Do you ever have students who need self-paced learning? Do you have students who need self-directed learning? Do you have students who like games or challenges? Do you have students who need rewards and recognition for motivation? Have you ever considered quest-based learning?

Quest-Based Learning

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In quest-based learning, students complete a series of online tasks or challenges, called quests instead of assignments or activities. They receive a badge upon completion; it is a type of gamification. The value add is in the flexible, self-paced, and self-directed learning path for students. Not all students learn at the same rate as others. Students may choose to engage at various points in the curriculum rather than follow a linear path (Editorial, 2013). This is especially useful for students who require accommodation for various learning abilities or even learning styles (CAST, 2012; Gardner, 2011).

VariationsBadging. Like the boy scout and girl scout merit badges of youth, students can earn badges towards learning outcomes, graduate attributes, and accreditation standards (Young, 2012, October). Some post-secondary schools are looking at how badges might replace traditional diplomas awarded upon degree completion. These badges are open and digital. They integrate with social media. This movement comes from industry and educational reform (Young, 2012, January).

ExamplesUse your imagination. What could your students do on a quest? What would be an appropriate quest for your students? Only you know what would be authentic to your field of study, your curriculum, and your students. To get started, consider these ideas:

Visual Arts•Colour mixing•Storyboard•Documentary film•Gallery exhibit

Health & Community Studies•Obstacle course•Pet care pamphlet•Health infomercial•Fund raising event

Science & Technology•Technical drawing•Lab report•Design charette•Science fair

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Business Administration•Financial statement•Travel brochure•Tax audit•Marketing event

Humanities & Social Sciences•Book report•Math quiz•Short story•Persuasive essay

MeritsDigital badges bring a colourful reform to education. They tend to partner with open learning concepts. For employers, they are a visible representation of what a diploma encapsulates. There is potential to bring to life accreditation standards and eportfolio authentication. Additionally, they provide a self-directed and self-paced learning path that is also motivating for students.

Open Learning. Many of the current badging initiatives are using an open learning approach. In today’s world, education is already free and open with sites like TedTalks, Khan Academy, and even Wikipedia. “Open systems make the world more egalitarian and less expensive” (Carey, 2012). At the MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, through MITx, the university implemented a “self-service learning system” hosted on edX; students access online materials, take online tests, and earn certification (Young, 2012, January). While not an accredited university, the Peer-2-Peer University is an open university that offers badges in various areas, for example, writing a Wikipedia article (Young, 2012, September). One other advantage to an open common badging platform is that start ups do not need to reinvent the wheel and create new badges (Young, 2012, September).

Employer-Friendly. Badging shows one’s journey or path not just the destination. For example, what distinguishes one Master of Business Administration graduate from another - one might have a badge in Project Management while another has a badge in Conflict Resolution. Badges are evidence-based and “more powerful than grades”. They show the “soft skills” (Young, 2012, September). In an environment where lack luster diplomas and inflated grades lack true meaning, a digital badge brings a new modern energy and visible recognition to mastery of a learning outcome (Carey, 2012; Young, 2012, October).

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Accreditation. The push for open badging comes from industry and educational reform. Mozilla merit badges convey more than a “diploma hung on the wall” (Carey, 2012; Young, 2012). While badging and accreditation is still an emerging concept, there are several post secondary institutions looking at this process. For instance, at the University of California at Davis, students can earn badges towards their agriculture degree; read about on the HigherEd article, Badging from Within. The agriculture program consulted with industry experts to integrate the badging system to capture the core competencies of the program (Carey, 2012; Fain, 2014). You can even badge a conference (Fontichiaro, Ginsberg, Lungu, Masura, & Roslund, S. 2013) or staff training initiatives.

There are several badging projects underway through various organizations. George Brown College implemented a digital innovation badge to recognize students for outstanding applied research projects. The textbook publisher, Pearson, has launched Acclaim Open Badges. The Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy uses their CS2N Badges to guide students in goal setting, pathways, and mastery of concepts. StackOverflow offers Help Center Badges to programmers who contribute to their forum on various levels.

Portfolio Learning. There is a rich possibility of coordinating badging with an eportfolio or a co-curricular record (CCR). Purdue University has a Passport program that is a pioneer in exploring digital badging connected with portfolio learning (Purdue, 2013).

