Design Principles for Badge Systems
Design Principles Documentation Project
Open Badges in Education Workshop 17 August 2014
Nate Otto Indiana University
Thanks to:
A METHOD FOR STUDYING DIGITAL BADGE SYSTEMS
Design Principles
h"p://bit.ly/dpd-‐methods
Design Principles Documentation
Project http://dpdproject.info
Design Principles Documentation Project
Rebecca Itow
Cindy Ahonen
Katerina Schenke
CathyTran
NateOtto
Christine Chow
Daniel T. Hickey
Principal Investigator
Design Principles Documentation Project
Goal: To find out how organizations are using digital badges in learning programs.
Design Principles Documentation Project Four functions of digital badge systems
• Recognizing Learning • Assessing Learning • Motivating Learning • Studying Learning
Pulling apart different func1ons of badge systems.
Badge systems are collections of practices that serve a variety of functions.
Intended Practice
Enacted Practice
Formal Practice
Evolution of a Practice
Original design
As first implemented
Continuing practice
BUILDING BADGE SYSTEMS
We studied programs that were
DESIGNING, ENACTING, AND FORMALIZING PRACTICES TO BUILD BADGE SYSTEMS
We studied programs that were
Design Principles Documentation Project Four functions of digital badge systems
• Recognizing Learning • Assessing Learning • Motivating Learning • Studying Learning
For each of these categories, we identified general design principles.
Sort Identified Practices Draft Initial Principles Formalize General Principles Bookmark Research
Emergence of Badge Design Principles
Level badges
Provide routes or pathways
1 General Principle 2 Specific Principles 18 practices across 30 projects
(As implemented in project contexts)
“Levels of
Participation and Achievement”
-Intel
“Hierarchical Quest Paths” –NOAA
Planet Stewards
General and Specific Principles: Recognizing Learning • Align badges to standards (23)
– Use standards internal to community (3) – Use national or international standards (12) – Use community and national/international standards (8)
• Use badges to map learning trajectory (18)
– Level badges (11) – Provide routes or pathways (7)
• Have experts issue badges (15) – Credentialed via external accredited entity (8) – Credentialed via community (2) – Credentialed via accredited entity and community (5)
• Seek external backing (15) – Externally endorsed (8) – Externally valued (7)
• Recognize diverse learning (10) • Use badges as a means of external
communica1on of learning (11) • Determine lifespan of badges (7)
– Never expires (7) – Requires renewal or upgrading (0)
• Recognize educator learning (7) • Award formal academic credit for
badges (3) • Promote discovery (7)
– Discover learning opportuniHes (5*)
– Discover learners (2*)
Tracking principles across 3 phases
Intended – Enacted – Formal
WHAT CAN WE LEARN? By identifying design principles
What projects have similar practices, even across different contexts?
What projects have similar practices, even across different contexts?
Which principles were easy to enact? Which were hard? (Identify common challenges)
What projects have similar practices, even across different contexts?
Which principles were easy to enact? Which were hard? (Identify common challenges)
What contextual factors affected which principles were enacted?
Thank you for listening! Questions?
http://dpdproject.info
(for more info)
Nate O"o Project Coordinator
Design Principles DocumentaHon Project Indiana University
@o"onomy