1. Piloting digital badges at the Australian National University Katharina Freund @katiedigc Badge Trouble

2. A team effort! Dr. Inger Mewburn Director of Research Training @thesiswhisperer Dr. Katharina Freund Senior eLearning Designer @katiedigc Emily Rutherford Trainer, Information Literacy @tinselturtle

3. What are badges? Micro-credential that represents learning or achievements Image with metadata on how it was achieved Portable, displayed in portfolio Can be a guide for learners

4. Context The ANU as a research institution Our scope: Limited pilot of co-curricular and professional development badges for research studies Joint project between Library, Research Skills, and Digital Learning Teams

5. Badges for research education Badges could: Show clear co-curricular benchmarks to support students in research degrees Make research degrees more accessible to employers Help international students communicate their skills outside of Australian context

6. Badge Process… in theory

7. Disruptive technology Alternative modes of assessment and credentialing don’t easily fit within existing systems Badges designed to be mobile and visible externally Existing systems not necessarily integrated or open to external access Complex legal issues around student privacy Issues of verification, trustworthiness, and security

8. “We don’t want people to think it was fun studying at ANU.” - PhD student in focus group “Web Designer” badge, Chicago Summer of Learning

9. Actor-network of badges (Law 2004, Latour 2007)

10. Research culture IT Marketin g Legal Moodle Steering & Govern- ance ANU Online Brand Social Media Privacy Reputatio n Manage- ment Public percep- tion Students Policy Library Research Student Support Third-Party Service (Credly) Digital Learning Project Con- sent

11. Process for Changing LMS 1.Formal request with business case 2.If approved, to LMS Reference and User groups 3.If approved, resource implications and business analysis to LMS Steering Committee 4.If approved, request for funding to University ICT Committee 5.ANU Online conducts analysis and investigation 6.Legal consultation required 7.If approved, vendor development time required 8.Move from development to staging to production 9.Limited pilot release with targeted academics 10.General release

12. (Estimated time to completion) 2 years minimum

13. Our pilot outcomes 93 badges delivered via 3 rd party service Credly Out of 584 eligible for badge, or 16% uptake Feedback indicated students were unsure how Credly related to ANU or of what to do with badges Badge ecosystem still immature: no institutional portfolio space or widespread education

14. Current status of badges Project team submitted white paper with recommendations to LMS Reference Group Directed to create a working group to make recommendations to Steering Committee Major college stakeholder for enterprise-wide badges has withdrawn Comp Sci student start-up creating independent badge system

15. Key issues Significant, but dispersed, interest in badges Competing priorities across university Lack of senior management endorsement Process for implementing new technologies not agile or responsive to change Conflict between public engagement/open and secure/closed

16. Conclusions? Badges are potentially very useful and can have widespread application Significant and serious issues need to resolved before badges can be used Education around badges, quality control, legal & privacy, policy, branding Clearer pathways for innovation and piloting new technologies essential

17. Questions are welcome. Email: katharina.freund@anu.edu.au Twitter: @katiedigc Thank you!