Select healthcare leadership in the Santa Barbara region and special guest Das Williams, Assembly Member and Chair of the CA Assembly Higher Education Committee met at Antioch University on October 8, 2014 at a meeting convened by SynED, an educational non-profit futures group, to discuss a unique solution for access to relevant training for the healthcare workforce.
Attendees participated and heard presentations by the Open Badge Alliance, Pearson/Acclaim, Cottage Health System and the Veterans Health Administration which were interspersed with group discussion among regional WIBs, Healthcare providers and educators. After thoughtful consideration, a recommendation was made to continue the discussion and plan a pilot or trial of the digital badge approach among several of the entities represented.
As traditional access to education is positively disrupted by new technologies like digital badges and gamefication, it is incumbent upon civic leadership – elected and voluntary – to lead the discussion to ensure that the changes are inclusive and effectively meet the changing needs of the workforce ecosystem. SynED’s involvement statewide in similar efforts will continue to inform the group’s efforts.
SynED has published a review paper capturing the vision and enthusiasm of the participants and the potential for for pilot ecosystems to validate the efficacy of digital badges in the healthcare industry.