Self-Directed and Self-Paced. One of the advantages of badging is that students set goals for their learning. This gives the learner autonomy, independence, and ownership of their own learning. As they progress on their own pathway - their own journey, they receive rewards and badges that recognize and celebrate their achievement. When the badge carries a standard or accreditation, it helps build the reputation and status of the accrediting body. It also creates a sense of group identification for the learner (Antin & Churchill, 2011).

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Purdue Passport

Watch a short one-minute video about the Purdue P a s s p o r t a n d d i g i t a l badges

Motivation. One way to recognize efforts and achievements within a program or discipline is to award badges (Bell & Taylor, 2005). Students who participate in gamified curriculum have higher motivation, higher scores on individual assignments, and higher overall scores (Dominguez, Saenz-de-Navarrete, de-Marcos, Fernandez-Sanz, Pages, & Martinez-Herraiz, 2013). According to Erin Knight, participatory learning environments foster a sense "of a community of learners” as motivation rather than grades (Young, 2012, September). Even though we fail at games 80% of the time, we keep on playing. Gaming re-enforces risk-taking, problem-solving, and persistence (Overeem, 2014).

Mozilla has proposed an open badges system where learners could earn badges and link them to their social media accounts like LinkedIn in a digital backpack. They are seeking open partners and have already worked with organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Duke University, and the MacArthur Foundation (Mozilla, n.d.). ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, has a badging system for those that meet their standards: Seal of Alignment. To earn a seal of alignment, there are three levels of recognition: Readiness, Proficiency, and Mastery. One can earn Khan Academy Badges for completing tasks and even Wikipedia awards Badges and Barnstars to authors and contributors, respectively. lynda.com, a popular website with video courses, awards, and certificates of completion that one can put on their LinkedIn profile.

ChallengesWith so many badging platforms emerging, it is difficult for institutions to know which tools to invest in. Even though there is a general movement to have common accreditations and various pathways, we do live with ever increasing credentialism. Badging will make assessment even more critical than before. While rewards for simple quests may be engaging to students, motivating learners to embrace complex challenges may still be a hurdle.

Credential Inflation. In today’s world, we seem to need a certificate for everything. Although we have prior learning assessment recognition (PLAR), there are many individuals who do not receive credit for their life or job experience due to a lack of a formal credential or access to higher education for a variety of barriers. What is the true value of all of these awards? Badging could turn education into a commodity. It could cheapen the mastery of knowledge from curiosity to “an endless pursuit of badges” (Young, 2012, January).

Assessment. In particular with open badges, the assessment and accreditation stakes will be high. Professors will have to establish rigorous outcomes, evaluation standards, rubrics, and metrics to determine if a student has met the criteria to earn a badge. Grades may

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become redundant while ePortfolio artefacts may become essential. This could completely revolutionize current approaches issuing diplomas. Over assessment can cheapen learning as well (Abramovich, Schunn, & Higashi, 2013).

Higher Order Skills. While simple tasks might motivate students to participate in quests, students may still be less likely to engage in more difficult tasks despite the motivation of a badge. One study found that despite higher engagement, students did poorly on written assignments and participated less in class activities (Dominguez, Saenz-de-Navarrete, de-Marcos, Fernandez-Sanz, Pages, & Martinez-Herraiz, 2013). However, this is not so different than the workplace. According to Daniel Pink, money motivates us to complete simple tasks but not to solve challenging problems; motivation to complete complex tasks seems to come from an internal conviction (RSA, 2010). Badging is still only an extrinsic motivator not an intrinsic one (Abramovich, Schunn, & Higashi, 2013).

Instructional DesignUse a backwards design approach. First, start with your learning outcomes. Second, create your assessments. Third, plan your instructional activities. Finally, choose a technology to enhance the lesson.

Design. Consider your curriculum; look carefully at your accreditation standards, graduate attributes, program learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, and lesson learning outcomes. Will quest-based learning fulfill the learning outcomes? How will you evaluate what the students learn through a quest? What technologies will you and your students need to learn in order to earn and award badges? Will badging enhance the learning experience?

Develop. Review the kinds of badging common in your field of study. Reflect on your own badges earned in your academic and professional career. Research what technology platforms are common. If badging is uncommon in your field, examine areas where badging would benefit the students. Consider doing some action research to see if badging works with your students or not.

