NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Event Focus

What is a "Digital Badge?"

A digital badge is a relatively new idea. It’s an ‘official’ file, that when awarded, contains all the hidden information about that achievement and who won it, and can be shared and posted. Specifically, the Starlite Digital Badges team will “use Mozilla’s new free and open source ‘Open Badges’ software to issue, manage and display digital badges for learning across the Web.”

Earlier in 2012, Khal Shariff, CEO of Project Whitecard, Dr. Meri Cummings of Wheeling Jesuit University and Dr. Bob Starr of NASA presented together to convince a “Badges for Lifelong Learning” jury at the California Academy of Sciences to award the partners an initiative to collaborate on the new Mozilla system that tracks digital “badges” recognizing life’s achievements. By emphasizing advanced interactivity with robotics, science, technology, engineering and math, developed in conjunction with NASA, the team took one of the top prizes and the new Curiosity Rover Challenge Badge is the first pilot of this collaboration.

Description

When the Mars Curiosity Rover landed successfully on August 5th, 2012, web surfers were introduced to the chance to win the first pilot Starlite Digital Badge developed in conjunction with NASA. By interacting with a brand-new type of 3D content, visitors  have a chance to join in the excitement by testing  a game that mimics some of the exciting new rover’s capabilities.

 

NASATalk is a website educators can visit to share ideas, suggestions, and stories about using NASA resources to enhance STEM teaching and learning. In addition to the new Mars Curiosity Rover Collaborative, STEM educators can view, comment on, and contribute to the blogs, NASA Connections, and featured NASA education stories  at www.nasatalk.com. 

  Instructional Objectives

Through an interactive, game-based activity, players will be able to locate sedimentary rocks on a simulated Mars landscape and activate the rover's drill in search of evidence for past life.

Sequence of Events

Pre-Conference Activities .

Ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Flash and have closed other programs on your computer.

Videoconference Activities If you wish to interact with the Curiosity Digital Badge Game developers to learn about digital badges for lifelong learning, email robert.m.starr@nasa.gov to arrange a live chat. Post-Conference Activities Stay tuned for more Starlite Digital Badges!

Standards

Grades K-4 Earth and Space Science: Changes in earth and sky

Grades 5-8 Earth and Space Science: Structure of the earth system; Earth's history; Earth and the solar system

Grades 9-12 Earth and Space Science: Geochemical cycles; Origin and evolution of the earth system