F.A.Q. about Open Badges by Awero

I would like to have my badges recognised by my organization/school/university. What should I do?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

The badge's metadata includes the information about the learning experience. The metadata can be presented as evidence of learning for university's student counselor, organization's hr and so on. It helps, if the badge is based on for example EQF-standard (European Qualifications Framework). This helps to translate the badge into e.g. university credits.

How to increase the recognition of badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

1) Recognition of Cities of Learning on a national- international level. Badges are the currency, a currency for education. 2) Strong promo (to municipal/national/peer-peer) of higher education bodies utilizing this method by third parties and by the institutions themselves. E.g university in Milano. 3) Strong recognition system and partnership among organizations nationally and internationally. 4) Push municipal and national education administration for seeing and adapting the Open Badges system as a formal recognition method for informal education

If there are many fun badges, can these decrease the value of the more serious badges or the reputation of badges in general?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

If we will have many fun badges, it will decrease the value of open badges in general.
No. Fun makes people engaged and motivated -it helps to gamify the process.
No, for esepcially young age fun is needed element.
No. FUn badges can catch the attention and then people move on to serious badges.
Yes. You might not need fun badges, but process of earning them can be enjoyful.
Yes. Fun badges is not something employers would look like. Better to show learning.
Yes. If badges can be just fun, low value, then others would not take it seriously.

Can open badges be used in more formal settings where gamification is not desirable? If yes, what are the ways to make it look more ‘serious’ or formal?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Open badges do not fit in serious/formal settings.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10639-019-10000-w
No. It can be super serious system.
No. Some social media can be also fun and serious. Badges can be build serious recognition system.
Example of Badges in Oil drilling platforms: safety training and accrediation: https://medium.com/mozilla-festival/drilling-into-new-potentials-for-open-badges-dbccd5a40638
Yes. The reality now is that serious credentials are not badges. Serious badges are not there.
Badges for Master degree: https://blog.bestr.it/en/2017/07/24/open-badges-degrees-bicocca

What is better: having a badge system with few badges or one with many badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

It is much better to have a system with many badges in it, than the one with just a few.
Yes. It is good to show progress with more badges and show the learning pathways.
Yes. More badges can show more specific competences and also skills, knowledge, attitudes.
Yes. it is easier to see the learning pathway.
When you have more badges, it is easier to have a choice of what you want.
No. You can get great result of recognition with just few badges.
No, Employers need clarity better few badges showing competence, than many badges showing narrow skills.
No. Better choose few and then later grow the system later.

Do I need an IT guy to use Open Badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Good badge design and implementation requires an IT specialist - all these technical problems I might face will not solve themselves!
No, I can use platform to make it without IT person.
Yes. If you have serious system, you need a seperate person to administer.
Yes. I need to be serious looking. I might need someone with the knowledge about design, badge flow, etc.

LET'S TALK BADGES!

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Which is the best badge platform?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

After an open survey, Awero is the one proposing the most functionalities, languages.

Is it possible changing the badges program during the process if you feel that something is not turning good?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes, you can change at any moment. It is even recommended, start with a few to try out and add more afterwards. Make some surveys to improve your badges all the way through. If you change a badge while people are doing it, you need to cancel the quests and people have to do it again.

Who is formally recognizing the badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Badges are only tools, it is a white paper and what is important are the people behind it. Who are building the content, who issue them, who earns them, to who you show them. It is not about who recognise them but who gave it to you and who do you show them to.

https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/mapping

Who created the City of Learning platform? Are they different from the creators of Awero? Why should I use one and not the another? What’s the difference ?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

There is an FAQ section on Cities of Learning's website. Created by European partners. Technical by AWERO (link between both websites). Cities of learning is for larger networks/programs with many activities and for digital activities (creating playlist). You can give more informations, if you need to give more details to do each tasks.

Types of recognition

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

There are different types. Social : people in general understand and see that it is good. Formal: formal validation or definition of what it is. Political: whether it is supported or seen as part of the social system. Sel-recognition: base of the three others, recognise your own achievements.

What kinds/types of badges are popular amongst the users?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

No general rule, it is seen project by project. Sometimes it is fun badges, sometimes competences, etc. In some cases, most popular badges are the one easy to get. If you offer something in exchange of certain badges, these will be the ones more asked (external motivation). However, there is no general rule.

How much space takes the Badge Wallet app?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Badge Wallet takes 8,8 MB of telephone memory on Android and 7,9 MB for iOS.
Nevertheless, if one does not have enough space on a mobile device, you can always reach the Badge Wallet on a browser version and claim badges by code online. Go to: badgecraft.eu/claim

Should i use Awero.org/Cities of Learning or Badge wallet? What are the different between them?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

The platform is used by badge issuers (organization) while Badge Wallet is used by badges users (learners). On Awero.org you earn, create, issue, share, sort and display badges online. On Badge Wallet you earn, store, manage and share digital Open Badges issued on Awero.org

Can I print my badges from my wallet as a certificate for my acquired competences?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

You will be notified via email about issued certificates, and then print them. (Badge certificate option must be activated inside the badge settings by badge issuers)

You can always reach your certificates on your Badge Wallet (web or App), section "Certificates".

Is it possible for participants design their own badges and include it in the program?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

They can propose for the project owners to include his/her own badge.

If participants get owner rights at least temporarily, they will be able to design their own badges.

Choose this option with caution.

