Open Badges: 6 benefits gained by using them

Open Badges: what are they? I’ll try to give a clear definition indicating the main features and benefits they bring to an organisation. The Open Badge, introduced by Mozilla, is a multi-media badge with an image and a series of information contained within it that explain how it was achieved, when and by whom it was issued. There are two different types of badges:

• “SOFT” BADGES which are issued on the basis of participation in an event or simply for belonging to a group
• “SKILL” BADGES which are issued after a structured assessment or otherwise through a test which clearly demonstrates relevant knowledge.

Everyone will keep their badges in a multimedia environment called Backpack. It will also show a single badge or a collection of badges created on an ad hoc basis in different media environments such as the company intranet, e-learning platform, a personal curriculum vitae, Linkedin or other social profile media. There are 6 main benefits to using Open Badges.

1. Possibility of certifying informal training, since there can be a positive outcome to a test in which the learning process is free.
2. Possibility of certifying and promoting on the job training, since they can be obtained after a training period.
3. Encouragement of self-training, delegating responsibility for development to the individual rather than the HR function.
4. They can be transferred from one company to another, for example in case of a job change, especially if the skills assessment process has been carried out by a recognised external body.
5. Motivation of employees by developing “gamification” dynamics training programmes.
6. They make the skills of individuals tangible. They help organisations to have a clear view of internal skills, including skills unrelated to a company role that complete the picture of an individual’s skills and that therefore the same on a personal basis. In this way they facilitate, for example, the processes of creation of work teams or management of internal mobility.

This topic was discussed in posterLab no. 26: “certifications and open badges”. Maria Giampieretti