Building together a learning & recognition society

Frequently Asked Questions

Recognition

Open Badge

Open recognition includes all practices that aim to open access to recognition of all, by all and for all.

The focus is on the value of informal recognition, that is, recognition between peers within a community. One of the strong ideas is that informal recognition is not inferior to formal recognition (diplomas, certificates, etc.).

The idea of open recognition arose from the practice of Open Badges, which were designed to make informal learning visible.

Extract from an article written by Serge Ravet: "If Open Badges were initially invented to make informal learning visible, they have in the same movement opened the possibility of making informal recognition visible. A like on Twitter or Facebook, a favourable comment on a blog post or recommendations on LinkedIn, Google or TripAdvisor are all examples of informal recognition. Another example of informal recognition is that of engineering: in France "50% of engineers who use this title do not have the diploma" (Agulhon C., Diplômes-expériences : complémentarité ou concurrence § 12)." (Agulhon C., Diplômes-expériences : complémentarité ou concurrence § 12).

To create and issue an Open Badge, whether you are an individual, a community of practice or an organization, it is necessary to use an application dedicated to this or that allows it (this is the case of certain LMS) and that also meets the Open Badge standard developed by IMS Global.

What are the applications?

There are more than twenty dedicated platforms that allow you to create and deliver Open Badges. The association Reconnaître has built, with the help of the different providers, a comparative table that you can consult freely. The choice of a platform depends on several criteria: the context of use, the level of service or the desired functionalities, the choice of languages for the user interface, etc.

Is it paying or free?

The answer to this question will depend on the context of use (individual, community or organization), and the level/type of service expected.

To be followed: new avenues are being explored for the creation and issuance of badges. For example, at the ePIC 2019 conference in Lille, BitofTrust tested a proof of concept (BadgeBot) to issue badges on Twitter using a simple tweet!

What is an Open Badge?

An Open Badge is a digital image in which information is recorded. This information mainly concerns :

  • what the badge recognizes;
  • who received the badge;
  • who issued the badge;
  • the criteria by which the badge was obtained;
  • the date it was issued.

Other information, such as evidence, period of validity, etc., may be included.

What else do I need to know about Open Badges?

The french association Reconnaître - ORA has developed a site dedicated to Open Badges (available in english): openbadges.info. In addition to complete information on this topic, the site offers you a free training module on Open Badges (soon available in english), a quiz to test your knowledge on the subject, the possibility of obtaining your first badges, and finally a list of resources available to the community.

Badge Clinic

Miscellaneous

The Badge Clinic is a unique opportunity for members of the Open Badges community to exchange with its experts and submit their issues. Answers are given, either live during a webinar to which you will be invited, or directly in this FAQ.

To submit a question, simply complete the form below.

The ePIC conference, along with the Open Badge Night, is one of the two highlights proposed by the Open Recognition Alliance. This international event, organised every year in October, proposes to work on the theme of technologies and practices of open education and open recognition. It is a privileged moment of exchange, sharing and practice between members, technicians and experts of the Open Badges community.

The Open Badge Night is, along with the ePIC conference, one of the two highlights proposed by the Open Recognition Alliance.

This international online event offers participants from all walks of life the opportunity to share and practice, reflect and explore together how badges can contribute to the enhancement and emergence of actions, experiences, roles and projects that respond to the challenges of today and reinvent the world of tomorrow.

This moment is also the opportunity to interact with experts on the pedagogical, technical and sociological aspects of Open Badges.

Submit a question or problematic

Open Recognition Alliance

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