Open Badges

NOTICE:  This page is a draft in active flux... Please contribute to these contents and discuss issues on the discussion page.

Open Badges is the name of a group of specifications and open technical standards originally developed by the Mozilla Foundation with funding from the MacArthur Foundation. The Open Badges standard describes a method for packaging information about accomplishments, embedding it into portable image files as a digital badge, and establishing an infrastructure for badge validation. The standard was originally maintained by the Badge Alliance Standard Working Group, but transitioned officially to the IMS Global Learning Consortium as of January 1, 2017. [1]

Open Badges represent a more detailed picture than a CV or résumé as they can be presented in ever-changing combinations, creating a constantly evolving picture of a person’s lifelong learning.

Why use Open Badges at Sugar Labs

As part of our Funding and Marketing plan, taking care of internal relationships needs to be a priority for Sugar Labs. [2]

We at Sugar Labs have articulated many talented active contributors. Still, historically we have failed to retain many of them. With the implementation of alternative programs like the Open Badges, we could try to revert this trend.

The Open Badges program at Sugar Labs has the intention of reflecting openly individual or collective expertise over a specific project, team or task. Reflection is one of the main principles embedded on Sugar's DNA, so reflecting collective and individual accomplishments is a logical step for Sugar Labs community. For the implementation team, main challenge and opportunity may be the fact that there is several graphical work inherently attached to the creation and maintenance of the Badges. Also possible integrations with Sugar, Sugarizer, Sugar Network, etc.

Open Badges are here formulated to recognize the value of the infrastructure team and key project team leaders. Thanks to infrastructure team there is a level of service that allows us to be constantly in the air to interact with each other, with the code and with our users. Thanks to our key project team leaders, Sugar adapts and evolves to specific cases of use. This interaction and close support can only enrich our upstream main project.

Still, Sugar labs is a dynamic entity and should avoid labor relationships. Instead, the adoption of "retributions by merit" and/or "awards" policies are more suitable.

Stipends for Badge Holders

Open Badges proposal contemplates to open channels for resources to flow to active contributors that have been awarded with an Open Badge. All Badges have by default a monthly stipend of US$ 500 attached.

Still, the model requires each Badge holder interested in receiving the Stipend to clearly state it's decision whether it's A to receive the monthly stipends as a donation or B not to receive the monthly stipends.

Piloting the model during 2017

For the purpose of simplifying bureaucracy for the pilot, I (laura_vargas) as an organizational engineer to the best of my knowledge and within my restrictions as a self nominated Badge Holder, have formulated the initial Sugar Labs Open Badges list as published on March 3, 2017.

A total of Seven (7) Open Badges have been formulated for the 2017 Pilot:

1. Infrastructure Hero: Samuel Cantero
2. Marketing Intern: Samson Goddy
3. Sugar Network Project Leader: Laura Vargas (yes to Stipend, thanks!)
4. Sugarizer Project Leader: Lionel Laske
5. Social Help Project Leader: Sam Parkinson
6. Translation Community Manager: Chris Leonard
7. Open Badges Samurai: Ignacio Rodriguez

If you are on the list and consider you would appreciate to receive the stipend please write (yes to the Stipend, thanks!) at the end of your name.

Important Note: Active edition of the above list is expected to be made by each user on each line only.

If you are not in the list but consider you are an active contributor and would like to be considered for the next round or would like to nominate someone else please list the names and the names of your badges here:

Next round candidates list

1. ...

Budget for 2017 Open Badges

This proposal will be presented on April 7 of 2017 to the SL Oversight board as a motion for the Sugar Labs Open Badges Pilot Budget approval.

Please consider your needs to continue contributing to the SL project and state soon if your decision about the Stipend.

Required Budget will be calculated on April 6 of 2017 giving a reasonable period of time for Badge nominees to state their decisions.

Other Pilot Guidelines and Notes

- Reasonable periods of time should be given for Community members to nominate themselves or another member as a Badge nominee in upcoming rounds.

- For each round, Badge nominees will have a reasonable period of time to identify them selves as "yes, I am in need of financial resources" or as "no, I am not in need of financial resources", before submitting each years Budget to the Sugar Labs Oversgight Board.

References

Members and non members of Sugar Labs have recommended the following reading about sustainability in Open Source:

"Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure" by Nadia Eghbal [4].

• [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Open_Badges
• [2] Marketing Team
• [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stipend
• [4] https://fordfoundcontentthemes.blob.core.windows.net/media/2976/roads-and-bridges-the-unseen-labor-behind-our-digital-infrastructure.pdf

Please share your thoughts on the discussion page.