Achievement Badges Research Articles

Evaluation of Achievement Badges as a Gamification Method for Increasing Motivation in e-Learning

In this article we discuss achievement badges as a way to motivate students’ learning process. We present an experiment that includes two groups of students, enrolled in an online mathematics course for a one-month period. The article illustrates the results and effects of using badges in e-learning.

An Artificial Intelligence Interactive Platform for Automated Chatbot with AI-Driven Innovation in Recipe Searching

Hunger's Heaven is an innovative culinary app that uses artificial intelligence to customize and enhance the experience of cooking at home. The app's robust data handling and seamless functioning are ensured by its development with Node.js and MongoDB. It stands out for having AI-driven features that adjust to users' unique dietary restrictions and taste profiles, providing dynamic recipe recommendations and astute, dynamic search capabilities. Not only do these features address individual preferences and health, but they also make careful meal planning and nutritional monitoring easier. To enhance the user experience even more, the app incorporates social networking features that let users interact with a community of experienced chefs and rookie cooks, as well as share culinary accomplishments. Further interactive components like cooking challenges with AI enhancements and achievement badges inspire users and provide a lively learning environment. Hunger's Heaven is the ultimate example of fusing technology and culinary art, offering a dynamic platform that puts community, safety, and the appreciation of inventive cooking first.

Trading Gamification and Investor Behavior

We study the effect of gamification on retail traders’ behavior using a randomized online experiment. Participants with lower financial literacy prefer platforms with hedonic gamification elements, such as confetti and achievement badges. On average, hedonic gamification increases trading volume by 5.17%. However, the difference in trading activity between gamified and nongamified platforms is driven primarily by self-selection (70%) rather than gamification (30%). Participants who prefer hedonic gamification exhibit noisy trading strategies, whereas those favoring nongamified platforms display stronger contrarian behavior. Further, price trend notifications enhance learning for investors with accurate beliefs, but they reinforce trading mistakes for those with incorrect beliefs. This paper has been This paper was accepted by Jean-Edouard Colliard for the special issue on the human-algorithm connection. Funding: P. Chapkovski acknowledges funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Germany’s Excellence Strategy—EXC 2126/1-390838866]. M. Khapko and M. Zoican acknowledge the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Insight Development Grant 430-2018-00125] and the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation [research grant]. M. Zoican acknowledges financial support from the Quantitative Management Research Initiative (QMI) under the aegis of the Fondation du Risque, a joint initiative by Université Paris-Dauphine, l’École Nationale de la Statistique et de l’Administration ParisTech, and LFIS, France. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02650 .

Use of Badges as Achievements to Enhance Online Learning

Background and Aim: Digital badges are electronic symbols used as microcredentials to document achievement or skills mastered such as course completion, professional development participation, or training completion. The use of digital badges is trending upward in higher education. This study was undertaken for digital badge creation and implementation and investigated the effects of a digital badge system, on three aspects of undergraduate learners: levels of intrinsic motivation, participation in online learning, and general attitudes toward digital badges. This study aimed to implement digital badges for online learning by medical undergraduates and evaluate student perception regarding digital badges. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted on 150 students of 1st MBBS 2020–2021 batch. WordPress platform was used to design website with additional plugins for registration, discussion forum, and achievement badges. Students were sensitized to digital badge system. Students gained points for posting replies to online discussion, viewing content and clarifying doubts, answering quizzes, and online submission of assignments. Using the points scored, a scale was designed for awarding badges. Student feedback on Likert scale and perception regarding satisfaction, and motivation toward academics by digital badges were collected and analyzed. Results: Participants had positive perceptions of the badges, finding them authentic and innovative. The respondents agreed that digital badges helped to set goals and motivated to achieve these goals. Most students who earned digital badges agreed that badges helped increase their confidence in course material (78%), focus on specific learning objectives (65%), look deeper into course competencies (71%), and motivated to attend online classes regularly (83%). Conclusion: The digital badges were positively received by students who commented favorably about digital badges in their learning. Digital badges were perceived by students as a positive adjunct to learning and may provide a novel mechanism to enhance online learning.

