Call for Applications: Badges, Trophies, and Achievements: Recognition and Accreditation for Informal and Interest-Driven Learning Research: assessment, badging Grants: Research Grant, Doctoral Student Grants, Student Prize, Faculty Prize Deadline: Apply by *January 6, 2012* (application instructions: http://www.dmlcompetition.net/Competition/4/research-apply.php) Online networks, digital resources, and gaming environments provide rich opportunities for learning that is demand-driven and learner-centered. More and more people are turning to networked knowledge communities, online tutorials, and other digital resources for wide ranging learning needs. While learning is migrating to these more informal and non-institutionalized kinds of contexts, we still have little research that examines how people assess, recognize, and display the learning that happens in these settings. - What are the emerging techniques and practices for managing reputation and recognizing learning? - What are the broad historical and structural understandings of how accreditation operates in our changing social and cultural environment? - What systems exist for recognizing learning outside of formal degree and training programs? - How do credentials and other displays of achievement operate in the digital and networked world? - What kinds of skills and experiences have not been well captured by existing credentialing and recognition systems? - How is the landscape of credentialing changing (or not) with the shift to digital and networked society? We seek empirical and theoretical research focusing on these questions. Studies should focus on areas such as: - Ranking, badging, and achievement systems in games, clubs, competitions, and other forms of interest-driven activities. - Accreditation and certificates outside of formal degree programs, including areas such as work skills training, language, writing, and critical thinking capabilities, arts, crafts, and other trades. - The role of credentials, badges, and other recognitions of achievement in career and reputation development. - Empirical, theoretical, and critical studies of how companies, groups, institutions, and individuals produce, utilize, and exploit various credentialing and reputation systems. RESEARCH GRANT (1) Research funds to support the gathering and writing up of findings on novel and effective ways of assessing learning practices, especially learning facilitated by digital media. We are especially interested in work considering the role and effectiveness of badges and badging systems as instruments of assessment though competitive proposals will not be limited to this narrower focus. Awarded funds may be used for salary replacement, for travel in support of data collection, for modest graduate research assistance in support of the project (no more than one-third of final budget), or for modest technological support for the project. The grantee will also be responsible for organizing a workshop or a working group on the topic. In addition to the faculty support funding of the award ($60,000) there would be a budget of $20,000 available to support the workshop or working group. These funds may be used to support travel, accommodation and food expenses for workshop or working group participants but not for graduate student stipends or fees. The grantee is required to produce one publication, which could be a book, a MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Report, literature review, or white paper. Support for activities resulting in publication are to be included in the grant budget. Research award winners are expected to attend the Digital Media and Learning Symposium in San Francisco on February 29, 2012, followed by the Digital Media and Learning Conference on March 1-3, 2012 ( http://dml2012.dmlcentral.net/), as well as one of the Competition winners meetings, travel costs for which are to be included in the awarded budgets. Grantees are also required to set aside funds for the winners' event to be held in conjunction with the 2013 Digital Media and Learning Conference. Participation at the event is a requirement of the award. - Research funds: $60,000 - Workshop/Working Group funding, in addition: $20,000 - Application: - Proposal outline, including rationale and work plan, no more than 1000 words - Working group, or workshop outline, no more than 250 words - Budget and budget narrative for proposal - Budget and budget narrative for working group DOCTORAL STUDENT GRANTS (2) One year of funding to support dissertation research and write-up of findings on novel and effective ways of assessing learning practices, especially learning facilitated by digital media. We are especially interested in work considering the role and effectiveness of badges and badging systems as instruments of accreditation and assessment though competitive proposals will not be limited to this narrower focus. Research award winners are expected to attend the Digital Media Symposium in San Francisco on February 29, 2012, followed by the Digital Media and Learning Conference on March 1-3, 2012 (http://dml2012.dmlcentral.net/), as well as one of the Competition winners meetings, travel costs for which are to be included in the proposed budgets. Awardees are also required to set aside funds for the winners' event to be held in conjunction with the 2013 Digital Media and Learning Conference (Dates TBD). Participation at the event is a requirement of the award. - Two awards of $20,000 each to cover tuition fees, research funds, living stipend. - Eligibility: By the time of award, applicant must have passed all Ph.D. eligibility requirements to advance to candidacy (ABD). - Application: - Proposal outline, up to 1000 words - A letter of support from the dissertation advisor, and list of 2 additional references. STUDENT PRIZE (1) A prize for the best dissertation or publishable paper for innovative and groundbreaking work on “Recognition and Accreditation for Informal and Interest-Driven Learning” (see more on the Competition theme of badges for lifelong learning: http://www.dmlcompetition.net/Competition/4/badges-about.php) The winner will be expected to attend the Digital Media and Learning Conference and Research Symposium in San Francisco, March 1-3, 2012 ( http://dml2012.dmlcentral.net/), where the award will be publicly presented. Awardees are also required to set aside funds for the winners' event to be held in conjunction with the 2013 Digital Media and Learning Conference (Dates TBD). Participation at the event is a requirement of the award. - A monetary award in the amount of $5000. Funds will be inclusive of travel, accommodation, and registration costs for the 2012 Digital Media and Learning Conference (http://dml2012.dmlcentral.net/). - Submission: Dissertation or paper on the theme FACULTY PRIZE (1) A prize for the best publishable/published paper or book for innovative and groundbreaking work on “Recognition and Accreditation for Informal and Interest-Driven Learning” (see more on the Competition theme of badges for lifelong learning: http://www.dmlcompetition.net/Competition/4/badges-about.php) Research award winners are expected to attend the Digital Media Symposium in San Francisco on February 29, 2012, followed by the Digital Media and Learning Conference on March 1-3, 2012 (http://dml2012.dmlcentral.net/), as well as one of the Competition winners meetings, travel costs for which are to be included in the proposed budgets. Awardees are also required to set aside funds for the winners' event to be held in conjunction with the 2013 Digital Media and Learning Conference (Dates TBD). Participation at the event is a requirement of the award. - A monetary award in the amount of $5000. Funds will be inclusive of travel, accommodation, and registration costs for the 2012 conference. - Submission: Paper or book on the theme Sheryl Grant Director, Social Networking HASTAC/MacArthur Foundation Digital Media & Learning Competition Duke University Box 90403 114. S. Buchanan Blvd., Bay 5 Durham, NC 27708-0403