Adult learners have a varied set of professional demands placed on them every day. Remaining motivated to learn, achieve, and complete courses can be a challenge for many learners. It can also be a problem for Course Creators to design engaging courses and find ways to ensure learners stay on task. One way to motivate learners and recognise them for their achievements is through the use of open badges.
what are Open Badges?
Open badges are digital credentials that store metadata which includes details such as a description of the badge, the badge issuer, and the criteria for earning the badge. Open badges recognise learners for their achievements, enable Course Creators to gamify training, create competitive atmospheres and allow learners to showcase their credentials on social networks and e-portfolios.
Badges are free to use and can be issued, earned and displayed across a range of different systems including learning management systems, portfolio and résumé applications, dedicated badging applications and social networks.
how do they work?
A badge is an image with a range of ‘built-in’ information or metadata. This metadata is added to a badge by the issuing system and includes details such a description of the badge, the issuer and recipient of the badge, the criteria for earning the badge, whether the badge expires etc.
why would I use badges?
Learners are motivated in different ways and for different reasons; however most people find encouragement from recognition of their achievements.
Badges are a simple, yet effective and visually appealing way to recognise these achievements, as well as for learners to share and compare their development of skills and knowledge with their peers.
Training is most effective when individuals are motivated to learn, share, interact and collaborate. Badges can be issued to learners for actively participating within a course and displaying certain soft skills - thereby encouraging these behaviours.
Badges can also advertise knowledge, skills and qualifications for new roles within an organisation or to prospective employers and can add a level of gamification to your learning environments.
how do I create and manage badges in Totara?
Its simple to create and manage badges in your Totara site, there is a full course on the Academy that takes you though the process with step by step guides, video tutorials and tasks to practice.
This video is taken from the course that you can enrol onto - Totara Academy course - Open badges V13-14
It's free. Simple to access. Available 24/7/365
There are over 80 modules available within Academy, covering basic user management, to setting up courses, how to add SCORMs, create formal tests. There are predefined learning programmes which form introductory programmes and once you enrol they act as valuable resources moving forward.
You can sign up for the Academy courses here. It's free. It's unlimited. Your team can access training 24/7/365. When new team members come on board they can access training immediately to get up to speed.
Why wait, register and get started today or get in touch for more information.
Learning Management. Solved.
#ChamburyLS #totaralearning #LMS #totaraacedemy Written with contribution from the team at Totara HQ. Find the original post on the Totara blog.