Yesterday marked the deadline for the first round of submissions for the 2011Digital Media and Learning Competition. This year's topic: designing badges (and the supporting research) for lifelong learning.

The DML Competition is tapping into a larger project underway byMozilla, with support from the MacArthur Foundation (among others). TheOpen Badges Projectis working to create an alternative -- and accepted -- form of certification that combines merit-earned badges with an open infrastructure framework. Yes, much like the badges often associated with Boy or Girl Scouts, these badges are meant to help showcase various skills and competencies.

Read the rest of the post over at Inside Higher Ed