Badging at ALA 2017 & In Practice

I had the opportunity to share out some of the work I and my fellow Web Literacy Leaders have been working on over the last year at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in June. The panel, “Implementing Gamified Assessment and Badges: A Practical Guide” (recording is available) looked at ways libraries could build these tools into existing programs. Each of the three presenters (including myself) came at the subject from a different point of view. With over 100 librarians in the room at 830 a.m. that Monday morning, we knew right away that there was tremendous interest.

In the time since the presentation, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on the exchanges that were made that morning, and on calls and talks I’ve given to librarians about badging since then. Here are some crucial take-aways that have come up again and again. They may seem obvious, but perhaps that’s because they’re so important:

A Badge must be rich in proof and experience to have value to stakeholders.

Micro-credentials show that you have a proficiency in a specific thing. It must show that you have not just been exposed to the concepts (as might be represented by a certificate of attendance/participation) but attempted to apply the skills and knowledge. This helps those who are perceiving the badge value to understand that it isn’t just a rubber stamp.

Badge issuers must have an understood authority in the community the badges will be evaluated in authority.

Sometimes an agency has a conferred authority, as might be the case when a professional organization of institution teaches classes or provides micro-credentials.

Locally, that might need a personal touch and established relationship to foment. For one library I spoke to, they wanted their badges to focus on job skills training. I suggested that they develop a relationship with the local economic development authority or a job placement agency to develop the criteria for the badges. This accomplishes many, including:

• It builds a community relationship between your library and a major stakeholder
• It shows patrons that the badges have meaning outside of the library
• It ensures that there is a steady flow of participants in the badging program if the agency is referring them to you for skills training
• It shows other potential partners a model that can be followed for future micro-credentials.

Have a backup plan for the lasting power of your badges.

Technology changes quickly. In choosing any platform, you’re making a bet that they will stick around. If your institution is paying for something, you’re betting that they will continue to see its value through the twists and turns of budgeting. Make sure you keep a backup of your resources, but also have a plan in case budget goes away.

• Make sure the platform you are using is using Open Badges. The badging environment is changing in complicated ways. Using established services like Credly, Badgr and Open Badge Academy will ensure that your badges are portable.
• Keep low-tech versions of your badges in a safe place. Documents, spreadsheets and other basic tools can be exported from most of these platforms, and are good for “just in case.”

As mentioned, since IMS Global took over stewardship of the Open Badge Alliance and the Open Badges 2.0 specification, the open badge universe has become a little unclear. All that means is that the relationships with confer authority are all the more important to establish.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to talk with so many librarians about badges, what they can do for patrons and staff, and what options might be. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Mozilla for helping me get to the conference, and to my brilliant co-panelists Breanne Kirsch (Public Services Librarian, University of South Carolina Upstate) and Chris Bohne (Library Media Specialist, Oakland Elementary, Bloomington, IL)