Digital Media and Learning Competition - Badges for Life Long Learning

The Challenge 

In the fall of 2011, The MacArthur Foundation joined its Digital Media and Learning Competition with the Mozilla Foundation’s badges initiative. In addition to seeking visibility for the competition, the partners sought to create a national conversation around the use of badges as alternative forms of assessment.

The MacArthur Foundation wanted to launch the competition in Washington, DC, through a dynamic event that would also provide an explanation of digital badges as an innovative new learning tool that can represent skill mastery. To achieve these goals the MacArthur Foundation and its partners sought support and guidance to provide a messaging around the use of badges coupled with a launch of their competition.

Our Approach 

Collaborative worked with the MacArthur Foundation and its partners to:

  • Co-create messaging to develop and direct a national dialogue around badges as alternative recognition of skills and competencies
  • Identify key media and social media outlets to spread awareness of the competition and initiative goals
  • Manage a team of advisors to create launch event goals and agenda
  • Build relationships with stakeholders and policy makers to develop support for the initiative
  • Execute professional launch event at the Hirshhorn Museum incorporating high level speakers such as Secretary Arne Duncan and Charles F. Bolden of NASA, competitors and guests
Our Impact 

As a result of these efforts, the partners convened stakeholders, policymakers and competitors for a competition lunch in Washington, DC. In addition to addresses by key national leaders, the lunch featured demonstrations of three current badge systems and a panel discussion on the potential of digital badges.

The launch gave the competition and discussion national momentum, creating a new way of thinking about assessments and learning in traditional and non-traditional settings.

Date Added: Apr 17, 2012
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