In modern education, the effectiveness of traditional teaching methods is increasingly being questioned. Tools that engage and motivate learners, such as those used in gamification, are gaining popularity. What if we could merge the practice of gamification with microcredentials and digital badges?

In the following article, you will find out: 

• What is gamification, and how can it be used in education?
• Microcredentials as a key element of gamification – what are the benefits of their application?
• Development paths in the Odznaka+ application – how does this solution work with gamification?

Changes in the world of education – new methods for new times

Traditional teaching methods (especially lecture-based ones) do not always prove effective in contemporary education. Lectures or talks are often characterised by the following:

• they assume a dominant role for the teacher/lecturer/instructor, while learners have little to no influence over the process and are generally passive (only listening and taking notes),
• they place a strong emphasis on delivering large amounts of information and facts,
• they do not encourage learner engagement during the session, leading to a potential loss of concentration,
• they do not develop creativity or critical thinking, two of the most essential “skills of the future” that education (formal, non-formal, and informal) is expected to foster in line with EU recommendations on lifelong learning.

Meanwhile, learners’ motivation and engagement have a critical impact on their effectiveness. As a result, teaching methods that involve, activate, and often even resemble play are becoming increasingly popular, and they prove to be far more effective than traditional ones. One such method is gamification.

Gamification in education – what does it mean? 

Gamification is the use of game elements and game design techniques in contexts unrelated to gaming. Its goal is to increase participants’ engagement and motivation. 

Applying gamification in educational settings involves introducing elements familiar from games, such as scoring or progressing through the next levels, into the learning process. As a result, learners, firstly, actively participate in the process, and secondly, are more likely to feel motivated (thanks to healthy competition and to immediate feedback on their progress, for example, in the form of earning points). 

‘Education can thus become not only more interactive, but also significantly more satisfying for learners, who become active participants in the process of acquiring knowledge. Integrating microcredentials or digital badges into gamified learning pathways is a way to make this method even more effective,’ says Dr Ziemowit Socha, microcredentials expert at IBE-PIB.

Microcredentials as a key element of gamification in education

From the learner’s perspective, receiving quick feedback on their progress is extremely important. It serves as motivation – when we see tangible results, we feel that the effort was worthwhile. Being rewarded for the effort put into learning is even greater motivation. 

In the world of games, various forms of recognition are used to reward players for progressing through different stages: points, the ability to purchase tools needed for further actions (which means higher player status), badges, medals, and more.

In educational gamification, such “rewards” also quite effectively can boost motivation. However, this isn’t about traditional grades (a system that still exists but is increasingly being questioned). A more modern solution for today’s education are microcredentials.

‘Microcredentials used in gamification can primarily support all educational processes based on the step-by-step validation of specific skills. This fragmented approach, in my opinion, aligns well with the principles of gamification, which is why it’s worth taking a closer look at the relationship between gamification and microcredentials,’ comments Dr Ziemowit Socha.

Among the benefits of using microcredentials as a rewarding element, thus engaging and motivating learners through gamification, the following can be highlighted:

• they provide immediate and comprehensive feedback on progress and achievements (clearly specifying what a person did to move to the next stage and earn the microcredential),
• they introduce an element of healthy competition among learners,
• they help teach collaboration (microcredentials can be awarded for group work and team projects, serving as a shared accomplishment),
• they motivate (as a form of reward, they recognise effort; collecting microcredentials brings satisfaction and can be proudly shared, e.g., on social media).

Gamification is just one of many teaching methods in which microcredentials can be applied. Numerous educational institutions around the world have already implemented them as a form of motivation – for example, to encourage participation in various extracurricular activities. Platforms like Coursera or edX offer courses that award certificates for completing individual modules, which function similarly to microcredentials. Some schools have also introduced digital badge systems that students can earn for extracurricular involvement, group projects, or academic achievements.

‘As education systems continue to evolve, microcredentials may become not just an add-on, but a fundamental element of effective learning – helping students develop skills and knowledge in an engaging and efficient way,’ emphasises Dr Ziemowit Socha.

Odznaka+ app: every learning path is a gamified experience

There are even more connections between the microcredentialing system and gamification. According to the IBE-PIB expert, the recently introduced “learning path” feature in the Odznaka+ app is, in many ways, based on the same principles.

The learning path feature allows issuers to define the order in which specific microcredentials should be earned. This enables them to design solutions that support the step-by-step accumulation of various achievements, such as thematic skill sets, job requirements, progression in complexity, or the structure of an educational programme. Learning paths also help individuals earning digital credentials to plan their learning and career development.

‘Issuing individual microcredentials does not fulfill the full promise they offer. However, combining them into larger units – learning paths – unlocks greater potential for both the Odznaka+ application and the entire microcredentialing system. One could say that every gamification experience is, in essence, a learning path. This comparison helps us understand how to use microcredentials in the most effective way,” says the microcredentials expert at IBE-PIB.

Sources: 

1. W. Okoń, Wprowadzenie do dydaktyki ogólnej (Introduction to General Didactics),
2. P. Ziółkowski, Teoretyczne podstawy kształcenia (Theoretical Foundations of Education), https://kpbc.umk.pl/Content/193526/PDF/pz-ksztalcenie-calosc.pdf
3. W. Glac, Gamification in education, TEDxGdynia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_DvbOtxBTQ