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Digital Badges in Libraries

Skill-based instruction, Code-Shifting, and Collaboration

Emily Ford

Urban & Public Affairs Librarian

Portland State University

forder@pdx.edu

Nicholas Schiller Systems & Instruction Librarian Washington State University- Vancouver schiller@vancouver.wsu.edu

Dawn Richardson Assistant Professor of Community Health

Portland State University drichar2@pdx.edu

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Agenda

Badges, what?
“Code-shifting” and badges – the instructor’s perspective
Portland State University badges project
Questions/discussion

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http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3224/2653462361_9c725e4dca_o.jpg

In higher ed we seem to be butting up against this problem: what does a college diploma prove or show? What skills does a four-year diploma guarantee a student? While it can communicate to the student and to future employers and the public a certain level of knowledge about a subject, four-year degrees do a bad job of communicating certain acquired skills. Usually these skills aren’t attached to a credit hour or even a program of study. Rather, they are the lesser defined skills acquired over the course of time. Might be: writing and editing, leading discussions or projects, and, of course, what we are going to talk about today: information literacy.

More and more students seem (at least a PSU) to want to know what they are learning and want to be able to communicate what skills and knowledge they have gained.

By credentialing achievements at a more granular level, be it with badges or any other acknowledgement, students are more aware of what they are learning and what they will bring with them into wherever they go next. It also is a way that students can be more aware of how their learning fits into the outcomes expressed by an instructor. Nicholas is going to talk more about that part.

In recent years outcome or competency based education has gained more traction in higher ed. One only need do a basic search on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s web site to find a plethora of articles, blog posts, and other artifacts that attest to this phenomenon.

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Why?

Communicate skills to students and to others
Fun! (gamification)
Flexible/Scalable
Can be directly linked to learning outcomes and assessments
Anyone an authority

Certify information literacy skills
Certify other co-curricular skills
Make learning more interactive
Credit for prior learning
ePortfolios

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http://uncrated.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/cindy_super_fan1.png

http://www.educause.edu/eli/events/eli-annual-meeting/innovation-and-networking/badging

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Code.

WSU learning goal(s)	At course end, students should be able to	Course topics that address these learning outcomes	Primary evaluation of outcome
WSU#4: Information literacy ��Students will use a disciplined and systematic approach to accessing, evaluating, and using information.	Identify, explain, compare, apply, argue, interpret, and evaluate information in a variety of digital forms. ��Create multimodal texts using digital methods.	See "Course Schedule" for exact dates. ��Information design / architecture ��Evaluation��Databases ��Search: Terms and concepts	See "Assignments" and "Assessment" above

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Layers of code

University learning goals�

Departmental learning goals

Library learning goals

Accreditors�

Faculty�

Librarians and other faculty

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Graff, Gerald. 2003. Clueless in Academe How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind. New Haven: Yale University Press.

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My student learning outcomes

Were not written with students as the intended audience

I needed something to help bridge this gap.

I needed something to help switch codes.

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Digital Badges:

Graphical representations of an acquired skill

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Inspired by

Creative Commons three layer system of licenses

The same icon represents very different codes

Machines, humans, and lawyers each have a layer

http://creativecommons.org/licenses

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Code. Switch.

WSU learning goal(s)	At course end, students should be able to	Course topics that address these learning outcomes	Primary evaluation of outcome
WSU#4: Information literacy ��Students will use a disciplined and systematic approach to accessing, evaluating, and using information.	Identify, explain, compare, apply, argue, interpret, and evaluate information in a variety of digital forms. ��Create multimodal texts using digital methods.	See "Course Schedule" for exact dates. ��Information design / architecture ��Evaluation��Databases ��Search: Terms and concepts	See "Assignments" and "Assessment" above

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The PSU Project - Background

“The Provost’s Challenge is accelerating PSU’s transformation by using $3M in one-time funding from the online fee to support twenty-four faculty and staff-initiated projects.”

