Documentation:Badge & Microcredential Design Questions
When designing an open badge or microcredential, here are some questions you might want to consider.
Getting Started
- What is your badge or microcredential seeking to acknowledge or address?
- What are the expected outcomes for the course or program and how does badging/microcredentialing fit as a strategy to reach those goals?
- Are you badging a specific activity, skill set, knowledge, or ability?
- What skills, competencies or level of achievement can reasonably be acknowledged through your badge or microcredential? Are such competencies, skills, etc. recognized as having value in your field or discipline? Do those competencies or skills expire?
- Who decides when a badge or microcredential is issued? Is it institution-based, instructor-based, peer-based, activity-based, etc? Who gave them that authority?
Criteria and Evaluation
- What does someone need to do in order to earn this badge or microcredential?
- What are the required steps ( eg. comments, posts, quizzes, evidence of engagement such as responses to a post, attendance, papers, etc.)?
- How will that work be assessed?
- Are your badges artifact driven? If so, what is the evidence required by the criteria and where will the evidence reside? How long will it be kept?
- Will evidence need to be gathered across courses, programs, or other spaces in order to earn this microcredential or badge?
Audience and Value
- Who are the target earners? Students? Alumni? Community? Peers?
- What is the value in this badge or microcredential? Why would learners want to earn it? Why would they want to share it and with whom?
- Where and how will they share it?
- Who else would support and recognize this badge or microcredential? Why would they support or endorse it?
- How do people progress to the next level? Is there a next level? If there is, does this badge or microcredential build upon or multiply others?