The tricky part here (as it is for grades, I suppose) is that the more these types of rewards are used for real-life evaluation, the stronger the incentive to c

The tricky part here (as it is for grades, I suppose) is that the more these types of rewards are used for real-life evaluation, the stronger the incentive to cheat. While I agree that grades are fairly broken as-is for a number of students, placing such a heavy weight on mechanics such as badges makes them more worrisome and less fun. In the long-term, yes, right direction...in the short-term, we have lots of work to do first.