Badges/Onboarding-Issuer: Difference between revisions

NOTE: The documentation below is for general on-boarding. If you want the more technical documentation - see our [https://github.com/mozilla/openbadges/wiki/Issuer-API github pages].

* Learners are learning everywhere -- but most of that learning doesn't "count"

* Skills assessment and communication is limited in current system, e.g. GPA, GED, Bachelor or Master degrees, static resume

* There are few alternatives to the current accreditation/credentialing system

* Learning doesn’t happen simply between K - 12 and university; learning happens over the course of a lifetime and frequently in informal settings

* Develop badges as an alternative accreditation/credentialing system

* Develop badges as a micro-accreditation/micro-credentialing system 

* Avoid silos; ie badges stuck in one learning system

* Truly support learners learning everywhere == Support badges issued from multiple issuers across the Web 

* Optimize the value of those badges == Make badges remixable and shareable with different audiences/sites 

* Develop a supporting infrastructure to standardize the process and support each learner collecting badges from multiple issuers and sharing sub-collections out across various displayers. 

* Create an infrastructure that is open and as decentralized as possible to give learners control and support of the entire ecosystem  

Enabling learners to earn badges wherever they're learning across the web requires support for multiple individual badge issuers. Empowering learners to use their badges as legitimate credentials requires support for sharing of badges across many display sites. The Open Badges framework is designed to allow any learner to collect badges from multiple sites, tied to a single identity, and then share them out across various sites -- from their personal blog or website to social networking profiles. It is critical for this infrastructure to be open to give learners control over their own learning and credentials, allow anyone to issue badges, and for each learner to carry the badges with them across the web and other contexts.   

* Issuer issues a badge on their site, then prompts the Badge Earner to push the badge into their Backpack for portability.

** Issuer does this through the [https://github.com/mozilla/openbadges/wiki/Issuer-API Issuer API] which provides script to present the Badge Earner with a modal dialog that requests their consent to add the Issuer's badge(s) to their Backpack.

* Issuer can also push badges to the [https://github.com/mozilla/openbadges/wiki/Badge-Baking Mozilla Baking Service] where the assertion url representing JSON blobs is embedded into PNG files

** n.b. Only necessary if Issuer wants the Earner to have the ability to store badges outside of the OBI. Otherwise Badge Baking handled through the [https://github.com/mozilla/openbadges/wiki/Issuer-API Issuer API].  

* Displayers pull unpacked badges (JSON) out of the Backpack based on privacy settings and Earner action.   

* Public badges are discoverable by Earner’s email address   

* Earners can share badges through the Backpack, thus granting permission for a particular site to display that set of badges   

* Displayers authenticate badges with the Issuer using the [https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges/Onboarding-Issuer#G._Verification Verification] check