Turning Grey to Green: Engaging Gamification in Sustainability Education with Augmented Reality Technology

In recent decades, topics of sustainability and carbon neutrality are getting more attention from society and academia in the sense of urbanization and social innovation. Scholars have been proposing methods to achieve sustainability and they emphasize the importance of educating citizens about the ethics of sustainability. Also, in the educational context, there is a trend in applying gamification concepts to promote sustainability. Previous studies have demonstrated that gamification can engage students through interactive content and reward systems, so that they can be motivated to learn and apply knowledge. Nevertheless, limited articles can be found to propose methods for developing technological applications for green innovation education. In addition, scant interest has been shown to include gamification in sustainability education, especially in Hong Kong. Knowing that simulation games may raise students’ curiosity to learn, we designed an augmented-reality-based educational mobile application to investigate their perception of engaging technologies and gamification in the learning process of sustainability education. In this application, there are three major components to be presented. First, various simulation games are included to educate learners with practical skills to nurture sustainable living habits. Cartoons and animations are added to better explain abstract ecological theories, and learners can interact with game characters / elements in real-time motion for an advanced gaming experience. Second, to motivate students to learn the content, digital achievement badges can be earned after winning the mini-games and they can be shared on social media platforms. It is expected that the reward system can attract students to participate actively. Last but not least, the application is hoped to engage Hong Kong citizens and the globe in the Green Deck project of Hong Kong and encourage more social involvement. With reference to the application structure, this study is expected to explore the effects of implementing games and augmented reality on education for sustainable development. Two surveys (pre- and post-surveys) would be established to evaluate the students’ learning experience and knowledge acquisition on sustainability.

The impact of hierarchical privilege levels and non-hierarchical incentives on continued contribution in online Q&A communities: A motivational model of gamification goals

Many online question-and-answer (Q&A) communities have tried to motivate knowledge contribution through the implementation of gamification mechanisms. We know little, though, about the effectiveness of specific hierarchical privilege levels (a.k.a. “leveling up”) and non-hierarchical incentives (e.g., independent reputation gains and achievement badges) in promoting knowledge contribution. Drawing on goal-setting theory, expectancy-value theory, and other related theories, this study models how hierarchical privilege levels and non-hierarchical incentives serve as motivational goals stimulating continued knowledge contribution. By analyzing a rich dataset collected from an online Q&A platform, we find that closeness to the next hierarchical privilege level does, indeed, have a curvilinear relationship with continued knowledge contribution. Interestingly, non-hierarchical incentives, including reputation gains and granted badges, help to maintain continued knowledge contribution. Notably, user reputation diminishes the effects of both privilege levels and granted badges on future knowledge contribution. This implies that these gamification mechanisms, while potentially powerful for incentivizing user engagement in knowledge contribution, might not work as effectively for participants with already established reputations in the online community. This research provides theoretical and practical implications for motivating continued user knowledge contribution in online Q&A communities.

Online social games: The effect of social comparison elements on continuance behaviour

Online social games, played within social networks or games requiring social interaction with peers, are revolutionizing the nature of video-games due to their social aspect and the ability of users to compare their performance with their friends or people in their network. Social comparison features, such as leaderboards, individual scores, achievement badges and level maps, are commonly used in online games to enforce the social interaction of players. However, one of the biggest challenges that the social game industry is currently facing is the ability to increase user enjoyment, and keep its players engaged in the games. To probe more deeply into whether and how players’ continuance intention is influenced by social comparison processes, we combine two theoretical lenses: social comparison theory and self-efficacy theory. We conducted real-world data collection to measure the impact of social comparisons in player perceived enjoyment, online social gaming self-efficacy and game continuance. The results indicate that upward identification and downward contrast are the most influential comparison elements in game continuance. The results of these two comparisons have significant implications for both the theoretical application of social comparison in online settings and for the practical implications of future game design.

