Open merkit – Teacher’s Badges

Project information

The aim of the Open merkit (teacher’s badges) project was to create and establish a national digital badges system to support the recognition and acknowledging of professional competences of vocational teachers during their teacher studies as well as their entire professional career. 

Until now, there has been no uniform badges system or process in Finland; instead, different organizations have launched several parallel badges systems for different purposes. A uniform system will provide a comparable basis and clear criteria for the recognition of vocational teachers’ professional competences.

The project is connected to the national reform of vocational education, supporting the changing role of a teacher. The project is conducted in collaboration between all schools of professional/vocational teacher education in Finland. The method used is based on an iterative process of agile development, comprising of quick prototyping and piloting, and continuous feedback and modification.

The digital badges system is piloted in the project, and it will be implemented in relevant educational institutions and educational administration.

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The system to be created will consist of:

• a shared administrative model which is applicable across educational sectors.
• a shared structure, model, and awarding criteria for badges.
• a quality assurance model.
• a piloted and implemented badges collection for digital competencies.
• shared guidelines for future expansion of the badges system.
• guidelines for graphical design
• a shared network-based process model
• a national badges portal
• guidelines for resourcing, responsibilities, assessment and guidance.

The project was conducted in collaboration between all schools of professional/vocational teacher education in Finland, together with the Vocational College of Ostrobothnia and Åbo Akademi University.

Project time: 27.12.2017-31.3.2020.

Budget: 370 000 €

Project partners

• Häme University of Applied Sciences (coordination of the project)
• Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
• Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences
• Oulu University of Applied Sciences
• Tampere University of Applied Sciences
• Yrkesakademin i Österbotten
• Åbo Akademi

Publications

Aaltonen, K. & Alanko-Turunen, M. (2019). Osaamismerkkejä – merkkejä arvioidusta osaamisesta. Haaga-Helia. eSignals. Luettavissa: https://esignals.haaga-helia.fi/2019/04/11/osaamismerkkeja-merkkeja-arvioidusta-osaamisesta/  

Aaltonen, K. & Alanko-Turunen, M. (2019). Osaamisia digisalkussa. Haaga-Helia. eSignals. Luettavissa:  https://esignals.haaga-helia.fi/2019/04/16/osaamisia-digisalkussa/  

Aaltonen, K. & Alanko-Turunen, M. (2019). KEHOn koko kuva – osaamismerkkien kehittämistyö terävöittää ammatillisen opettajan osaamisvaatimuksia. Haaga-Helia. eSignals. Luettavissa: https://esignals.haaga-helia.fi/2019/04/25/kehon-koko-kuva-osaamismerkkien-kehittamistyo-teravoittaa-ammatillisen-opettajan-osaamisvaatimuksia/ 

Aaltonen, K., Alanko-Turunen, M. & Sairanen,P. 2020.  Miten minä näytän tämän ymmärrettävästi. osaamismerkein ohjattua osaamisen osoittamista ammatillisen opettajan pedagogisissa opinnoissa. eSignals Research.  Luettavissa https://esignals.fi/research/2020/08/28/miten-mina-taman-naytan-ymmarrettavasti-osaamismerkein-ohjattua-osaamisen-osoittamista-ammatillisen-opettajan-pedagogisissa-opinnoissa/#c06e7af5

Aksovaara, S. (2020). Osaamista on vaikea puhua – osaamismerkit osaamispuheen perustana. eAMK. Luettavissa: https://www.eamk.fi/fi/digipolytys/osaamista-on-vaikea-puhua–osaamismerkit-osaamispuheen-perustana/ 

Brauer, S., Ruhalahti, S. & Pakanen, L. Digitaaliset osaamismerkit – osaamisella on väliä. Luettavissa:  https://pelimerkit.metropolia.fi/2018/05/07/digitaaliset-osaamismerkit-merkilla-on-valia/

Brauer, S. (2019). Digital Open Badge-Driven Learning – Practical Applications to Support Validation of Prior Learning. Chapter in a book. BERLIN DECLARATION of Validation of Prior Learning: TheVPL Biennale Book. (Käsikirjoitus jätetty arvioitavaksi)

Brauer, S. (2019). Digital Open Badge-Driven Learning –  Gamified Progress and Inspiring Assessment. In Elbæk, L., Majgaard, G., Valente, A., & Khalid, M. S. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2019. 3 – 4 October 2019, Odense, Denmark. 110-118. DOI: 10.34190/GBL.19.015

Brauer, S. & Talonen, E. (2019). The Concept of Desired Competences in Digital Open Badge-Driven Learning/ Konceptet för Önskad Kompetens i Kompetensmärkesstyrt Lärande. Conference proceedings in NordYrk, Arcada 12.-14.6.2019 Helsinki, Finland. 121-122. http://nordyrk.net//data/wordpress/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Abstracts-2019-list-of-all.pdf

Brauer, S. (2019). Osaamismerkein ohjautuva oppiminen – innostavat tukirakenteet pelillistettyyn oppimiseen. SeOppi, 1, 8-9.

Brauer, S. (2018). Theoretical Framework of Digital Open Badge-Driven Learning – Practical Applications to Support Emerging Ecosystems. Presentation in The 16th International Conference on Open Recognition and Learning, Trust, Identity and their technologies. 22.-26.10.2018. Paris. France. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.15642.08640

Eskola-Salin, N., Lehtonen, P. & Sintonen, S. (2020). Osaamismerkit – kirsikkana kakun päällä vai todistuksen korvaajana opettajan osaamisen osoittamisessa. TAMK-journal. Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu 2020. ISSN 2342-9879 (verkkojulkaisu) Luettavissa: http://tamkjournal.tamk.fi/osaamismerkit-kirsikkana-kakun-paalla-vai-todistuksen-korvaajana-opettajan-osaamisen-osoittamisessa/

Korhonen, A-M., Ruhalahti,S. & Niinimäki, J. (2020). Vocational teachers’ competences visible by open badges. INTED2020 Proceedings, pp. 1406-1411. Luettavissa: https://library.iated.org/publications/INTED2020

Korhonen, A-M., Ruhalahti, S. & Niinimäki, J. (2020). Finnish Vocational Teachers’ Competences Made Visible by Open Badges. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20, 6. DOI:https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v20i6.3138

Kullaslahti, J., Ruhalahti, S., & Brauer, S. (2019). Professional development of digital competences: standardised frameworks supporting evolving digital badging practices. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities and Social Sciences, 12(2), 175-186. DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-0387.

Niinimäki, J., Korhonen, A.-M. & Ruhalahti, S. (2019). Osaamismerkein ohjautuvasti TKI-osaajaksi ammatillisessa opettajankoulutuksessa. HAMK Unlimited Professional 9.9.2019. Luettavissa: https://unlimited.hamk.fi/ammatillinen-osaaminen-ja-opetus/osaamismerkein-ohjautuvasti-tki-osaajaksi

Paananen, H. & Rusanen, T. (2019). Osaamisperusteisuutta tukevan osaamismerkkiohjelmiston valinta. ePooki. Oulun ammattikorkeakoulun tutkimus- ja kehitystyön julkaisut 84. Luettavissa: http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe2019102434660

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