1.
Open digital badges
for Long-term
secondary school
exchanges
>
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Project European Badge Alliance

2.
Welcome to the badge world! This a step-by-step guide which will
prepare you for using Open digital badges to recognise learning and
work of participants in long-term secondary school exchanges
ABOUT OPEN BADGES
∎ Open Badges is a worldwide standard to validate and
recognise learning that happens anywhere. They are visual
representation of learning and achievements.
∎ Badges are digital and thus create new possibilities to manage
achievements: store, share and display them anywhere on the
web and include on CV.
∎ Find out more about Open Badges
/ INTRODUCTION
www.ebawebsite.net

3.
∎ This system has been developed by the European Federation
for Intercultural Learning, the umbrella organisation of AFS
Intercultural Programs in Europe. AFS organisations have run
long-term (3-10 months) secondary school exchanges for the
past 70 years, nowadays involving 12.000 young people
worldwide every year. This badge system has been piloted
during a European trimester exchange programme. The
images of the badges on this presentation are AFS branded,
therefore cannot be used outside the AFS network.
/ INTRODUCTION
www.ebawebsite.eu

4.
∎ Badges are based on the learning journey of exchange
participants, from preparation, pre-departure to follow up
upon re-entry.
∎ Badges can be used in long-term secondary school exchange
programmes with any number of participants. There are no
levels, participants can earn any badge whenever one is
matching the criteria. Meta-badges are unlocked when all
badges of that competence are earned.
/ INTRODUCTION
www.ebawebsite.eu

5.
Two Major Objectives
Recognise and visualise
exchange participants’
learning
Support exchange
participants in reflecting
and being aware of their
learning

6.
Long-term exchange participants’ Achievements
Intercultural Me
Departure
Me
My New Country
English
AmbassadorMy New Language
Digital

7.
There are in total 24 Badges included
the 8 Meta-Badges.

8.
EXAMPLE OF BADGES
WITHIN ONE META
BADGE (area of learning)
/
www.ebawebsite.net

9.
www.ebawebsite.net
Within this badge system there are Badges that are clearly related
to a competence (My New Language, English, Digital) and others
that correspond to learning within more than one competence
area. The competence areas that are mostly covered are:
• Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
• Learning to learn
• Social and civic competences
• Cultural awareness

10.
The participant gets to
know the host country and
in particular the community
he/she is living in.
Host Country Host Family
The participant adapts to
life in a new family,
appreciating differences
and similarities with the
natural family.
Host School
The participant is aware
of what is expected from
him/her in the new
school environments and
reflects and learns from
differences.

11.
When a person earns 3 badges related to
knowledge, skills and awareness or attitudes
within a specific learning area, the
Meta-badge is unlocked, recognising the
development within the specific topic.
/

12.
Meta Badge “My New Country”
This badge shows that the participant has integrated in the host country
and detected similarities and differences with its own. The participant
unlocked this badge after receiving badges for Host Country, Host Family
and Host School.
www.ebawebsite.net

13.
HOW TO SET UP BADGES
Create a badge project on www.badgecraft.eu
Import “Badge System for Long term secondary
school exchanges” from badge library
Specify badge content
Familiarise with tips for using badges
?
1
2
3
4
www.ebawebsite.net

14.
Create a badge
project
at www.badgecraft.eu
1
www.ebawebsite.net

15.
Click to register your account.
Login, if you have one

16.
Go to Projects/
Organisations and create
an organisation. If you have
it already, skip this step

17.
Create a new project for your activity

18.
Import badge
system
from www.badgecraft.eu/en/library
2
www.ebawebsite.net

19.
Type keywords “long term secondary
school exchanges”
Import full badge system to
your project
https://www.badgecraft.eu/en/library

20.
Specify badge
content
3
www.ebawebsite.net

21.
CONTENT OF BADGES★
∎ Badges have quite generic descriptions, making the
system easily adaptable to any long-term exchange
programme which is host family and host school based,
and foresees the presence of an educator who supports
the learning of the participants.
∎ However, you might wish to add specific details about
additional objectives of your exchange programme,
dates, places, etc.
∎ Check if badge criteria are matching with your
organisation practices. www.ebawebsite.net

22.
Go to Projects/Badges to
view all imported badges
“Draft” indicates the badge that can be modified and
yet not visible to users. You can change badge status in
“Settings”

23.
Tips for using
badges
4
www.ebawebsite.net

24.
SMOOTH START
∎ Introduce Open Badges to all participants before
the exchange programme starts.
∎ Use a video What is a Badge? Or any other
resource
∎ Give out badge code for starting a quest for the
badge “Departure”, which is a badge related to the
fact that the participant is enrolled in the
exchange programme.
RECOMMENDATIONS!
www.ebawebsite.net

25.
Make sure to change the
badge status to “Draft”.
Then click on “Modify” for
see what is the task code
and change it, if you wish.

26.
Check the code and you may
download QR code. Mentors
can start a Quest for this
badge by scanning this
code.

27.
KEEP PUPILS ON BOARD
∎ From time to time remind pupils about badges
that they could earn throughout the exchange
programme.
∎ Keep an eye if there are any evidence verification
requests
∎ Discuss badge earning process with exchange
pupils during your meetings with them.
RECOMMENDATIONS!
www.ebawebsite.net

28.
USE DATA PROVIDED BY BADGES
∎ Review what badges are earned by mentors,
analyse tendencies and encourage mentors to focus
on specific competence if needed.
∎ At the end of the project, generate certificate,
where mentors could choose which badges should
be visible (e.g. either all or just Meta badges) there.
∎ Encourage mentors to share badges or certificates
in order to make their achievements visible
RECOMMENDATIONS!

29.
HOW TO GENERATE BADGE
BASED CERTIFICATE?
?
www.ebawebsite.net

30.
Go to Project’s settings to
enable certificates
Establish partnerships with the third
parties and ask for endorsemenent.
Their names can be entered here. It
will increase the external value of
open badges

31.
Users with the permission
can generate badges to
certificates from the
Project’s section “People”

32.
Users can access their
certificates from “My
certificates”. They can be
viewed or downloaded as PDF

33.
Technical feedback &
support
write to info@badgecraft.eu
@
www.ebawebsite.net

34.
References
EUROPEAN BADGE ALLIANCE
Strategic partnership project
for developing badge systems
for European learning mobility
www.ebawebsite.net
ERASMUS+
European Union’s programme
which offers funding for
mobility projects in various
fields of education & learning
https://ec.europa.eu/program
mes/erasmus-plus
““
The European Commission support for the production of this publication
does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the
views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
EFIL
This badge system was
developed by the European
Federation for Intercultural
Learning
www.efil.afs.org