{"id":14541,"date":"2016-05-12T14:07:13","date_gmt":"2016-05-12T18:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.webmaker.org\/?p=14541"},"modified":"2019-02-26T11:23:21","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T19:23:21","slug":"mozilla-badges-update-backpack-to-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/foundation-archive\/mozilla-learning\/mozilla-badges-update-backpack-to-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Mozilla Badges Update: Backpack to the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was written by Tim Riches of Digitalme and originally appeared on Medium.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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In 2011, Mozilla\u2019s bold Open Badges project changed the digital credentialing landscape as we knew it. With support from the MacArthur Foundation the project brought partners together worldwide, empowered by the new opportunity to recognise learning wherever it happens, and created a disruptive global movement and the potential for a new skills currency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Backpack brainstorming session MozFest<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Five years on, thousands of organisations are now issuing badges, from non-profits to major employers and universities. These organisations have embraced the Open Badge standard and philosophy, and have developed badge programs to support their learners to achieve their aspirations.<\/p>\n

At Digitalme, we are proud to have been there from the start and witness firsthand the transformative potential of Open Badges. Whether it\u2019s providing people who have fallen out of education with a way to articulate their skills and passions, or providing employers with an agile tool to recruit, retain and progress talent, it is clear that Open Badges are delivering real value and helping respond to the global education challenges we are all facing.<\/p>\n

However, in order for this value proposition to be fully realised, Open Badges needs to be underpinned by an active community of committed players who support the evolution of the technical infrastructure, compelling educational content and advocacy work (Mark Surman, Jan 2016).<\/em><\/p>\n

Over the past four years, Digitalme has worked closely with Mozilla to advocate for the Open Badge standard, to implement badge projects in the UK and Europe, and, more recently, provide code contributions to improve the Backpack. As a non-profit, we are proud to have had support from Mark Surman as a member of the Digitalme board of Directors, to help steer and influence this work. We also value the support from Nominet Trust for the Badge the UK project and, most recently, Erasmus+, enabling us to co-found The Open Badge Network, which is amplifying the work of educators and employers across Europe, providing guidance & information for new badge issuers and supporting the development of the Open Badge technical infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Badge The World\u200a\u2014\u200aHighlighting Open Badges activity worldwide\u200a\u2014\u200aa collaboration between Mozilla & DigitalMe<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

We are delighted that Mozilla is now deepening its relationship with Digitalme to support our on-going role within the Open Badge community. DigitalMe will now take on direct leadership of Open Badges on behalf of Mozilla, working with the community to:<\/p>\n