Appendix C1: Badging Variety at Western University
Ivey Business School
Badge name and type: Engineering Economics, Curricular, Pre-curricular
Description: The Engineering Economics badge acknowledges completion of an online module covering key knowledge areas for engineering students: Time Value of Money, Present Value, Future Value, and Rates of Return, including Minimum Acceptable Rate of Return (MARR), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and External Rate of Return (ERR). Students must score full marks in the end-of-module assessment to earn this badge.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 97
- Potential badge earners: 557
- Badge adoption rate: 17.4%
Badge criteria:
- Successful consumption of the material provided.
- Successful answering of 10 out of 10 questions in the assessment provided.
- Unlimited opportunities to complete this badge.
Badge application assessment method: Multiple-choice assessment
Constellation structure: Not applicable
School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Badge name and type: Leader Character, Professional development
Description: Explore the character dimensions of effective leadership and reflect on the leader you want to be as a doctorate holder.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 12
- Potential badge earners: 25
- Badge adoption: 48%
Badge criteria:
- Documented attendance and participation in the 12-week course SGPS9201: Developing Leader Character.
- A written reflection on your character strengths and the areas you plan to develop further in graduate school. This includes a vision statement of the type of leader you want to become and how you will measure your success.
- Creation and facilitation of a workshop that explores one of the following leader character dimensions: humility, integrity, collaboration, justice, courage, temperance, accountability, humanity, transcendence, judgment.
Badge application assessment method: The criteria for the badge were also requirements for passing the SGPS 9201 course. The course instructor tracked completion of these criteria and provided a list of names of students who received passing grades in the course. The badge was offered to these students. Students were asked to fill in the information about the workshop they developed and facilitated when they applied to the badge.
Constellation structure: Not applicable
Western University: Centre for Teaching and Learning
Badge 1 name and type: Lesson Designer, Professional Development
Description: Design a mini-lesson using principles of online learning (e.g., building community, constructive alignment, integrating and selecting technology) as presented in Instructional Skills Workshop Online at Western University. Participants can apply for a badge after completing all required activities for weeks 1 through 3 of ISW-O, culminating with the submission of the BOPPPS Lesson Planner.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 3
- Potential badge earners: 9
- Badge adoption rate: 33%
Badge criteria:
- Complete voice.
- Thread activities.
- Introduce yourself.
- Strategies for building community.
- Sharing your golden nugget complete self-assessments:
- Week 1 self-assessment
- Week 2 self-assessment
- Week 3 self-assessment
- Complete BOPPPS lesson planner.
Badge application assessment method:
- Badge earner self-reported completion.
- Badge criteria are all requirements for first three weeks of ISW-O, which we were already tracking, so could verify self-report.
- We initially wanted earners to submit their BOPPPS lesson planner but the attach feature was not working so we used check boxes.
Constellation structure:
- Hierarchical design
- Lesson Designer, weeks 1 through 3 of Instructional Skills Workshop Online, including lesson plan
_______________
Badge 2 name and type: Lesson Facilitator, Professional Development
Description: Facilitate an online mini-lesson during Instructional Skills Workshop Online, and provide feedback as a learner on other mini-lessons. Participants can apply for a badge after completing the required activities for weeks 4 through 6 of ISW-O, culminating with participation in synchronous feedback sessions.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 3
- Potential badge earners: 9
- Badge adoption rate: 33%
Badge criteria:
- Facilitate your mini-lesson.
- Participate as a learner in three or four mini-lessons.
- Complete self-assessments:
- Week 4 self-assessment
- Week 5 self-assessment
- Week 6 self-assessment
- Participate in synchronous feedback sessions.
- Answer a reflection question: What do you want to take forward from your experience as an ISW-O participant to your own online teaching?
Badge application assessment method:
- Badge earner self-reported completion.
- Badge criteria are all requirements for weeks 4 through 6 of ISW-O, which we were already tracking, so could verify self-report.
- Participants submit an answer to a reflection question.
Constellation structure:
- Hierarchical design
- Lesson Designer, weeks 4 through 6 of Instructional Skills Workshop Online
_______________
Badge 3 name and type: eLearning Lunch and Learn, Professional Development
Description: A Western University eLearning Lunch and Learn community member is a faculty or staff member who has been a regular attendee of the Teaching Support Centre’s eLearning Lunch and Learn Series, and who has given consideration to how the series has contributed to their teaching practices.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 2
- Potential badge earners: 25
- Badge adoption rate: 8%
Badge criteria:
- Documented attendance at a minimum of three Lunch and Learn Sessions in the last two years (e.g., three sessions offered in 2016–17 and 2017–18).
- A written reflection demonstrating how your participation in the Lunch and Learn series has contributed to your teaching practices.
