Nathaniel Ostashewski

A History and Frameworks of Digital Badges in Education

Digital badges are online visual representations, accomplishments, skills, or awards that present the characteristics of physical merit badges or awards but go farther in providing validation to viewers in that they are linked to metadata or artifacts. Frameworks, models, and systems of digital badging implementation are just beginning to emerge in the educational and computer science research literature as the digital badging movement began in earnest only a few years ago. Some of the earliest implementations of digital badges included automated awards that still play a role in gamified learning designs. In both formal and informal education key purposes for digital badges include providing motivation, representing accomplishments, and communicating or sharing successes. A historical evolution of digital badges as well as examples of digital badge frameworks, models, and uses in and for education are presented with the intention of providing a basis for initial exploration.

Utilizing Multimedia Database Access: Teaching Strategies Using the iPad in the Dance Classroom

ABSTRACT This article presents action research that identified iPad1 tablet technology-supported teaching strategies in a dance classroom context. Dance classrooms use instructor-accessed music as a regular element of lessons, but video is both challenging and time-consuming to produce or display. The results of this study highlight how the Apple iPad tablet device can be used in the dance classroom for efficient digital media access as well as custom instructional video production. Three technology-supported teaching strategies—mobile small group demonstration, large group demonstration, and student-controlled playback and practice activities—were identified and described as part of this iPad implementation study. In theory, dance educators could enhance and extend their classroom practice using these new strategies or components of them. In practice, technology-supported teaching strategies require preparation time and appropriate classroom management techniques to be successful. Further research on efficient dance video segment creation and the benefits of those segments is needed.