and professional development (Ghasia et al., 2019). Digital badging provides transformative and flexible options for competence development in various educational settings from K-12 to higher education (HE). However, the digitisation of graduation diplomas, in line with the digital disruption emerging in all fields of society, is overdue (Wolz et al., 2021). Alternative credentials can be considered further documentation of an individual's skills and knowledge in addition to traditional transcripts, such as degree diplomas (Wolz et al., 2021). In many cases, digital credentialing involves digital badging practices that reflect a complex understanding of the characteristics and specifications of digital open badges (Wolz et al., 2021). The current literature reviews (Noyes et al., 2020; Park & Kim, 2019; Wolz et al., 2021; Zsigmond et al., 2020) compare and contrast the present badge study's findings in different contexts. Furthermore, new ways to motivate, scaffold, and assess competence-based learning processes in professional development are emerging (Brauer, 2019a).
In addition to changing working life, digitalisation is also changing educational planning and the implementation of training. It has become increasingly important to develop training that meets the requirements of digitised working life as well as unique professional needs (Brauer, 2019a). This paper will focus on the context of professional HE, representing examples from early adopters in Finland. The Finnish models discussed in the chapter contain nationally mandated best practices that are applicable for wider audiences. Digital badges are often synonymous with micro-credentials (Lim et al., 2018; Rimland & Raish, 2019), smaller fractions of qualifications. Thus, badge development and implementation can also be linked to the revision of evaluation methods and reforms of European competence classification and transfer systems, such as ESCO (European Commission, 2020) and EuroPass (Cedefop, 2020). The European Union promotes the provision of competence-oriented education, training, and learning, the establishment of good practices, and better support for educational staff (EU, 2018). Moreover, the Finnish Government (2020) has promoted the idea of the digital ecosystem for lifelong learning, gathering competence information from childhood on and serving both individuals and working life. At the core of their service development are applications that map, identify, and recognise competence acquired in various contexts. The potential of badges as a tool to build portfolios in a digital format (ePortfolios) suggests similar features (Korhonen, 2020). Modern ePortfolios allow individuals to make their competence visible in multifaceted ways using a variety of digital materials (Jewitt et al., 2016).
Earners can display and publish digital open badges using online services, digital display platforms and other tools beyond ePortfolios. Avenues like LinkedIn, personal websites, blogs and digital resumes are some options to portrait micro-credentials. Digital open badges allow open application programming interfaces (APIs), a method to connect and manage badges in different emerging digital ecosystems. It is important to create and consolidate general rules for the use and development of multifaceted badges. The rules are needed not only for technical descriptions, but also for the content and metadata of badges (Brauer, 2020). Thus, their value is real for a badge earner, an educational institution, and an employer to signify the achievement of a specific competence. Common European agreements would help to tackle the technical challenges faced in badge pilots, such as identification of the badge applicant or the authorisation and verification of the badge issuer, and enhance the quality assurance of the assessment criteria and the badge proceedings (MICROBOL, 2020). The creation of a competence-based excellence in continuous learning and flexible educational provision requires a common will and political decision-making on structural reforms, and more research on competence orientation, digital open badges, and badge-driven learning in different educational and economic sectors. In addition, there is room to clarify the role of ePortfolios and alternative digital credentials; both methods with similar goals, such as making competences visible in digital format.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Scaffolding: Scaffolding is synonymous with “support.” Scaffolding is providing the right amount of support to learners in order for them to achieve learning objectives that they otherwise would not achieve. There are several scaffolding providers in learning processes, such as teachers, peers learning from each other, workplace tutors, and instructions in digital environments.
ePortfolio: An ePortfolio is a portfolio in a digital format. An ePortfolio describes the owner's various competences in multimodal ways. An ePortfolio is a collection of artefacts used as evidence of competences.
Showcase: Showcase ePortfolios are carefully constructed ePortfolios containing artefacts that demonstrate their owner’s competence. A key element of showcase ePortfolios is that the owner has designed various views of it for various audiences based on the audiences’ interests.
Digital Open Badge-Driven Learning: A competence-based learning process based on a badge constellation of competences. The process involves identifying and recognising different competences using digital open badges. Digital open badge-driven learning utilises learning materials, badge criteria, instructional badging, scaffolding, and peer support. The digital open badge-driven learning process supports the gamification of professional competence development.
Competence-Oriented Education and Training: An efficient and sustainable way to plan and implement education based on learners’ mastery of knowledge and skills and their ability to apply these in education, work, and personal and professional development.
Criteria-Based Assessment: An assessment for which criteria have been defined beforehand based on competence objectives. Criteria-based assessment focuses on the relationship between learning or competence objectives and the set assessment criteria. Criteria-based assessment can be either qualitative or quantitative.
Digital Open Badge: An electronic micro-credential that can be used for the identification, recognition, and promotion of competences acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning.