Month: March 2023

“I can’t see the forest for the trees!” Microcredentials and Open Recognition

Posted on March 10, 2023March 24, 2023 by Doug Belshaw

Note: cross-posted at LinkedIn

Looking up at tall trees (photo by Arnaud Mesureur)

Microcredentials are hailed as the great saviour for universities. But Open Badges allow for a lot more. While microcredentials can be a useful way for individuals to demonstrate their expertise in a particular area, just like a single tree in a forest, they shouldn’t stand in isolation.

The problem is that microcredentials can only showcase a narrow set of skills or knowledge, which may not provide a complete picture of an individual’s achievements and potential. The lack of standardisation across different providers also creates confusion and a lack of trust in their value.

In contrast, an Open Recognition approach is like the entire forest, recognising learning and achievement across a wide range of human experience. This approach acknowledges that learning can happen in a variety of ways and contexts, much like a forest is made up of many different types of trees, plants, and animals.

The Open Recognition approach is designed to be more flexible and inclusive, providing recognition the full range of an individual’s skills and knowledge, regardless of their background or financial situation. By providing a consistent and transparent framework for recognition, based on open standards, Open Recognition ensures that recognition is based on a shared understanding of what constitutes valuable learning and achievement.

Just as a forest provides a more complete ecosystem than a single tree, an Open Recognition approach provides a more complete and accurate representation of an individual’s achievements. This recognition of the full range of an individual’s skills and knowledge is particularly useful in today’s rapidly changing job market, but it’s also key to human flourishing.

So, sure, microcredentials can be a useful tool for showcasing expertise in a particular area, but they are limited in scope. An Open Recognition approach, on the other hand, is like a whole forest ecosystem, recognising learning and achievement across a wide range of areas and contexts, and providing a more complete and inclusive way of capturing relationships and achievements.

Next step: join the Keep Badges Weird community!

Photo by Arnaud Mesureur

Why Open Recognition Is the Key to Unlocking Human Potential

Posted on March 9, 2023March 24, 2023 by Doug Belshaw

Note: cross-posted at LinkedIn

Person being lifted up holding a trophy by two other people. The trophy is labelled as 'Credential' while the people lifting up the person holding it is labelled 'Recognition'. — Image CC BY-ND Visual Thinkery for WAO

Imagine a world where everyone’s skills, knowledge, and achievements are recognised and valued. A world where individuals are empowered to take control of their learning journey and reach their full potential. This is the world that Open Recognition seeks to create.

Open Recognition is a concept that has gained traction in recent years, and for good reason. It is about recognising individuals’ skills and achievements in an open and transparent way, using digital technologies and decentralised systems. It has the potential to transform how we recognise and value human potential, and create a more equitable and sustainable future.

Open Recognition is like a mirror that reflects back the full spectrum of human skills, knowledge, and achievements. Unlike traditional recognition systems that are often clouded by bias and inequality, Open Recognition clears away the fog and allows us to see the true potential of each and every individual.

Open Recognition promotes fairness and inclusivity by enabling everyone to showcase their skills and achievements, regardless of their background or connections. This is crucial in a world where traditional recognition systems often rely on who you know, where you come from, and your educational background. Open Recognition flips the script and enables everyone to have their skills and achievements recognised and valued.

Open Recognition also empowers individuals to take ownership of their learning and development. By allowing individuals to showcase their skills and achievements in a transparent and accessible manner, Open Recognition gives people a sense of control and autonomy over their own learning journey. This can lead to increased motivation and engagement, which is a win-win for everyone.

It’s not just about individual empowerment. Open Recognition promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing, which is vital for creating vibrant communities of practice. By enabling individuals to share their skills and knowledge with others, Open Recognition fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation that can lead to new breakthroughs and ideas.

Also, let’s not forget about the lifelong learning aspect. Open Recognition can support individuals throughout their entire career by providing a way to demonstrate their competence and value to potential employers. This can lead to new opportunities for career advancement and personal growth.

So, I see Open Recognition as a powerful tool that allows us to see ourselves and each other in a new light. It promotes fairness and inclusivity, empowers individuals to take control of their own learning journey, fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, and supports lifelong learning and upskilling. Let’s embrace Open Recognition and use it to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to shine ☀️

RetroEmoji Challenge: a simple game created using ChatGPT

Posted on March 8, 2023March 9, 2023 by Doug Belshaw

Update: also try Emoji Flashback!

This morning, I came across Sumplete, a game invented and coded entirely by AI (ChatGPT). This sounded awesome so between meetings today, I had a go at something which, while not entirely original, is still something I wouldn’t have been able to create myself.

I present to you RetroEmoji Challenge!

It’s not perfect, or even that fun, but given that I literally just typed instructions into a box and then copy/pasted the output into CodePen, I’m very happy. It was fun.

How I made it

The Sumplete about page does a good job of explaining how to talk to ChatGPT. The only things I’d add are:

You’re limited on the free version of ChatGPT to a certain number of lines of output. You can get round this by asking it to give you the HTML, CSS, and JS separately.
ChatGPT can be a bit flakey and sometimes forgets what it’s talking about, crashes, or loses the chat history. If this happens, just tell it you want to share the code for a game and for it to tell you when it’s ready to receive it. Then paste in the code.
Sometimes the code ChatGPT gives you doesn’t work, or doesn’t work as intended. You can tell it this, and sometimes it fixes it!

I asked for a ‘retro 1980s vibe’ for RetroEmoji Challenge. And yes, ChatGPT came up with the name for it.

There’s a lot of trial and error, but there’s a lot of that with any kind of project, and I literally couldn’t have made this by myself. Copying-and-pasting the code into CodePen helps see the changes you make in realtime. It’s kind of addictive.