Badge application assessment method:
- Badge earner self-reported completion (check boxes).
- Participants answer a reflection question which is reviewed by the issuer.
Constellation structure: Standalone
Western University: Continuing Studies
Badge 1 name and type: WCS Learning Community: Participate, Professional Development
Description: The Western Continuing Studies (WCS) Learning Community Badge series recognizes an instructor’s commitment toward the continuing development and improvement of teaching techniques. The Participate Badge acknowledges the regular attendance and engagement in professional development opportunities offered through Western Continuing Studies in the 2017–18 academic year. These professional development opportunities are designed to offer instructors valuable skills and techniques that can be used to enhance the adult learning environment.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 11
- Potential badge earners: 40
- Badge adoption rate: 28%
Badge criteria:
- Must be a Western Continuing Studies instructor.
- Documented attendance of a minimum of two professional development sessions or Teaching Adult Learning (TADL) courses in the last two years (January 2017 until present).
Badge application assessment method: Badge earners self-identified which sessions they attended since January 2017 (checklist was provided). Badge issuer verified attendance through class lists on file.
Constellation structure: Three badge series that require earners to complete the first one before earning the next:
- WCS Learning Community: Participate
- WCS Learning Community: Apply
- WCS Learning Community: Share
_______________
Badge 2 name and type: WCS Learning Community: Apply, Professional Development
Description: The Western Continuing Studies (WCS) Learning Community badge series recognizes an instructor’s commitment toward the continuing development and improvement of teaching techniques. The Apply Badge demonstrates how the participation in professional development opportunities offered through Western Continuing Studies has contributed to refining their teaching practice and enhance the learning experience for students.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 2
- Potential badge earners: 40
- Badge adoption rate: 5%
Badge criteria:
- Must be a Western Continuing Studies instructor.
- Earned the WCS Learning Community: Participate badge.
- Provided a written reflection highlighting elements from the sessions that you have been able to implement into your course.
Badge application assessment method:
- Reviewed verified that the previous badge was earned.
- Reflection was reviewed and where possible course elements were verified or program managers were consulted to see if they were aware of the skill/process being used.
Constellation structure: Three badge series that requires earner to complete the first one before earning the next:
- WCS Learning Community: Participate
- WCS Learning Community: Apply
- WCS Learning Community: Share
_______________
Badge 3 name and type: WCS Learning Community: Share, Professional Development
Description: The Western Continuing Studies (WCS) Learning Community Badge series recognizes an instructor’s commitment toward the continuing development and improvement of teaching techniques. The Share badge demonstrates the learner has shared knowledge, ideas, and experience with other members of the WCS learning community by being a part of a panel discussion on learning, facilitating a professional development session at WCS, or initiating a networking event with other WCS instructors.
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 1
- Potential badge earners: 40
- Badge adoption rate: 3%
Badge criteria:
- Must be a Western Continuing Studies instructor.
- Earned the WCS Learning Community: Participate and Apply badges.
- Provided written documentation on how they have shared knowledge or experience with other members of the WCS learning community.
Badge application assessment method:
- Reviewer verified that the previous badge was earned.
- Reviewed and verified with the program manager that the sharing occurred between other WCS instructors and the meetings resulted in an improved student experience.
Constellation structure: Three badge series that requires earner to complete the first one before earning the next:
- WCS Learning Community: Participate
- WCS Learning Community: Apply
- WCS Learning Community: Share
_______________
Badge 4 name and type: Lesson Designer, Professional Development
Description: The Design Thinking badge acknowledges the learner’s ability to explore a design method for tackling challenges and creating customer-driven solutions. The earner of this badge has actively engaged in hands-on design-thinking activities as he or she moves through the various phases of design thinking (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test).
Badge stats:
- Badges issued: 11
- Potential badge earners: 70
- Badge adoption rate: 16%
Badge criteria:
- Successful completion of BSMG6206 Design Thinking course.
- Written explanation demonstrating how design thinking has or will contribute to achieving an innovation solution to a challenge faced by your organization (between 500 to 1,000 words).
The reflection should briefly identify a user’s feeling toward the student’s product/service. It should clearly define the challenge, ideate process, and prototype process. The reflection should indicate if the solution was successful (or how they plan to test the success). Students were also encouraged to share any documents created in the process (i.e. empathy, journey or concept maps).
Badge application assessment method: Students identified the section of the course they attended, and I verified to ensure they received a pass/complete for the course. The reflection paper was reviewed by the issuer of the badge. The issuer of the badge had previously completed the course and was aware of the criteria that was to be met. It did not happen, but if the issuer was unsure of if the person should receive a badge, she reached out to other staff members who completed the course. Although the instructors were not contacted, we did notify that a pilot project was underway and if we had questions about design thinking that we might reach out to them.
Constellation structure: Standalone
