Digital Validation Framework for Open Badges

Abstract

Open Badge is very novelty concept in E-learning domain to motivate the recipients and it could be used as a symbol of the achievement in digital world. This concept is new to e-learning, but this concept is commonly using in a physical world such as Scouts are having badges. Once a person completed a task or a course, a digital badge will be awarded, and it could be used as symbol of achievement. If user gets this badge from well reputed institute/organization, it creates a value to him and could be used as a symbol of certificate. So, this badge concept is implemented in IT industry and it is a one of the newest trends in E-learning. In digital world, this badge also a digital artifact and it uses web page which is link to the badge to show the details of the badge. However, there are several security threats in this concept in digital world such as it could be able to redesign digital badge with same look and feel, create a fraud web pages with fraud information and grant it to someone who has not achieved such. Then it decreases the value and trust of the original badge as well. People don’t trust the digital badge due to this reason and the badge cannot be used for its purpose. People don’t use badges even though it is expected to use. Hence it is a big need to find method to show the originality of the badge and It needs be validated in somehow to overcome above problem. Therefor it is developed the solution to overcome above mentioned problems and this thesis is describing that solution. Further it discusses about how to validate and verify the open badge using existing and well-known technologies because, people who do validate this may or may not be an IT person. Hence It must to find out the most usually use techniques in today’s world and wrap up our mechanism using it. Therefor it proposes a new way of bind information with digital badge and validate the digital details against it. so, it enhances the usability, reliability , security features and it opens the new ways of using it. Previously the Open badge should be used online only or else it is just an image. But with new concept, The Badge could be used in offline mode as well. Because information is bind with the badge itself. People can use it with the CV as an attachment. Nobody can steal the badge and create new badge, if some did it, it would be caught when they try to validate the badge. This is a totally new idea and it will enhance the usability and open a new chapter of open badge in a future.