Category: #TOLC

A Constellation of Pathways

“When you are deep into designing your badge system, pause. Look outward: consider the bigger picture that your earner will see. Imagine the thrill of being a learning explorer charting new territory with badges as your guideposts! Now with that new perspective, rough out some potential badge pathways that do not solely include your badges—that…
Open Badges – now with Endorsements

This thought was created for Doug Belshaw‘s DML blog entitled “Extending Badges“.
I am more than just my grades

When you hire a person what do you look for? I look for what I would call character, and a spark… Yet grades are so big that that although voices say that other qualities matter, its hard to hear them. Could Open Badges be a game changer in terms of recognising value, in all its…
Education Technology

I love Lego, and I wonder how much it played a part in feeding my creative (and constructivist) side. Problem solving, learning to pivot and change direction, creating new worlds with others. Needless to say my kids are all over it…
Badge Taxonomy

As part of our work for City and Guilds, Doug Belshaw and I decided to formulate a Badge Taxonomy – not in order to classify badges per se, but to evolve our understanding of how badges (and their intended purposes) differed. After a whole bunch of stickies and some brain crunching, this was the (half-baked)…
Why I love my MOOC

The last MOOC I completed (the science of everyday thinking, University of Queensland) was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had. Arguably, its the first course I have done solely for the learning as opposed to the credential…
Why can’t we be tested on what we learn?

This comment by a student at a college was overheard by Martin King – and so well put that I had to turn it into a drawing. The whole “teaching the test” vibe I find an unpalatable one, even though it suits game-playing strategic thinkers like me. I believe it ruins learning.
What makes good evidence?

I’ve learnt a lot about what makes good evidence from talking with people at City & Guilds (who are a knowledgeable lot). This drawing came out of a conversation with Patrick Craven, head of assessment.I’ve learnt a lot about what makes good evidence from talking with people at City & Guilds (who are a knowledgeable…
We amuse young people

Yep – I think we probably do. This thought came from a Nesta Young Digital Maker session with Debbie Forster from Apps4Good.
The Skills Gap

The UK has a growing skills gap. There are predicted to be over 14 million skills shortages by 2020. Created for City & Guilds.
The Misleading Tower of PISA

I created this image for Pasi Sahlberg relating to their article in the Washington Post debating the need for PISA – the academic global league table. Read More
Smart kids go to Uni

Really? Maybe its just privilege, environment, and the ability to conform and perform within the system.