http://www.pdx.edu/oai/provosts-challenge-about

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Our Team

Team Member		PSU Role/Department	PSU Badges Project Role
Emily Ford		Assistant Professor, Urban & Public Affairs Librarian	Principal Investigator (aka Massive Brain)
	Dawn Richardson	Assistant Professor, School of Community Health	Instructor, PHE 250: Our Community, Our Health
Betty Izumi		Assistant Professor, School of Community Health	Instructor, PHE 326 Community Nutrition
	Jost Lottes	Research Associate, Institute of Aging, School of Community Health	Instructor, PHE 454U: Social Gerontology
Aifang Gordon		Instructional Designer, Research & Compliance, Office of Academic Innovation	Instructional Design and Assessment Consultant

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Our Current Focus

Aligning community health course outcomes & PSU Library learning outcomes

Strategize; Gather & Organize; Analyze & Evaluate; Behave Ethically

Developing “badge-able” course activities, assignments, & assessment methods

Distinguishing a core-curriculum from course-specific curricula

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4033/4360367353_2ebc597c08_o.png

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Our Alignment Process

Monthly team meetings

Determining skill levels across course numbers
Mapping curriculum objectives across courses
Alignment of course outcomes with library outcomes

Weekly/bi-weekly meetings with Emily

Application of library outcomes within courses
Developing assignments reflecting alignment
Crafting appropriate assessments & badges

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5111/6929223700_b056077f2f_o.jpg

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http://juliaec.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/blooms_taxonomy.jpg

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Developing a Core Curriculum

Bloom’s Taxonomy	Applied to PSU Badges Project
Knowledge	Defining “bias”
Comprehension	Explaining…
Application	Using/choosing appropriate sources
Analysis	Classifying/contrasting…
Synthesis	Combining…
Evaluation	Comparing/judging…

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Developing a Course Curriculum

Library Learning Outcomes
Strategize
Gather & Organize
Analyze & Evaluate
Behave Ethically

PHE 250 Learning Outcomes
Define community health
Describe public health functions
Understand public health system
Describe determinants of health
Articulate SDH framework
Explain health equity
Describe health interventions
ID health career opportunities

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Aligning Learning Outcomes

Library Outcomes	Applying to Course Learning Outcomes
Strategize	Develop skills to develop realistic topic, plan for research; determine types of sources needed; develop effective search strategy; ask for help when needed
Gather & Organize	Effectively search info resources; select appropriate resources; modify topic as necessary; seek out diverse perspectives
Analyze & Evaluate	Critically evaluate info sources for relevance, accuracy, quality, timeliness, authority, & context; appraise sufficiency of support
Behave Ethically	Demonstrate ethical behavior through use & creation of information

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Example PHE 250 Assignment:�Media Evaluation

Find a public health-related story in the media and prepare a one-page, single spaced brief describing the story, its public health relevance, and its treatment of the social determinants of disease.

PSU Library Outcomes	Applying to PHE 250 Learning Outcomes
Strategize	Distinguish source characteristics for different audiences (scholarly, popular, professional, etc.)
Gather & Organize	Seek resources from diverse perspectives
Analyze & Evaluate	Critically examine sources; Maintain a critical stance
Behave Ethically	Accurately represent content

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Example PHE 250 Assignment: Blog Post

Identify a public health issue/research topic of interest and prepare a blog post presenting the issue and alternate views on the issue (as relevant). Be sure to examine the issue with a social determinants of health lens. Use journal articles or other media found online as sources.

PSU Library Outcomes	Applying to PHE 250 Learning Outcomes
Strategize	Distinguish source characteristics for different audiences (professional, popular, in between.)
Gather & Organize	ID features & content of sources to search those most appropriate to the information needed
Analyze & Evaluate	Recognize the cultural/political context in which a work is created
Behave Ethically	Provide attribution in order to acknowledge sources used

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Next Steps

Continue developing core curriculum
Continue developing course-specific curriculum
Engaging students
Develop and submit research proposal

Examine student & faculty experiences with Badge project

Develop badges (graphics)
Launch badges in three classes, Fall 2014
Assess and examine project success

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/HK_CWB_Hysan_Place_mall_shop_Apple_Store_interior_glass_stair_steps_Mar-2013.JPG

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Questions?

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Relevant Links