Does gamified trading stimulate risk taking?

We run a randomized online experiment to study the impact of trading platform gamification on retail traders' risk taking. We recruit 605 participants from four countries, two-thirds of them reporting self-directed trading experience, to trade a virtual asset on an experimental platform. The gamified version of the platform features elements such as achievement badges or encouragement messages. We find that gamification nudges participants to take on more risk, particularly when trading high-volatility assets. The effect is stronger for inexperienced traders with lower financial literacy. A one standard deviation increase in the financial literacy score reduces the impact of gamification by 56%.

‘Mirror, Mirror On the Wall, Who’s the Better of Them All?’Fashion Magazines: A Social Tool of Empowerment or Enslavement?

The concept of ‘fashion’ and ‘fashionableness’ is a highly contested one with differing opinion as to what constitutes either, with no clear-cut move made to clarify the correctness of the myriad understanding behind the term. People who are seemingly fashionable or are considered fashionable by members of the community exert pressure on others--a pressure to follow, pressure to keep up or pressure to agree to the standards set by the supposedly fashionable as the bar for things fashionable. In recent times public discourse has looked at the immense pressure fashion has exerted on women in any given society. Be it things as banal as clothes and cosmetics or complex issues such as political ideologies espoused by one; everything in contemporary times is weighed by the fashionably endowed. Many wear their fashion sense as a badge of pride and achievement, much to the discomfort and dismay of those who think and behave otherwise; and no more is this awkwardness as obvious as it is amongst women. Media platforms add to the general sense of the divide among women in society by taking a decided stance in favour of the fashionable women, increasing the angst and anxiety of those women who aren’t. Do fashion magazines add to women’s confusion when it comes to issues of fashion or do fashion magazines help in allaying their fears? Some of these issues will be explored in the present paper.

THE POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS OF GAMIFICATION TO SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS' ADHERENCE TO HEALTHCARE INTERVENTIONS

The addition of video game-like elements to non-game activities, known as gamification, holds promise with respect to encouraging engagement with, and adherence to, health behaviors and healthcare interventions. Elements of gamification include the introduction of points systems, leaderboards, achievement badges, stories and themes, rewards, progress tracking, and challenges. However, a lack of enthusiasm for, and experience with, video game play by older adults has important implications for the effectiveness of these techniques across the lifespan. Specifically, the age-related “digital divide” must be considered before applying these approaches to improving the wellbeing, cognition, and health of older adults. This talk will build on the body of research conducted by the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) focused on gaming and interventions to present best practice guidelines for implementing gamification with older adults.

Dinosaur that lost its head: A contribution to a framework using Learning Analytics in Learning Design

This paper presents an approach to the meaningful use of learning analytics as a tool for teachers to improve the robustness of their learning designs. The approach is based on examining how participants act within a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) format through learning analytics. We show that a teacher/designer can gain knowledge about his or her intended, implemented and attained learning design; about how MOOC participants act in response to these and about how students are able to develop ‘study efficiency’ when participating in a MOOC. The learning analytics approach makes it possible to follow certain MOOC students and their study behaviour (e.g. the participants who pass the MOOC by earning enough achievement badges) and to examine the role of the moderator in MOOCs, showing that scaffolding plays a central role in studying and learning processes in an educational format such as a MOOC.
 Key words: MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses, data-saturated, learning analytics, learning design, educational design research, LMS.

Protocol for a randomised trial evaluating the effect of applying gamification to simulation-based endoscopy training

BackgroundSimulation-based training (SBT) provides a safe environment and effective means to enhance skills development. Simulation-based curricula have been developed for a number of procedures, including gastrointestinal endoscopy. Gamification, which is...

