Struggling to recognise engagement and progression in arts programmes?
We tested open badges with the Leeds Dance Network. A more in-depth report with further results of the study can be found in our short evaluation summary which you can download here.
content created & supplied by Alison Smith who works in the Digitalme lab
For several years we’ve been working with arts organisations in Leeds to investigate how open badges* can enhance or encourage engagement in the Arts. In 2015 we published findings from BadgeLAB Leeds, supported by the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts, which explored the use of open badges for arts activity with young people across several settings. BadgeLAB Leeds was led by ArtForms, the music and arts team within Children’s Services at Leeds City Council, who share our excitement around open badges, and as the project came to a close, they facilitated a new conversation with Leeds Dance Network.
The project:
With Leeds aiming for the status of “City of Dance” and an active and varied youth provision across the city, members of the Leeds Dance Network were keen to explore how a collaboratively designed framework of open badges might provide consistency, recognition and progression routes for young dancers across the city. Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) and Yorkshire Dance came forward as keen partners as they had identified challenges around learner recognition, ownership of personal progression and transferability of skills across learning providers. Young people had also highlighted the need for better recognition through “12 Visions for Youth Dance” in 2014.
Digitalme worked with NSCD, Yorkshire Dance and ArtForms to develop a proposal and were successful in gaining support through public funds from Arts Council England to run a feasibility study. The study aimed to test the potential for open badges to:
- Improve standards through skills frameworks
- Improve achievement recognition across providers
- Increase progression routes into further participation, training and employment
Also…
- Encourage learners to document, reflect on and take ownership of their artistic development
- Provide young dancers with a portable, shareable digital CV, showcase their skill levels and identify new progression routes
At the Digitalme Lab** we’re really keen to explore how badges can be used across a network, city or region, with organisations using a shared framework to deliver and recognise learning. We’re keen to develop a model for “Cities of Learning” in the UK and will be working with the RSA in 2017 to develop this.
The dance pilot gave us a great opportunity to test a networked approach on a smaller scale and build on our learning from BadgeLAB Leeds. We were also keen to continue our research into, if and how open badges can be implemented in “non-digital” environments, such as art clubs or dance studios.
The feasibility study involved the design of 19 bespoke badges, which were tested in two settings; the Street Crew at Yorkshire Dance with learners aged 11–14, and the CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) scheme at NSCD with learners aged 13–18. The badge “missions” can be found at the Yorkshire Dance site (Levels 1–3) and the NSCD Academy (Levels 2–4).
Uptake of the badges varied across the two settings and we gained a lot of interesting insights.
Results of the study can be found in our short evaluation summary which you can download here.
Moving forwards, NSCD are extending the pilot activity to further embed and test the scheme, and we’ll be supporting new partners to re-work the lower level badges to be as part of a new active lifestyle scheme hosted by Public Health England.
Interested in accessing the dance scheme, or developing your own open badges? Get in touch!
* Open badges recognise skills or achievements which can be shared online. **The Digitalme Lab explores how open badges can be used in new contexts, with new user groups and to support learners who face disadvantage. We work with a range of partners — third sector, arts organisations, charities — to access grant funding to explore the potential of digital credentials.
