Digital badges affect need satisfaction but not frustration in males in higher education

Abstract

Digital badges are debated as a possible motivator in higher education, but their impact on basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration still requires research. Particularly need frustration has not been addressed systematically yet, specifically in relation to gender. Investigating whether and how badges affect both need satisfaction and need frustration, this study extends existing research on badges, motivation, and gender and discusses implications for theory and practice. During a digital seminar lasting for 8 weeks, we conducted a mixed-method experiment with N = 64 (32 women) undergraduates (M = 22.95 years, SD = 4.06). Participants were divided into an experimental (badges) and a control condition (no badges). We measured need satisfaction and frustration with pre-post online questionnaires. Univariate two-way analyses of variance revealed no effects of condition or gender. In the badge condition only, we used repeated-measurement analyses of variance and qualitative content analyses. Females and males estimated the seminar as equally need-satisfying, but males perceived working with badges as less need-satisfying than working for the seminar overall. Need frustration was not affected. Qualitative data implied that the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness could be better supported by underlining the value, ease of use, and social aspects of badges. Gender effects might exist because of a male preference for competitive game elements or ease of use. Conclusively, digital badges, even if not perceived as particularly need-supportive, can be a motivator in digital learning without frustrating the basic needs. This work adds empirical evidence from the perspective of need frustration to existing research on motivation and gamification. It can be conducive to an optimal promotion of female and male students’ motivation in digital learning.