Challenges

Generating Initial Buy-In

Teachers did not immediately jump on the Learn and Earn bandwagon. Earning a digital badge was not enough of an incentive. Slowly, more and more teachers began to complete the Learn and Earns once they realized that it was an effective way to become more proficient at using G Suite for Education. In many instances, teachers who completed one Learn and Earn returned to complete many, if not all.

Low Pass Rates/Frustration

Initially, many teachers did not achieve the 80% score that is required to earn their badge. Most likely, these teachers skimmed the material or assumed they knew the application better than they actually did.

Misunderstanding of Mastery-Based Learning

Mastery based learning requires a high cut score to demonstrate mastery and encourages multiple attempts. This is very different from the traditional "test and move on" approach. We attempted to model mastery-based learning and many teachers struggled with this pedagogical shift.

Lessons Learned

Communication is key!

The root cause of the low pass rates and initial frustration felt by many teachers was a misunderstanding of the intent of the Learn and Earns. To address this, we added a detailed explanation of mastery-based learning and included this information in multiple places. It is very important to communicate this information at the beginning of the module so teachers know what to expect.

Attaching something tangible to the badge will increase interest

Teachers have many demands on their time. While many may be intrinsically motivated to learn something new, earning a digital badge was not enough of an incentive. Working with the Office of Professional Learning, we were eventually able to attach re-certification points to the successful completion of a Learn and Earn. Each digital badge is worth one re-certification point. This greatly increased participation as well as pass rates.

Keep the content manageable

Shorter modules are better received and have higher pass rates than longer modules. In an effort to be thorough, the Learn and Earn modules quickly became very content-heavy and took a long time to complete. To make it manageable, we broke up the modules into two parts. We learned that it is better to offer two half-hour modules than one hour-long module.

Get frequent feedback to keep improving

Prior to being released, the Learn and Earn modules go through extensive vetting from other Technology Integrators. We also include a feedback survey to get feedback from users. This continuous cycle of feedback and iteration has ultimately lead to a much better product.

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