A Winning Combination: Introducing the MyPlate, MyWins Campaign and MyPlate Challenges

I T’S NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH and this year’s theme, “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” says it all. Eating is not only a biological necessity, but it’s one of life’s pleasures and an integral part of our family traditions. For many of us, food is at the heart of our most treasured memories, from making our grandmother’s timeless recipes to witnessing our children’s first bites of solid foods. At the US Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, we appreciate the significance of food in our lives and want to honor this principle in our efforts to improve the healthfulness of American diets. The objective of our new MyPlate, MyWins communications campaign is to help Americans find healthy eating solutions for everyday life. Every family has unique needs, and MyPlate is here to help them discover a personalized healthy eating style that works within their lifestyle. Through MyPlate, MyWins, we’re offering exciting new resources and tools to help American families make small, lasting changes or “wins” that add up to big successes. With the support of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), we hope to empower Americans to find a healthy eating style that works for them for the long term. MYPLATE, MYWINS MyPlate, MyWins is a communications campaign designed to help consumers find solutions for common barriers to healthy eating. MyPlate, MyWins encourages Americans to make small changes to create the right mix of food and beverage choices that can help them be healthier now and in the future. The campaign includes five consumer promotions in 2016. Each promotion coincides with topical events such as MyPlate’s 5th birthday, the back-to-school season, and holidays; features buzz activities; and includes opportunities for partner engagement. There are many ways for RDNs to get involved in the MyPlate, MyWins campaign. New resources are available at www.choosemyplate.gov/mywins, including key messages, sample social media content, images, videos, tips, and more (Figure 1). For example, the Communicator’s Guide to the Dietary Guidelines (www.choosemyplate.gov/ communicators-guide) is a new resource to help you create communication materials based on the 20152020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Communicator’s Guide includes information about how to translate the Dietary Guidelines into consumer messages as well as best practices for creating nutrition education materials. In addition, new videos are available to view and share—an animated video demonstrating how to build a healthy plate (Figure 2) and testimonial videos with real families sharing how they make healthy eating a reality. And the new MyPlate, MyWins tipsheet is a printout to share with clients who are looking for guidance on how to develop their own healthy eating style. We’re also launching our “MyPlate as a verb” series with

Increasing Students’ Awareness of Their Behavior in Online Learning Environments with Visualizations and Achievement Badges

In online learning environments where automatic assessment is used, students often resort to harmful study practices such as procrastination and trial-and-error. In this paper, we study two teaching interventions that were designed to address these issues in a university-level computer science course. In the first intervention, we used achievement badges, a form of gamification, to reward students for submitting early, solving exercises with few iterations, and completing the exercises with full points. In the second intervention, we used heatmap visualizations that show a prediction of the student’s success if he or she continues to behave in the same way, based on data from earlier courses. The results from a controlled experiment show that the heatmap visualizations had an impact on how early the students submitted their exercises and how many points they earned from them. We also observed that performance approach goal orientation correlated with an interest towards the achievement badges whereas performance avoidance correlated with an interest towards the visualizations. The results indicate that increasing students’ awareness of their behavior can have a positive impact on their study practices and results. However, the same type of feedback may not suit all students because of individual differences.

The Effect of Achievement Badges on Students’ Behavior: An Empirical Study in a University-Level Computer Science Course

