Got Badges?: Your Students' Next Obsession (And Learning Tool)

 Photo Credit: Octalysisgroup.com 

At some point we have all been there in our elementary experience.  We got the gold star on a homework assignment, we got a "smell good" sticker on an assignment that we tried extra hard on.  Badges and stickers for a job well done are not a new concept. Benny Bornfield in his peer reviewed article in FirstMonday , (click here for article) acknowledges that even going back to the times of Napoleon, people have been driven by the honor of receiving badges or ribbons for heroic deeds.  

Why are badges so effective? 

I ran across a TedX talk by Jeni Cross (Click here for link) In which she speaks about the big three myths of behavior change.  She identifies that people really have no idea what motivates them.  The data and the science is clear.  So, What does motivate people?  According to Jeni, Social Norms are the best motivators of humans!  Badges play very nicely into social norms!  As students watch the name boards fill up with gold stars, the social norms kick in. 

How do I bring badges into the classroom? 

Unlike literally everything else we have to teach students as they enter our classroom, badges are already ingrained into their lives.  Apps and social media have been using badges for years to obtain and retain users through social norms and an ecosystem that values the badges.

Theresa Hortsman,  in her 2020 article listed in Emerald Insight (click here for article) examines 8 hallmarks of a successful Badging design:

• 1. Badges should be nested together to create clear learning pathways for learners (Barron, 2006; Hickey et al., 2014). 

  S2. Badges should give learners opportunities to build connections between badge criteria based on the proximity of badges to each other (Barron, 2006; Lakoff, 2008). 

  S3. The badge system as a whole should serve as a framework for creating a complex (re)combination of program activities that align with: 

  (1) program goals for community building; and 

  (2) engagement with disciplinary knowledge and practice, indicating significant milestones for learners. 

  Badge criteria: 

  C1. Badge criteria should contain the attributes of Gameful Design (Deterding, 2011). 

  C2. Badge criteria should serve as metacognitive cues, prompting learners to reflect upon their own learning and see possible future identities (National Research Council, 2000). 

  C3. Badge criteria should incorporate activities and tasks that are intrinsically motivating (Hecker, 2010; Blair, 2011). 

  C4. Community, program and learning values are represented in how the criteria are composed (Deterding, 2011). 

  C5. Blends disciplinary-specific content knowledge with non-disciplinary-specific

• Can an Ai do this for me?

  • As teachers, we really do not give artificial intelligence enough credit for the creativity it can display.  Here was my original prompt: 

  • 
    

  • I need design badge names for my high school biology classroom.  Please use the following criteria (Theresa Hortsman's article) to create fun and engaging badges

  • 
    

  The Ai proceeded to ask me a series of questions about which Biology standards I was interested in and which state the standards came from.   Not only did the Ai organize the badges by standard with catchy badge names but it also designed pathways based on Hortsmans criteria in which the student could navigate each topic for "higher" badge rankings!  

Heredity and Reproduction (Genetics, DNA, RNA, Cell Cycle) (SC.912.L.16.x)

• Focus: DNA, protein synthesis, genetics, meiosis, mitosis.
  • The "Genetic Genius" Badge: For mastery of Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics.
  • The "DNA Decoder" Badge: For understanding DNA structure, replication, transcription, and translation.
  • The "Mitosis Mastermind" Badge: For demonstrating understanding of the cell cycle and asexual reproduction.
  • The "Meiosis Maven" Badge: For grasping the complexities of sexual reproduction and genetic variation.
  • The "Heredity Investigator" Badge: For analyzing genetic crosses and inheritance patterns.

Pathway 2: The Biological Systems Engineer (Cells, Heredity, and Organisms)

This pathway delves into the fundamental building blocks and processes of life, encouraging students to see the intricate engineering within living systems. Proximity here means connecting micro-level understanding to macro-level function. Community can be fostered through collaborative model building or genetic problem-solving.

• Entry-Level Badge: "Cellular Champion"

  • Criteria C1 (Gameful Design): Awarded for identifying and describing the function of all major organelles in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. (Challenge, clear goal)
  • Criteria C2 (Metacognitive Cue): "I now understand the basic units of life. This knowledge is fundamental to understanding all living things!"
  • Criteria C3 (Intrinsic Motivation): Visualizing and understanding the "machines" within cells can be inherently fascinating.
  • Criteria C4 (Values): Emphasizes foundational knowledge and precision.
  • Criteria C5 (Blend): Cell Biology (disciplinary) + Attention to Detail/Categorization (non-disciplinary).

• Mid-Level Badge: "Macromolecule Maestro" (Builds on "Cellular Champion")

  • Criteria C1 (Gameful Design): Awarded for correctly identifying the four major types of macromolecules, their monomers, and their primary functions within cells. (Collection, pattern recognition)
  • Criteria C2 (Metacognitive Cue): "I've learned the chemical building blocks that make cells work. I'm connecting chemistry to biology!"
  • Criteria C3 (Intrinsic Motivation): Seeing the molecular basis for life provides a deeper level of understanding.
  • Criteria C4 (Values): Promotes analytical thinking about molecular structure and function.
  • Criteria C5 (Blend): Biochemistry (disciplinary) + Pattern Recognition (non-disciplinary).

• Advanced Badge: "DNA Decoder" (Builds on "Macromolecule Maestro" and "Cellular Champion")

  • Criteria C1 (Gameful Design): Awarded for accurately modeling DNA replication, transcription, and translation, explaining the central dogma of biology. (Complex problem-solving, construction)
  • Criteria C2 (Metacognitive Cue): "I've cracked the code of life! I can now explain how genetic information is stored and expressed, which is key to understanding heredity."
  • Criteria C3 (Intrinsic Motivation): The satisfaction of assembling a complex process and understanding how information flows.
  • Criteria C4 (Values): Fosters logical sequencing and comprehension of complex biological processes.
  • Criteria C5 (Blend): Molecular Genetics (disciplinary) + Systems Thinking/Modeling (non-disciplinary).

• Capstone Badge: "Genetic Genius" (Builds on "DNA Decoder")

  • Criteria C1 (Gameful Design): Awarded for successfully solving a complex genetic cross problem (e.g., dihybrid, incomplete dominance, sex-linkage) and interpreting the results. (Puzzle-solving, challenge)
  • Criteria C2 (Metacognitive Cue): "I can now predict inheritance patterns and understand genetic variation. My understanding of heredity is strong!"
  • Criteria C3 (Intrinsic Motivation): The satisfaction of correctly solving a challenging problem and applying abstract principles to real-world scenarios.
  • Criteria C4 (Values): Encourages precision, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving.
  • Criteria C5 (Blend): Mendelian & Non-Mendelian Genetics (disciplinary) + Logical Deduction/Problem-Solving (non-disciplinary).