Effects of Digital Badging on Middle School Students’ Writing Motivation

Abstract

This study explored whether digital badges can effectively increase students’ motivation to write and revise their assignments. Conducted in a seventh-grade Digital Short Stories elective class, the study involved four students who wrote four short stories based on similar prompts. On each assignment, students received feedback through suggestions on their Google Docs, comments in Google Classroom, and scores on the assignment rubric. For the final two writing assignments, students could earn up to five digital badges for demonstrating mastery of the specific components outlined in the rubric. Earned badges were displayed on their Google Sites digital portfolios. Quantitative data were collected through the amount of time students spent writing and revising each assignment, as well as their grades on their first submission and revised resubmission. Qualitative data were collected through surveys administered at the beginning and end of the study, along with observations about the quality of student work on each assignment. Although the small sample size limits the generalizability of its findings, participants had a positive experience with digital badges during this study. The average time students spent writing each assignment increased after the implementation of digital badges, and all students revised at least one writing assignment, with every participant revising the final assignment. In contrast, only one student revised their work before the introduction of digital badges. Participants reported that their attitudes toward writing improved or remained unchanged after their experience with digital badges, and they also performed better on the assignments on which they could earn digital badges. Finally, all students responded that they felt that digital badges were effective at motivating students to write and revise. While more research is needed to determine the broader effectiveness of digital badges, the results of this study suggest that this form of gamification has the potential to enhance students’ motivation and engagement in writing and revision.