Achievement badges are a form of gamification that are used in an attempt to increase user engagement and motivation in various systems. A badge is typically a graphical icon that appears as a reward for the user after reaching an achievement but that has no practical value. In this study, we describe and evaluate the use of achievement badges in the TRAKLA2 online learning environment where students solve interactive, automatically assessed exercises in a Data Structures and Algorithms course throughout the semester. We conducted an experiment where the students (N=281) were randomly divided into a treatment and a control group, with and without achievement badges. Students in the treatment group were awarded achievement badges, for example, for solving exercises correctly on the first attempt, doing exercises early, or solving all the exercises in a round with full points. Grading was the same for both groups, i.e. collecting badges did not affect the final grade, even though the exercise points themselves did. Students’ activity in TRAKLA2 was logged in order to find out whether the achievement badges had an effect on their behavior. We also collected numerical and open-ended feedback in order to find out students’ attitudes towards the badges. Our results show that achievement badges can be used to affect students’ behavior. Statistically significant differences were observed in the time used per exercise, number of sessions, total time, and normalized total number of badges. Furthermore, the majority of the students reported being motivated by the badges. Based on our findings, achievement badges seem to be a promising method to motivate students and to encourage desired study practices.

Developing an appropriate design of blended learning with web-enabled self-regulated learning to enhance students' learning and thoughts regarding online learning

The vocational schools in Taiwan regard professional certifications as a badge of skills achievement. The teaching in this context usually focuses on how to help students enhance their professional skills and pass the certificate examinations, particularly for computing courses. However, due to national education policy, pure online courses are not permitted here and in some other nations. In order to provide an appropriate design and arrangement of blended learning (BL) courses, the authors redesigned a course, integrating web-enabled self-regulated learning (SRL) with variations in online class frequency, and explored their effects on enhancing students' skills of deploying database management system (DBMS) and their thoughts regarding blended course and interventions concerning SRL. Three class sections with a total of 112 students were taken as three distinct groups. The results indicated that students in the group of SRL and BL with five online classes had the highest grades for using DBMS among the three groups, and had very positive thoughts regarding the interventions concerning BL and SRL. The authors also provide suggestions and implications for teachers and schools to adopt innovative teaching methods and technologies, and redesign their courses to help students learn.

Facilitating Students to Earn Computing Certificates via Blended Learning in Online Problem-Solving Environment

The vocational schools in Taiwan regard professional certifications as a badge of skills achievement. However, due to a national policy, pure online courses are not permitted. Moreover, it remains unclear whether every subject is suitable to be delivered via online courses. In this regard, the author conducted a quasi-experiment to examine the effects of applying blended learning (BL) with different course orientations on students’ computing skills, and explored the appropriate combination for teachers who teach computing courses. Four classes in successive semesters, with a total of 195 students from the courses of ‘Database Management System’ and ‘Packaged Software and Application’, were divided into 2 (Design-oriented vs. Procedural-oriented) × 2 (BL vs. Traditional Learning) experimental groups. The results showed that students from both design-oriented and procedural-oriented courses delivered in BL environment, had significantly higher grades on the examination for certificates than those who learned in traditional learning environment.

Enhance Students' Computing Skills via Web-Mediated Self-Regulated Learning with Feedback in Blended Environment

The vocational colleges in Taiwan regard professional certifications as a badge of skills achievement. To enhance student learning in this specific context, the authors conducted a quasi-experiment to explore effects of web-mediated self-regulated learning (SRL) with feedback, blended learning (BL) and their combinations on enhancing students’ skills of using Microsoft Word. Four classes in successive years, with a total of 190 freshmen, were divided into 2 (SRL with Feedback vs. SRL without Feedback) × 2 (Blended vs. Traditional) experimental groups. Results were generally positive. The results showed that students in the group of BL and SRL with feedback had better skills and higher pass rate on certification exams than those in the control group. It is hoped that the lesson learned is also useful for those teachers engaged in e-learning, specifically, in vocational colleges.

The politics of technology. National Academy of Engineering: Is it merely an honorary society or does it have clout on Capitol Hill? A report on what it is and what it could be

In the 15 years since the National Academy of Engineering was established as part of the century-old National Academy of Sciences, the engineering group has grown and seemingly prospered. On paper it is part of the apparatus for advising the Federal Government on scientific and technical matters. Election to membership in the National Academy of Engineering _ which in 1979 was composed of 950 U.S. citizens and 74 foreign associates _ is widely recognized as a badge of professional achievement.