There seems to be two growing schools of thought about badges forming (or at least becoming more visible.). Not surprisingly, I think the origins of these have to do with who has what in the game. For instance, the StackOverflow folks have from the beginning talked up using points and badges as a recruiting tool. Oh, and they have a for-money job board…

What is really concerning to me though is an increase in the number mentions of badges being used as a stick. Case in point is an email on the Open Badges mailing list this morning.

Obviously we can all see the benefits of having such a badge system that is supplemental to formal education. In the workplace, specific skill badges can be connected to increased salaries. Right now at my workplace we are dealing with secretaries who are untrained in newer technologies and they are unable to assist faculty and administrators in their departments. Now if we accept and link specific badges with salary raises or promotions, now we have intrinsic value for them to actually pursue more training.

No. What you have is another stick to beat people with. Horrible corporate training has always existed only now you might get a badge rather than a certificate you print at the end. Yes, some will try for the badge the same way some would put the certificate saying they completed the corporate ergonomics training on their cube wall.

Now, with the whole gamification trend, I expect corporate training management systems to grow badges, if they haven’t already, as a way to tracking who has done what. That’s not really using badges though, that’s just replacing checkboxes with graphics. Kinda like how a lot of teams transition to Agile by calling the Project Manager a Scrum Master…

Another risk that comes from using badges as a stick is invasion of corporate interests that have nothing to do with the improvement of the badge holder, but of the badge issuer. Certified Tester badge anyone? You know there will be dozens of those if the idea of badges takes off. And like the certificates they supplement you’ll be able to buy them rather than earn them rather than earn them.

Top Ed-Tech Trends of 2011: The Higher Education Bubble talks about badges supplementing formal education — in what feels kinda stick-like. It is a good article on the whole though. Yes, we (society) need to rethink credentialing and accreditation — tried to cross a border for work recently only having a highschool diploma? Saying you need to have certain badges from certain issuers for a job or raise however is just replacing one broken system with another.

Badges, to me, should be not forced upon someone but the carrot that inspires learning. Learning that would likely happen anyways actually, but just provide an indicator of having done it. Again, I fall back onto the example of Cubs. There are around 45 badges a Cub could earn during their three years, but they don’t have to. Yes, they’ll get some just by showing up and doing the activities we (the leaders) plan, but a lot more need them to show their own initiative. Some will, and some won’t. And that’s ok.

And know what? They’ll all be allowed to move up to Scouts. If badges were being used as a stick there wouldn’t be nearly as much enthusiasm around them or the programs. Actually, it would look at lot like a corporate environment.