Teacher Opinions on the Use of Digital Badges in Educational Environments

Abstract

Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. The structure of gamification is composed of dynamics, mechanisms and components. When the gamification is considered as a pyramid, the components are at the base of this pyramid. One of the most effective gamification components is digital badges. Digital badges can be viewed as a tool that reflects the diverse capabilities of learners. The purpose of this research is to examine the views of teachers on the use of digital badges in educational environments. The research was conducted with 15 teachers in different branches working in the same educational institution. In the study, data were gathered by structured interview form. Collected Data were analyzed using content analysis methods. As a result of the analyzes made, it is seen that teachers generally have favorable opinions about the use of digital badges in educational environments. As a result of the research, it was seen that the use of digital badge has some advantages such as giving positive behavior to the students, motivation towards the lesson, active participation and interest in the lesson. It also appears to have some disadvantages such as competition among students and infrastructure problems. In addition, a large number of participants have stated that use of digital badges with some changes would be used widely in learning environments.