What is it about?
This study explores whether and how open badges — digital credentials awarded for completing activities or demonstrating skills — can motivate learners in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The research was conducted across two platforms: OpenVM Learning Hub (in English) and MiriadaX (in Spanish), using online surveys to capture learner perceptions. The study focused on three questions: do open badges motivate participants to learn, to complete MOOCs, and to use their badges outside the course environment? Results show that, across both platforms, MOOC participants were consistently motivated by open badges — particularly when the badge included a clear and adequate description of the skills developed. A regression analysis found that skill description in the badge was the strongest predictor of motivation to learn and complete the course, explaining 56.3% of the variance. The survey instrument showed high reliability (α = 0.92).
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Why is it important?
MOOCs are celebrated for their open and scalable access to education, yet they consistently struggle with low completion rates and insufficient learner motivation. Open badges offer a practical, low-cost mechanism to address this challenge — but until now, empirical evidence on their motivational effects had been largely anecdotal. This study provides one of the first cross-platform, bilingual empirical analyses of how open badges actually influence MOOC learners' behavior and perceptions. The key finding — that the quality of the skill description embedded in a badge is the most powerful motivational driver — has direct practical implications for instructional designers, MOOC creators, and institutions using digital credentialing systems.
Perspectives
As researchers working at the intersection of open education and digital credentialing, we were motivated by a gap we observed in MOOC design: badges were being awarded without much consideration for what made them motivating. Our cross-platform study — spanning OpenVM Learning Hub and MiriadaX — revealed that the quality of the skill description inside the badge matters far more than the badge itself. This finding challenges simplistic gamification approaches and calls for more thoughtful badge design grounded in learning outcomes. We hope this work encourages MOOC designers and institutions to invest in the semantic content of their digital credentials, not just their visual appeal.
Prof. Dr. Oriol Borrás-Gené
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Motivational effects of open badges in MOOCs. A learner perception study in OpenVM Learning Hub and MiriadaX, e-mentor, January 2020, Foundation for the Promotion and Accreditation of Economic Education,
DOI: 10.15219/em86.1479.
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