Ericast 263 - Certificate vs. Certification

What this episode covers

Is there a difference between recognition that you did something, and recognition that you're equipped to do something?  Here's your show. Website viewers: Click here to listen to this week's episode! Podcast listeners: Click here for a link to the show notes page! Everyone: Call 206-339-ERIC (206-339-3742) and comment! Yes, I realize I have lots of "vs" episodes, but "differentiation is good".  However, lawyers speak of a "distinction without a difference" so we have to make sure that we're not doing that.  And I don't think that's the case here. We were talking about faculty motivation.  Tangent: I don't view "motivation" as having connotations of a deficit, but some do. Badges vs. Awards.  In Eric's world... An award is for a past act; a medal or a ribbon A badge - think a sheriff in the Wild West - is something you actively wear in order to give authority to act moving into the future Badging is a hot topic in academic technology: http://www.techlearning.com/news/0002/theres-a-badge-for-that/63725 https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/value-problem-digital-badging Jeff Sanders had a great blog post entitled "How Playing an iPhone Game Made Me More Productive" and in it he summarized the key points of the Bunchball article, "What Is Gamification?" Fast Feedback: receiving immediate feedback or response to actions towards a goal. Transparency: always knowing where you stand in relationship to the desired end result. Goals: having short- and long-term goals to achieve. Badges: showing evidence of accomplishments through visual awards. Leveling Up: always knowing your status within your community. Onboarding: getting up to speed through engaging and compelling methods. Competition: knowing how you are doing compared to others. Collaboration: working with a group to accomplish a goal. Community: sharing the achievements of others to build group rapport. Points: using tangible and measurable evidence of accomplishments. Even here, note that "Badges" are equivocated with "Awards" and I think there's a difference.  The Bunchball summary is: Badges: Evidence of accomplishments An indicator of accomplishment or mastery of a skill is especially meaningful within a community that understands its value. Often used to identify skills and expertise within a group. Again, while "mastery of a skill" is more "beneficial" to the community than merely commemorating an accomplishment, I think that we need to be clear that a "badge" means that you can and should act to improve your community with the skills you've acquired, and should be respected for those actions -- not merely for your accomplishments in the past. Thoughts?  Call 206-339-3742 and let me know what you think.

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