Open badges: recognising learning through digital
                        micro-credentials

MacKinnon, Teresa

doi:10.14705/rpnet.2021.50.1236

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Open badges, created by the Mozilla Foundation in 2013, was the pioneer in this movement with ample funding from the MacArthur Foundation (Frederiksen, 2013). Open badges provided a platform to individuals who wished to gain badges that meet certain technical standards validating the skills and learning acquired on a lifelong basis (MacKinnon, 2021). One of the first revolutionary efforts in the domain of micro-credentialing was a working paper authored by the Mozilla Foundation in collaboration with Peer 2 Peer University that advocated the vision of digital badges as a lifelong learning vehicle for the working community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving professional qualifications using micro-credentials: a case of small packages and big challenges in higher education

Raj,

Singh,

Kumar

et al. 2024

IJEM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThis study examined the factors impeding the implementation of micro-credentials and accepting it as a credible source of earning professional qualifications and certifications necessary for pursuing higher education or other career goals.Design/methodology/approachThe factors were identified by reflecting on the recent literature and Internet resources coupled with in-depth brainstorming with experts in the field of micro-credentials including educators, learners and employers. Two ranking methods, namely Preference Ranking for Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) and multi-objective optimization based on ratio analysis (MOORA), are used together to rank the major challenges.FindingsThe results of this study present that lack of clear definitions, ambiguous course descriptions, lack of accreditation and quality assurance, unclear remuneration policies, lack of coordination between learning hours and learning outcomes, the inadequate volume of learning, and lack of acceptance by individuals and organizations are the top-ranked and the most significant barriers in the implementation of micro-credentials.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings can be used by educational institutions, organizations and policymakers to better understand the issues and develop strategies to address them, making micro-credentials a more recognized form of education and qualifications.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is to identify the primary factors influencing the implementation of micro-credentials from the educators', students' and employers' perspectives and to prioritize those using ranking methods such as PROMETHEE and MOORA.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving professional qualifications using micro-credentials: a case of small packages and big challenges in higher education

Raj,

Singh,

Kumar

et al. 2024

IJEM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Learning without a teacher: self-directed language learning in the digital wilds

Beaven

2021

Innovative Language Pedagogy Report

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

What is it? Self-Directed Learning (SDL) has been the focus of attention on the part of scholars for at least four decades. However, it is with the advent of technology and the possibilities offered by the Internet that researchers and practitioners have begun to look more closely at what students do autonomously to support their own learning outside of the classroom. Indeed, as Sauro and Zourou (2019) have recently pointed out, “developments in technology – such as mobile devices that afford connection and social interaction anytime and anywhere, social networking offline and online, horizontal patterns of connectivity that allow users to create natural bonds based on shared interests – all offer possibilities for user-driven, self- and group- initiated practices that redraw models of production, distribution, and reuse of knowledge” (p. 1). However, much of the literature on autonomy in language learning focuses on developing autonomy within the language classroom (Dam et al., 1990; Little, Dam, & Legenhausen, 2017; Miller, 2009); and learner practices that take place outside the classroom itself are often seen – at least by language education researchers and practitioners alike – as supplementary to classroom-based teaching.

show abstract

The Development of Foreign Language Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence through Telecollaboration

Sarno-García

2023

eurocall

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Telecollaboration has proved to be an excellent means for the development of students’ intercultural skills (O’Dowd & Dooly, 2012). Based on this presumption, a telecollaborative project was carried out between B2 level (CEFR) learners of English from Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain) and B1 level (CEFR) students of Spanish as a foreign language from the University of Bath (UK). The aim of the project was to help learners from both universities, Aerospace Engineering students in particular, to develop their intercultural communicative competence. Throughout a six-week period, students carried out asynchronous discussions focusing on two cultural topics in groups of four and participated in synchronous Zoom sessions in pairs. The topics at the core of the discussions were a) Catalan Independence b) Digital Education. Topic a) was conducted entirely in Spanish and topic b), in English. The social network used for students’ written interaction was MeWe (www.mewe.com). To conclude the project, the participants completed a collaborative task with their overseas partners that was assessed by the instructor. Qualitative data was gathered through the students’ posts on MeWe (which was then analysed following Byram’s (1997) proposed objectives for the assessment of Intercultural Communicative Competence), analysis of transcripts from the Zoom sessions as well as a final project survey. The results from the qualitative analysis show traces and instances of all the objectives proposed by Byram (1997), while the findings from the final project questionnaire reveal that at the end of the course all participants felt they had learnt something about their partners’ culture. The quantitative analysis further demonstrates a correlation between the number of videoconference sessions and spontaneous conversation about cultural topics, which suggests that, in order for a telecollaborative project to be successful, students should attend the scheduled sessions.

show abstract

Open badges: recognising learning through digital micro-credentials

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Achieving professional qualifications using micro-credentials: a case of small packages and big challenges in higher education

Achieving professional qualifications using micro-credentials: a case of small packages and big challenges in higher education

Learning without a teacher: self-directed language learning in the digital wilds

The Development of Foreign Language Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence through Telecollaboration

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About