GS2 KEYNOTE: Digital Badges and the Future of Learning
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Wednesday, September 30
Grand Ballroom
Education and training have traditionally been measured in limited ways; course completions and test scores are routinely used as the context through which we describe learning as having taken place. Digital badges provide a more in-depth method for students and workers to demonstrate their knowledge and skills and give employers a new way to assess critical skills such as creativity, communication, teamwork, and adaptability. In this thought-provoking session, Connie Yowell will examine the current state of badges in education and training, exploring what’s working and what opportunities still need to be explored. You will leave this session inspired to reexamine the ways your organization measures and credentializes learning and competency.
Connie Yowell
Director of Education
MacArthur Foundation
Connie Yowell, the director of education for the MacArthur Foundation, oversees one of the first philanthropic efforts in the country to systematically explore the impact of digital media on young people and the implications for the future of learning. Previously, Dr. Yowell was an associate professor at the University of Illinois, publishing scholarly work that examined the complex interplay among young people’s emerging identity, their social context, and achievement. She was the recipient of the Distinguished Fellows Award from the William T. Grant Foundation, an award to support scholars seeking to bridge research and practice, and she worked with the National Writing Project to develop approaches that integrate web 2.0 technologies into the social practices of teachers. Dr. Yowell holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a PhD from Stanford University.
