1
Badge Essentials
luns, 13 outubro 2025, 07:30 - 16:30
Lüttgen-Ottersleben 18A, 39116 Magdeburg, Germany
Badge Essentials
luns, 13 outubro 2025, 07:30 - 16:30
Lüttgen-Ottersleben 18A, 39116 Magdeburg, Germany
Content
Today, we moved from the strategic 'why' of badging to the practical 'what' and 'how.' We explored real-world examples, analyse different types of badges, and use the DPD cards to talk about what is important to add in a badge description.
Exploring real-life badges and badge systems
We began with a tour of the badge landscape, rotating through stations to examine several real-life recognition systems in action.
This hands-on rotation showed us how badges are used in practice. At each presentation of a real-life example, you analysed the system's objective, the sector it operates in, and the visual look of the badge and its criteria. This gave us a practical look at how diverse contexts require tailored approaches.
Defining objectives and types
Next, we focused on the badge types and their objectives.
In groups, you analysed four badge descriptions—including the ESC Volunteer Badge, the ESC Mentors Badge, the Conference Participation Badge, and the Youth Exchange Behaviour Badge—to determine their type (e.g., participation, competence, behaviour) and their specific organisational objective.
We highlighted the insight that ambiguity exists: many badges serve multiple purposes (e.g., a participation badge that is also a condition for a learning achievement).
The DPD Check
We concluded the session by introducing the DPD (Design Principles) cards—our tool for checking a system from the start. You took the four badge types from the previous session and used the DPD cards to discuss which design objectives best align with each badge. This challenged you to think about recognition, assessment, motivation, and researching a badge in a holistic way.
The journey begins
You started to work on building persona's and badge journey's by defining your target group and designing a learning journey.
You can find more information and how to build a learning journey in the activity Creating quality Open Badges and badge systems.
Individual and group reflection
We concluded the day with a moment for both individual and group reflection, focusing reflecting:
- Your feelings about the day
- Your takeaways of the day
- Your feedback about the day to others
Next Up
Tomorrow, Day 3: Quality in Badging, we will focus on Quality criteria of Quality badges, Building quality badges and Issuing badges.
Resources
- 12 Good Practices of Badge Systems - Badges4Good
- EBA publication Value and Recognise learning during international mobility with Open Badges
- ETS Badges for Youth Workers
- Mozilla Promising Practices Reports
- Trusted Badge Systems
- Unique Learning Badges
- ExpeditieRED Dutch National Volunteering - Maatschappelijke Diensttijd
- SWOT it UP - practice from Curacao Island of Learning - TAO Curacao BV
Get activity badge
Badge Architect Get this badge
This badge is awarded for successfully defining the core elements of an Open Badge and an Open Badge system. The earner has established a foundation in understanding badge types and objectives by using the the DPD Framework (Recognising, Assessing, Motivating, Studying). This signifies readiness to begin drafting precise criteria.
To earn this badge, the participant must have:
- Actively participated in the real life badge and badge-system examples and the DPD card analysis exercises.
- Made progress on defining the Persona, Objectives, and Badge Types for a practical badge idea.
- Successfully completed the structured individual reflection of day 3.
- Attended the full Day 2 programme.
The course trainers Sandra Zoomers and Laimonas Ragauskas, both certified to deliver Quality Open Badge training by the Cities of Learning Network, confirm the attendance, active participation and reflection of day 1 of the training ‘Recognition of Non-formal Learning with Quality Open Badges. The training course is supported by the EU programme Erasmus+ and organised by the Network of Cities of Learning.
Tasks
Task no.1
Issued by organiser or scanning QR code
To deepen your learning, think and report on the following:
Feelings. How do I feel about the day?
Findings: What do I take from the day?
Feedback: What feedback would I like to give to other peer learners and organisers?
Location
Lüttgen-Ottersleben 18A, 39116 Magdeburg, Germany
Organisers
Network of Cities and Regions of Learning
Badge issuer recognized with
Awero not-for-profit organisation manages this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@awero.org.
Platform
Change to another language:
