Are There Jewish Digital Badges?: A Study of Religious Middle- and High-School Girls’ Perception of an Emerging Educational Technology-Based Assessment

ABSTRACT

For Jewish education, digital badges can provide an alternative to traditional assessments. However, the emerging research on badges suggests a complex relationship between learning opportunities, the learner, and the design of the badge. An investigation of a digital badge system at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish middle and high school for girls reveals new findings on digital badges as well as how badges can be used in Jewish education. Qualitative analysis of student interviews details how badges can motivate, provide feedback, and serve as credentials in Jewish educational organizations. This research answers whether digital badges are Jewish.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• badges
• credentials
• feedback
• motivation

Funding

This research and the preparation of this article were supported in part by a grant from the Covenant Foundation

Additional information

Funding

This research and the preparation of this article were supported in part by a grant from the Covenant Foundation

Notes on contributors

Samuel Abramovich

Dr. Samuel Abramovich is an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo SUNY where he studies the learning opportunities afforded by emerging technologies.