Gamification Badges and Ratings: Impact on an Academic Social Network

Abstract

The Article describes the Impact of using Gamification Elements like Badges, Status Bar and a Rating System on the Interaction, Collaboration, Cooperation and the Presences of the Community of Inquiry Framework, inside an Academic Social Platform. We used a Design Base Research Methodology with Mixed Methods. We started by collecting opinions of users using semistructured interviews. The results from coding, informed on the construction of a gamified prototype, made with Elgg. Then Usability tests were conducted and the data helped refine the subsequent implementation. A Survey was deployed, Observations were made, and we gathered some Analytics. Results are presented congruent to the iterations and discussed. Some indications for the use of Badges and the implementation of Gamification are considered.