Indiana University has recently announced that it will expand its distance learning programs through adding badges to their massive open online courses (MOOC). This is a very exciting development as badges are being adapted by yet another major university to expand their online learning programs through using the ideals that are embodied by the open education movement.
The program at IU "will offer educational badges to students who complete the courses and master certain skills but don't enroll in degree programs.'
"IU President Michael McRobbie says the new program, which replaces its School of Continuing Studies, will allow the university "to `project' itself beyond the walls of the campuses, and equally importantly, the walls of the classroom of the 21st century."'
"It recognizes that the distinction between `traditional' and `non-traditional' students is increasingly blurred and that it no longer makes sense to use different strategies to reach them," McRobbie said during his latest State of the University speech."
I think that the idea of blurring the distinction between traditional and non-traditional students is an interesting one when it comes to the increasing development of distance learning and even current education trends. Rather than simply focusing on the traditional learning model where a student attends a class and receives credit that goes towards his or her degree, I think it is powerful to open up university learning to a much wider audience, who no matter their background are able to learn about what interests them. And even more than that badges are a way to create clear credentials for this learning, whether or not a degree is eventually earned.
Although this usage of badges is still relatively new and being developed, I think that this is an essential component to developing accessible online learning in the future. With the ability to earn and display credit, I can only see this increasing interest, publicity and revenue for participating university's and programs, as their programs are then able to more fully stand on their own or work towards a degree.
I find it very exciting to see badges being integrated into this sort program, and I think this will only serve to increase the accessibility of open education and more widespread learning through these credentialing systems.
I would think that in order for a badge to be recognized, the badge issuer has to be recognized. I think the keys to an "accreditable" badge provider are:
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2) requires the person to authenticate themselves and requires in-person or hands-on demonstration of proficiency
3) requires a transparent standard to measure the proficiency
In the example, the fact that the school is replacing its office of continuing studies with this new program, offers hope that the badges issued will be respectable.
I wonder if awarding badges for courses completed would facilitate transferring credit between institutions of higher learning. Since the badges make it easier to authenticate what was learned in a class, it might help a student transfer their credits to another school more easily.
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