In the video-gaming world, “leveling up” is the all-important increase in a player’s rank that psychologically keeps gamers doing better and wanting more – so some professors figure: Why not apply that concept to the classroom?
But instead of leveling-up, students can earn “badges” to show they’ve mastered an academic concept, icons they can not only earn over the course of a semester, but also post in social media outlets and even tally up and group together to indicate special skill sets on their resumes.
Recommended Stories
Badges are trending in the higher education arena, and whether they catch on remains to be seen, but a few professors piloting the concept claim it’s a positive paradigm shift.
They’re more specific than grades, the educators argue, adding the badges also create a carrot-stick approach to education that keeps kids engaged and interested.
