As I have detailed numerous times on this blog, I worked with a colleague (Greg McVerry) to develop the Online Research and Media Skills (ORMS) model. The ORMS model was developed to provide guidance for educators as they integrate technology into their classroom.

As I continue to use the ORMS model in my classes and PD workshops, I believe the model helps educators think about ways to embed technology into instruction. The ORMS cornerstones originally were focused on working within the confines of the Common Core State Standards. Now, I can say that they partner well with the Mozilla Web Literacy map.

I decided that I wanted to openly share the materials that I use with my students and colleagues. To that end, I created an open educational resource (the ORMS MOOC) to guide learning. To scaffold learners in the process of completing the MOOC, I developed a series of digital badges. This post details the steps necessary to earn badges in the ORMS MOOC.

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Badges as marker of achievement

There are five modules in the ORMS MOOC. For this post, we’ll solely focus on Module 1: Multimodal Tutorials. As I have detailed over the past couple of weeks, to earn the Multimodal Tutorial Exemplar Badge, you’ll need to complete the requirements as listed on the Discussion and Badges page for Module 1. Basically, this amounts to reading/reviewing all materials in the module, responding to the final prompt at the end of the module, and finally creating & sharing work guided by the module.

Module 1 is all about multimodal tutorials. I want you to think about ways to scaffold online learners using text, images, video, audio, etc. In the ORMS MOOC you’ll submit four types of unit or lesson plan ideas that you would like to use with your students. It is suggested that you select items and ideas that all connect into one massive unit. For the first module…we’re only thinking about a digital text or tool you would like to use with your students. It could be Twitter, Padlet, Vimeo, Vine, etc. What is a tool you use and want your students to use. Make a tutorial for your students. Put this tutorial up on your blog. Share it out with other educators.

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How to earn the badge

I’ll start this section by indicating that the process is messy. For these badges I’m using the Mozilla badges platform. As I’ve detailed in earlier posts, I’ve crashed and burned these badges many times. I prefer the P2PU badging platform. Still, as a learning exercise, I wanted to keep these badges at Mozilla as they started most of this badging movement. Be forewarned…the process is messy, and I apologize as we get started.

First, complete the requirements that I shared above. Read/review all materials…complete the reflection post and share it out…create and share a multimodal tutorial you want to use with your students.

Second, ask for permission to join the ORMS Google Group. This will allow you to post messages to the group. Membership is free…and has its privileges. :)Third, after I approve your membership to the Google Group, start a new thread to indicate work you’d like to submit for a badge…and let me know what badge you’re applying for. You’ll notice as you post to the Google Group, you can add a tag for the specific module you’re sharing work for. In your post, be sure to add some text letting me know what you’re submitting work for. Include links to blog posts where you share and save the same information. You should include this info in the thread to the Google Group…and a post/page on your website. The reason is that you want to have content and keep building up your identity on your website or blog.

Third, after I approve your membership to the Google Group, start a new thread to indicate work you’d like to submit for a badge…and let me know what badge you’re applying for. You’ll notice as you post to the Google Group, you can add a tag for the specific module you’re sharing work for. In your post, be sure to add some text letting me know what you’re submitting work for. Include links to blog posts where you share and save the same information. You should include this info in the thread to the Google Group…and a post/page on your website. The reason is that you want to have content and keep building up your identity on your website or blog.

Finally…wait to receive feedback. I’ll go review the work you share in the thread. I’ll click through and review your website and the work submitted. I’ll provide feedback. If everything looks great…I’ll issue the badge. If there is room for improvement…you can address the feedback and let me know what you fixed in the Google Group thread.

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An illustrative example

Please visit this link to a recent submission by a great member of our community, Brianna Kraynak. Brianna shares a ton of information in the thread in the Google Group. In reviewing this submission, I believe that Brianna has completed the requirements for the first badge. Within the next day or two I’ll leave feedback and award the badge. At that point, Brianna will receive an email from badges.Mozilla letting her know that she was awarded the badge…and to go create an account and pick it up.

In terms of feedback, there are a couple things that Brianna can do to improve the submitted work. First, the thread shared in the Google Group doesn’t need to be this extensive. She could simply give a sentence or two indicating the tools she focused on, what grade level or subject area, and finally links out to her blog/website. Second, the link shared to the blog needs to go directly to the post for the multimodal tutorial. Finally, the tutorial is great and shares some good images. I would suggest possibly adding a screencast…but she doesn’t need to. Not everyone loves video like I do. 🙂

 

Once again, the badges in the ORMS MOOC are a way to signify achievement in the learning experience. They’re a way to connect learners from the past, present, and future. Finally, they’re a way to experiment and play with digital badges to see effects on motivation and assessment.

 

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