# Using 3D printed badges to improve student performance and reduce dropout rates in STEM higher education

**Authors:** Raúl Lara-Cabrera, Fernando Ortega, Edgar Talavera, Daniel López-Fernández  
**arXiv:** [2303.08939](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.08939)  
**Date:** 2023-03-15  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2303.08939v1/

## Key points

- STEM students often find their courses difficult, leading to decreased motivation and performance
- Gamification techniques, such as badges, can promote engagement, motivation, and fun in learning
- Physical and virtual badges can improve student performance and reduce dropout rates
- A case study with 99 students in a Databases course showed that badge usage led to improved student performance and reduced dropout rates
- Negligible differences were found between different types of badges used
- Incorporating badge systems into STEM education can positively impact student outcomes

## Summary

In STEM higher education, students often perceive the difficulty of their courses as excessive, leading to decreased motivation and performance. To address this issue, prior research has suggested the use of gamification techniques to promote engagement, motivation, and fun in learning. One such technique is the use of badges as a reward for student achievement. This study hypothesizes that the implementation of both physical and virtual badges can improve student performance and reduce dropout rates. To test this hypothesis, a case study was conducted with 99 students enrolled in a Databases course within computer science degrees. The results show that the usage of badges does indeed lead to improved student performance and reduced dropout rates. However, there were negligible differences found between different types of badges used. This study suggests that incorporating badge systems into STEM education can positively impact student outcomes and should be considered by educators seeking to improve student engagement and success in challenging courses.