Badges for Learning

jward
Community Member
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18528

At Instructurecon this year, I presented a session on badges. While there are several solutions for badging that integrate with Canvas and more being developed, my current favorite is Canvabadges. More than platform and how to make badges, I think it is important to talk about why you would use badges in a course (or institution), how they would impact your current teaching and student learning practices, and how to structure them to maximize student impact. Badges are growing in popularity in K12 and Higher Ed and I think as we begin to talk about them and use them in our schools, we need to make sure we have all of the information needed to get it right.

My presentation focused more on these pedagogical questions and less on the actual process of setting up and creating badges.

You can see my presentation here: How to Succeed with Badges Without Really Trying

You can download a copy of my slides from the presentation here: Badges For Learning - Google Slides

As you get started with Canvabadges, here are some templates that are ready to be imported and labeled with your own title: Sample Canvas Badges

If you want to design your own badges, here are a couple of badge designing sites that can make that part of the process a little bit easier. (Just remember to add your image as the base/background file in the badge designer in Canvabadges to ensure your badge will go cleanly to Mozilla Backpack.)

Makebadges - the badge design tool for schools - by Makewaves (super easy and simple.)

OpenBadges.me  (the same platform used in Canvabadges, but sometimes this interface is a little easier to use.)

ClassBadges (templates, preloaded images, wicked easy)

If you want to learn more about how to integrate badges in your courses, watch for another course on the topic to begin soon in our CanvasLIVE​ course offerings (I am shooting for September).

One of the things I love about Canvas is that it plays nice with other open platforms. So, rather than tell you how badges work and lock you into our system of badging, you can find solutions that fit your needs and build integrations that best serve your students and teachers. One of the most exciting developments that is upcoming is an integration with Canvas Premier Partner - Credly​. Look for more information about that soon on our website and in the CanvasLIVE​ I will be teaching in September.

Finally, for those of you who like to see everything before you get started, I am including 3 screenshots of our current Canvabadges integration in the attachments below.

I love hearing about what our users are doing with badges in their courses or schools, so please share your thoughts (or questions) in the comments.

Happy badging,

Jared.

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