Consider how the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) uses a Buttons and Badges Gallery for health related campaigns. Similarly, how Twibbon has a variety of ribbons that one can link to their websites for various campaigns. Look K-12 schools that are using custom badges with Edmodo and ClassBadges; creating learning paths, like a game board, with Playlyfe and Zondle; and avatars with Voki. Look at how social media sites have incorporated badging. Facebook has badges that one can add to a profile or page as well as a website, too. Foursquare’s app Swarm awards stickers for checking in at geo-locations. Plan how your students will experience their quests. Determine what learning outcomes you wish to

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target. Design the corresponding badges. Create the quest activities or challenges. Decide if you want a game board or progress map and create one through an image. Consider roles or avatars for a more gaming experience.

Deliver. Decide what students will do before, during, and after the challenge activity. Before a challenge, students might read an article, listen to a podcast, or watch a video. While on their quest, students can complete a choice of activities from completing a quiz to writing a research paper, presentation, or podcast. After they earn their points and awards, students can reflect on, display, and share their badges digitally. The quest activity should be authentic, active, and applied. game-based learning

TechnologyBrowse the Internet or app store for badging software. One platform for adding digital badges is the BadgeOS plugin which integrates with WordPress. Credly is another tool that integrates with LinkedIn, Facebook, Eventbrite, Pathbrite, WordPress, Mozilla Open Badges, and many others. 3D Game Lab is software that can integrate badging into quest-based learning. Still another platform is Badgeville. For All Rubrics has an integrated rubric and badging system. Brightspace by D2L has a game-based learning service that is add-on feature to their learning management system. Mozilla Open Badges is still developing their digital backpack that will be soon available, free! Using a combination of open source software, one can create their own quest-based learning platform.

ReferencesAbramovich, S., Schunn, C., & Higashi, R. (2013). Are badges

useful in education?: It depends upon the type of badge and expertise of learner. Educational Technology Research And Development, 61(2), p.217-232. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Antin, J. & Churchill, E.F. (2011). Badges in social media. A psychological perspective. CHI. Retrieved from http://d259kjxi83jzdf.cloudfront.net/assets/teachers/badges/Antin

Mozilla Open Badges

BadgeOS

Credly

3D Game Lab

Badgeville

For All Rubrics

Brightspace by D2L

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Bell, E., & Taylor, S. (2005). Joining the Club: The Ideology of Quality and Business School Badging. Studies In Higher Education, 30(3), p.239-255. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Carey, K. (2012, April 8). A future full of badges. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/A-Future-Full-of-Badges/131455/

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). (2012). Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/index.html

Dominguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernandez-Sanz, L., Pages, C., & Martinez-Herraiz, J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, p.380-392. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Editorial Team. (2013, March 30). What is quest-based learning. EdTech Review. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/dictionary/241-what-is-quest-based-learning

Fain, P. (2014, January 3). Badging from within. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/03/uc-daviss-groundbreaking-digital-badge-system-new-sustainable-agriculture-program#sthash.ucgTYB7t.dpbs

Fontichiaro, K. Ginsberg, S, Lungu, V., Masura, S., & Roslund, S. (2013). Badging a conference. School Library Monthly, 29(7), p. 5-7. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Gardner, H. (2011). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Basic Books. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Mozilla. (n.d.). Mozilla Open Badges. Retrieved from http://openbadges.org/

Overeem, R. (2014). Game-based learning in Desire2Learn. Proceedings from the Lambton College Mobile Summit 2014, Lambton College, Sarnia, ON.

Purdue Research Foundation. (2013). Passport. Purdue University. Retrieved from http://www.itap.purdue.edu/studio/passport/

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Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). (2010, April 01). RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. [Video]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc

Young, J. R. (2012, January). "Badges" Earned Online Pose Challenge to Traditional College Diplomas. Chronicle Of Higher Education. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

Young, J.R. (2012, September 5). Former Berkeley researcher champions ‘educational badges’ [Episode 98]. Tech Therapy. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/techtherapy/2012/09/05/episode-98-former-berkeley-researcher-champions-educational-badges/

Young, J. R. (2012, October 14). Grades out, badges in. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from Sheridan College Library

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Written by Paula OggPhotography by Jonathan Eger

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