More hack, less yak!

More hack, less yak!

by Peter Rawsthorne -
Number of replies: 6

Sheesh... what a bunch of academics! <big smile>

If you are going to make it through the next week you really need to put in the effort to implement an actual badge. I strongly suggest you complete TASKS 5.1 and 5.2... we are going to be entering into a discussion on how to implement digital badges and having worked through the process of issuing one or more badges will assist greatly...

Be Well....

In reply to Peter Rawsthorne

Re: More hack, less yak!- "Badges for Vets"

by Kathleen Zarubin -
In reply to Kathleen Zarubin

Re: More hack, less yak!- "Badges for Vets"

by Peter Rawsthorne -

Yes, crazy interesting.

While working with Mozilla we discussed this a couple of times. HASTAC is running a number research projects around badges. And one of those projects was to issue open badges to all military veterans to recognize thier skills outside of a military context. This is very interesting, could mean a lot of adoption for badges very quickly...

Anyhow. Less yak, more hack is a mantra of Mozilla... if you are struggling to hack together a badge and publish using badg.us let me know. I'm here to help...

In reply to Peter Rawsthorne

Re: More hack, less yak!

by Verena Roberts -

Ok - I'm "allowed" to yak - I just wrote in my post for Activity 5.

An extremely important consideration came up which I didn't want to put in the Activity 5 post, because it is a "big question" that I wanted some feedback about and to add to our discussion.

When I presented the last two "finalists" to some of my staff, one the school counselors made a valid point. She asked, "How big is this badge thing?"

I told her about it gaining momentum in social media communities and about Mozilla Badges, Purdue U etc.

SO...she commented, If it is going to really work. and..If I am an employer looking at this badge made in 2012 for "#BEFA12" how will I know how it works in the grand scheme of things? I want quick and easy - not a digital page of badges that have no meaning to me.

She suggested creating "streams " ( like what the scouts do if I am correct in what I saw in Peter's Presentation). Each stream could have focus etc, 

But the real point is...if this is as big as some of us (me) think it "could" be...then I need to think about how this first High School badge -( that with 2 will gain HS credit at ADLC) is going to fit into the big picture - the future. 

My project is a pilot, and it is gathering momentum, and so my thoughts are - get going knowing that I am going to have to make changes...knowing that I need to create "streams" or "branches" as I go along...I don't think this is something to set up before I give out the first badge.

However - she makes a good point....to gain credibility we have to come across as organized. I am an innovator..and the organization often comes after the original ideas get going. I'm caught between two worlds.

What do other people think?

Verena :)

In reply to Verena Roberts

Re: More hack, less yak!

by John Dumbrille -

Hi Verena

Interesting. I like your approach of not setting up streams before giving out the first badge, and also share what I think is a fundamental design issue - how to design a foundation with only what we know - and an unknown future. 

If no one can answer your question for your context, I'll at least offer my point of view on my own work now: I doubt I'll get it quite right, but expect it'll be fixable as a pattern emerges. But I want to act now.

At worst, I expect, you can re-issue an equivalent badge within a more worked out digital hierarchy of accreditation.

In reply to John Dumbrille

Re: More hack, less yak!

by Verena Roberts -

Thanks John - I appreciate the reply :)

I am surrounded by lots of people with great ideas...but being a "badge creator" and owning the "badge" apparently involves risk taking.

As a result, you are the first person to give me an opinion - which I agree with - and appreciate.

Part of the badge process - and being active in the implementation process within an organization - seems focused on shying away from innovation and "watching". That's why so many of us are lurkers...and not creators.... Badge creation (right now - today) is not "normal" and so is very risky.

The psychology behind badge implementation is also something that needs to be considered...I have a lot of "feedback",  (most of it good) but not a lot of followers.

If I phrase it as a "pilot" ...it seems to lessen the anxiety.

Verena :)

In reply to Verena Roberts

Re: More hack, less yack!

by Joyce McKnight -

I am not sure I understand your concern, but I think

that badges will be most useful in conjunction wit-

e-portfolios that are essentially self-directed so it

would be up to their owners to set up logical

progressions etc.  I can imagine using badges much

as I use my many life-experiences now in creating

curriculum vitaes...I use those most relevant to building

my "case" while the others are sort of "in storage"...

thus I have a slightly different vitae for counseling than

I do for college teaching or college administration etc...

so I guess I disagree with your faculty member.