Students’ Perception of Using Digital Badges in Blended Learning Classrooms

Abstract

A digital badge system with a leaderboard ranking was implemented in an 18-week course offered by a Chinese mainland university during the 2018 Spring Semester. Fifty-four junior college students participated in this study, and the learning activities were based on a combination of online and offline methods using the Moodle system. The purpose of the study was to explore these college students’ perception of digital badges in blended learning classrooms as well as their perception of digital badges in general. Q methodology was used in a single case study of the students’ subjective experience of digital badges, and thirty-six Q-statements were selected after a comprehensive reflection of their views of digital badges. The participants were asked to sort the statements to model their opinion in a modified rank-order procedure. Twenty-two valid sorts were entered for the analysis, and three factors were identified to represent groups of participants with similar views. The results are discussed based on the views of students at a local university in mainland China and the way their demographic characteristics related to their perception of digital badges.