Open digital badges for Long-term secondary school exchanges

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Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project European Badge Alliance

Welcome to the badge world! This a step-by-step guide which will prepare you for using Open digital badges to recognise learning and work of participants in long-term secondary school exchanges

ABOUT OPEN BADGES∎ Open Badges is a worldwide standard to validate and

recognise learning that happens anywhere. They are visual representation of learning and achievements.

∎ Badges are digital and thus create new possibilities to manage achievements: store, share and display them anywhere on the web and include on CV.

∎ Find out more about Open Badges

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∎ This system has been developed by the European Federation for Intercultural Learning, the umbrella organisation of AFS Intercultural Programs in Europe. AFS organisations have run long-term (3-10 months) secondary school exchanges for the past 70 years, nowadays involving 12.000 young people worldwide every year. This badge system has been piloted during a European trimester exchange programme. The images of the badges on this presentation are AFS branded, therefore cannot be used outside the AFS network.

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∎ Badges are based on the learning journey of exchange participants, from preparation, pre-departure to follow up upon re-entry.

∎ Badges can be used in long-term secondary school exchange programmes with any number of participants. There are no levels, participants can earn any badge whenever one is matching the criteria. Meta-badges are unlocked when all badges of that competence are earned.

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Two Major Objectives

Recognise and visualise exchange participants’

learning

Support exchange participants in reflecting and being aware of their

learning

Long-term exchange participants’ Achievements

Intercultural MeDeparture

Me

My New Country English

AmbassadorMy New Language

Digital

There are in total 24 Badges included the 8 Meta-Badges.

EXAMPLE OF BADGES WITHIN ONE META BADGE (area of learning)

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Within this badge system there are Badges that are clearly related to a competence (My New Language, English, Digital) and others that correspond to learning within more than one competence area. The competence areas that are mostly covered are:

• Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

• Learning to learn

• Social and civic competences

• Cultural awareness

The participant gets to know the host country and in particular the community

he/she is living in.

Host Country Host Family

The participant adapts to life in a new family,

appreciating differences and similarities with the

natural family.

Host SchoolThe participant is aware of what is expected from

him/her in the new school environments and reflects and learns from

differences.

When a person earns 3 badges related to knowledge, skills and awareness or attitudes within a specific learning area, the Meta-badge is unlocked, recognising the development within the specific topic.

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Meta Badge “My New Country”This badge shows that the participant has integrated in the host country

and detected similarities and differences with its own. The participant unlocked this badge after receiving badges for Host Country, Host Family

and Host School.  www.ebawebsite.net

HOW TO SET UP BADGES

Create a badge project on www.badgecraft.euImport “Badge System for Long term secondary school exchanges” from badge librarySpecify badge contentFamiliarise with tips for using badges

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Create a badge projectat www.badgecraft.eu

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Click to register your account. Login, if you have one

Go to Projects/ Organisations and create

an organisation. If you have it already, skip this step

Create a new project for your activity

Import badge systemfrom www.badgecraft.eu/en/library

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Type keywords “long term secondary school exchanges”

Import full badge system to your project

https://www.badgecraft.eu/en/library

Specify badge content

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CONTENT OF BADGES★

∎ Badges have quite generic descriptions, making the system easily adaptable to any long-term exchange programme which is host family and host school based, and foresees the presence of an educator who supports the learning of the participants.

∎ However, you might wish to add specific details about additional objectives of your exchange programme, dates, places, etc.

∎ Check if badge criteria are matching with your organisation practices. www.ebawebsite.net

Go to Projects/Badges to view all imported badges

“Draft” indicates the badge that can be modified and yet not visible to users. You can change badge status in

“Settings”

Tips for using badges

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SMOOTH START∎ Introduce Open Badges to all participants before

the exchange programme starts.∎ Use a video What is a Badge? Or any other

resource∎ Give out badge code for starting a quest for the

badge “Departure”, which is a badge related to the fact that the participant is enrolled in the exchange programme.

RECOMMENDATIONS!

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Make sure to change the badge status to “Draft”.

Then click on “Modify” for see what is the task code

and change it, if you wish.

Check the code and you may download QR code. Mentors

can start a Quest for this badge by scanning this

code.

KEEP PUPILS ON BOARD∎ From time to time remind pupils about badges

that they could earn throughout the exchange programme.

∎ Keep an eye if there are any evidence verification requests

∎ Discuss badge earning process with exchange pupils during your meetings with them.

RECOMMENDATIONS!

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USE DATA PROVIDED BY BADGES∎ Review what badges are earned by mentors,

analyse tendencies and encourage mentors to focus on specific competence if needed.

∎ At the end of the project, generate certificate, where mentors could choose which badges should be visible (e.g. either all or just Meta badges) there.

∎ Encourage mentors to share badges or certificates in order to make their achievements visible

RECOMMENDATIONS!

HOW TO GENERATE BADGE BASED CERTIFICATE?

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Go to Project’s settings to enable certificates

Establish partnerships with the third parties and ask for endorsemenent. Their names can be entered here. It

will increase the external value of open badges

Users with the permission can generate badges to

certificates from the Project’s section “People”

Users can access their certificates from “My

certificates”. They can be viewed or downloaded as PDF

Technical feedback & supportwrite to info@badgecraft.eu

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ReferencesEUROPEAN BADGE ALLIANCE

Strategic partnership project for developing badge systems for European learning mobility

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ERASMUS+

European Union’s programme which offers funding for mobility projects in various fields of education & learning

https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus

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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

EFIL

This badge system was developed by the European Federation for Intercultural Learning

www.efil.afs.org