Learning pathways, defined as the route in which an individual takes to acquire new learning, are highly complex. In interviews by the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, adult learners described their own learning pathways as “…a ‘way of bettering, expanding, learning, a way of doing this towards a goal’, and ‘the journey you take to gain knowledge, to better yourself (Harris, Rainey, and Summer, 2006, p33.)” However, this path to betterment was also noted to be circuitous and fragmented. While attempting to grow skill sets and knowledge in an area, learners found their path to often veer off in unexpected directions. Open badges, which provide visual representations of a learner’s achievements combined with the required evidence, are emerging as a tool to support personal learning pathways. While it is too soon to see how open badges will affect higher education institutions, to provide people the ability to choose the path of their learning based on their own, “personal agency, to define steps that may seem more like hops, and to think about ways to do things that aren’t sequential or even seemingly rational.” (Casili) is a way by which open badges can provide both formal (e.g. degree programs, courses, etc.) and informal (e.g. workshops, MOOCs, etc.) learning a unified structure that brings clarity, purpose and recognition to diverse learning opportunities. This session will explore how University X's open badge pilot is creating a framework to support personalized and authentic learning experiences within a higher education institution.
Casili, C. (2013). Badge pathways: part 1, the paraquel. Retrieved from https://carlacasilli.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/badge-pathways-part-1-the-paraquel/.
Glover, I. (2013). Open badges: A visual method of recognising achievement and increasing learner motivation. Student Engagement and Experience Journal, 2(1). doi:10.7190/seej.v1i1.66
Grant, S. & Shawgo, K.E. (2013). Digital badges: An annotated research bibliography. Retrieved from http://hastac.org/digital-badges-bibliography
Harris, R., Rainey, L., & Summer, R. (2006). Crazy Paving or Stepping Stones: Learning pathways within and between vocational education and training and higher education. NCVER, Adelaide.