What are different ways to issue badges on Badgecraft?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

1. Badge issuer may ask for evidence before issuing a badge. 2. By emails 3. by a special badge code (automatically generated) . Users can type the code or scan QR code with Badge Wallet App to claim the badge. Codes can be created manually

How can badges benefit us?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

They can benefit in may ways, such as, badges can be used to motivate people for continuous learning and increase engagement in a process. They can be treated as the digital counterpart of physical medals/badges and disseminated for recognising good work, competence, effort, etc. Its benefit over physical badges is that it can be easy verified by employers in regards to its validity, portable and easy to keep a track.

How does the organisation benefit from the use of badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

It will vary according to the organisation's needs and target group. For instance, non-formal education providers can use it to motivate students to follow through the full course and decrease the rate of drop outs. Badges can also be used by NGOs and education providers to recognise the soft skills that students and volunteers gain through taking part which usually are not recognised formally. An organisation can also use badges for its branding, for instance, it can be used in its promotion to represent that they are innovative and updated with latest digital developments.

How i can get more Open badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

There are many ways of earning Open badges. If you are a part of an organisation you can explore if they provide badges or if you are a student you can explore whether your education provider provides badges as a form of recognition. Otherwise you can also explore open platforms/projects which provide ways for earning badges. One example is Cities of Learning platform which hosts diverse range of tasks/courses/trainings that can be completed to earn badges.

From what activity can I get a badge?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Many kinds of badges exist. There are divided in 8 categories: on-boarding (welcome badges), participation (taking part of meetings), competence (new skill), achievements (mastering several skills), fun, motivation (encouraging), bahavior (attendance), membership (job, position). Each categories can be composed of different tasks to be completed depending on what is the aim of the badge.

Can I share an Open badge in the social media?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes, you can share your badges on social media by sharing the link. This way you will be able to share the badge itself but also its content with all information about what this badge means and what you have done to achieve it. You can find this link in your Badge Wallet. Click on you badge and then you will find "Share my badge" in the options.

Is it possible to modify the badge system when earners have already started earning badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes, you can modify the badge system whenever you want. However, if you change tasks in a badge while people are compliting it already, you will need to cancel these tasks to create the new ones and people will have to start the tasks again.

What is an Open badge?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

A digital badge is an online representation of a skill you’ve earned. Open Badges take that concept one step further, and allows you to verify your skills, interests and achievements through credible organizations and attaches that information to the badge image file, hard-coding the metadata for future access and review.

What are these: Awero, Cities of Learning and Badge Wallet?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

- Awero is an organisation, providing technical solution to Cities of Learning platforms, which are a multilingual web platform to manage achievements using digital open badges. Organisations and individuals can earn, create, issue, share, sort and display badges online, plus use them to communicate achievements in the places which matter. Badge issuers, such as learning providers and companies, can easily set up their activitie, create and issue Open Badges, assign roles to users (e.g. owner, manager) by defining quest-based criteria, type of evidence and assessment.

- Badge Wallet is a simple and secure way to earn, store, manage and share achievements using digital Open Badges issued through Cities of Learning. Find more information: https://www.badgewallet.eu/en/

Am I obliged to use the badges generated by Cities of Learning platform or I can go with my own imagination?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

It depends on the size of the organization. If you have communication or design department that is responsible for the visual outlook or the brand, they should create the design template to use.

Even then, there should be a possibility for the "owner or issuer" to influence the final Badge design.

No, you are not obliged to use the automatic badge design, but we recommend its use for small organisations without a specialised communication team/department.

Can we create new badges while users already started earning them?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes.

How to set good objectives for a badge system?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

The organisation and objectives of your badge system will first depend on your target group. You will then be able to define the aim and how you should reach it. Be aware of how easily your badge system can be comprehended: don't go too difficult nor too easy. You need to be able to measure the progression in the badge system and see if the progression is more or less linear over time.

How should a badge image look like?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Understandable, fit the content, icons with one meaning, attractive, keep the same style, without text if its possible, as little details as possible.

Who validates the process of task completion/ badge issuing?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Task completion/badge issuing can be validated by: badge earner (self validation) - activity members (peers) - activity organizers (external). You can always set different roles for people involved within a project.

I have badges, what's next/what can I do with them?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

1) share it in social network 2) add the badge in our CV 3) follow the projectuse it as reference letter 4) follow the learning process/taking new badges
Also, on Bagde Wallet it is possible to print a pdf certificate that contains the earned badges

Is it useful to add collected badges on my cv? How can I add badges?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes, it is useful to show to employers and externals. 1) It is possible to print a certificate and attach it to the CV. 2) it is possible to add QR codes representing badges on paper CVs (maybe ;-)

Is there any paper certificate that can be received when the badge is issued?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

Yes, it is possible to have a pdf certificate of badge and print it

How to increase the knowledge about badges in the education sector, im working life etc.?

Awero — 2020-11-22 14:55:29 UTC

It is possible to do it through 1) specific trainings addressed educators and trainers, employers and technicians 2) through dissemination and communication activities addressed to different target groups (education and training, users, business sector, etc.)

How do badges work for people or communities that are digitally excluded?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:50:34 UTC

How do badges work for people or communities that are digitally excluded?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:52:34 UTC

How are badges recognized inside government, busines and formal education waters?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:52:48 UTC

Links between OB and Youthpass?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:53:09 UTC

Is there something that we participants can do during the next 5 days to improve “treatment ” of open badges?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:53:18 UTC

How can I convince my organization to recognize and issue open badges ?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:53:34 UTC

Can badge earner show to anyone online the content of his/her badges or there is some technical requirement to be fulfilled?

Awero — 2025-10-15 06:54:19 UTC