Investigating perceptions and potential of open badges in formal higher education

Open Badges are a method, proposed by the Mozilla Foundation, to recognise skill acquisition and ‘informal’ learning, particularly as part of Lifelong Learning. However, there is also significant potential in the formal education sector. This paper outlines a project at City University London to identify whether Open Badges should be supported across the institution, and includes some possible uses for badges. The project involved interviewing staff and conducting focus groups with students to understand their needs and level of interest. The paper includes some anticipated and actual findings from the research and summarises the subsequent work being undertaken as a result of the project. The findings of this project could be used by other institutions considering the use of Open Badges in their own context.