After winning Stage I of the DML Badges Competition, the virtual ecotourism team decided to take destiny into our own hands and entered our own unique badging system in Stage II of the competition.
If we are successful in this stage we will be competing in a live showdown with other winners in San Francisco, USA, with finalists taking home up to $200,000.
The virtual ecotourism badging system is compatible and interoperable with the Mozilla Open Badges Ecosystem – a fantastic project that aims to revolutionize the way casual and on-line learning is assessed and rewarded.
You can see our entry here.
With the help of amazing graphic designers Jaclyn Thast and Marija Vidanovich, we have created two potential badges:
Tour Creator Badge: Awarded to individuals who have created their own tours and gained familiarity with digital technologies including spherical panoramic photos, creative scripts and associated visual-audio media for tours, live video streaming and 3D virtual worlds. This badge promotes international, creative, storytelling.
World Citizen Badge: To achieve this badge tourists participate in traditional biological and ecological scientific learning (“hard” skills), and have the opportunity to gain 21st century skills such as cultural literary and global awareness. Donating to a worthy cause and/or promoting an affiliated conservation project through social media will also be components of the badge.