What are Metagroups in Open Badge Passport?

Definition

A metagroup is a feature of Open Badge Passport Spaces that enables the creation of learning pathways by interconnecting multiple existing groups. Members can thus progress through these groups according to a pathway logic defined by the metagroup creator. This structure allows administrators and educators to effectively monitor member progression in real-time, identifying where each individual stands in their journey, quickly spotting bottlenecks or stalled progress, and managing the overall pathway by tracking completion rates across groups and cohorts.

Here are some examples of metagroup possible use cases :

• Metagroups enable the school to structure its "Living Together Better" initiative into a coherent and progressive pathway over multiple years. Rather than isolated badges, students progress through interconnected groups (e.g., respect and tolerance → solidarity engagement → civic leadership), with clear visibility of their advancement. This strengthens student motivation, facilitates monitoring by educational teams, and concretely recognizes engagement in the school's mission through formal acknowledgment of the completed journey.
• The "Chef de Cuisine Journey" metagroup enables the training center to create a coherent educational progression while ensuring precise monitoring of the recognition system. For example, in the first year, apprentices can choose to validate 4 badges out of 6 (hygiene, cutting techniques, cooking methods, inventory) according to their strengths, then in the second year must mandatorily master regional cuisine and cost management before specializing (pastry or vegetarian cuisine), and finally in the third year must complete all managerial competencies. This structure ensures everyone possesses the essential technical foundation, allows differentiation based on profiles, and provides formal and progressive recognition of skills that enhances professional resumes. Instructors can also track in real-time where each apprentice stands in their journey, quickly identify bottlenecks (e.g., an apprentice stuck in Group 1 for 6 months), and effectively manage the overall system by visualizing completion rates by group and cohort.

Progression logic

Different progression logics can be defined and combined within the metagroup. There are three types:

• All badges required - The member must obtain all badges assigned to this group
• Minimum badges required - The member must obtain the minimum number of badges defined to progress
• Mandatory badges - The member must obtain all mandatory badges