Looking for a way to award students badges to visualize accomplishing goals or demonstrating skills? Google Sheets offers a straightforward solution to create and manage digital badges. By combining the spreadsheet’s data management capabilities with its conditional formatting options, you can easily design and display badges that represent individual achievements. Here is a tutorial on how to create badges in Google Sheets

Using Badges in the Classroom

If you have ever played a digital game that awarded badges there are 3 reasons to earn a badge.

Demonstrate Mastery

Student demonstrates they have mastered a certain skill or standard. What is great about using badges for this is that badges can be used for recognizing soft skills that are not necessarily named standards, yet have value for students.

For Fun

Adding fun to the classroom is motivating. Offer some fun challenges that have little to no connection to the standards, yet help build culture and engagement.

Extending Challenges

Overcoming a challenge is engaging. Badges allow you to offer students optional challenges that can encourage them to go above and beyond.

Create Badges in Google Sheets

Start by making a list of challenges in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Remember to offer choice, incorporate different options for student interests.

While you can insert drawings using the Insert menu, I recommend you create your badge in Google Drawings.

• Use the File menu to resize the canvas to 5 inches by 5 inches.
• Use the circle/ellipse tool to draw a circle. Tip: Hold down the shift key to ensure you draw a perfect circle.
• Ensure the circle fills almost the entire canvas.
• Use the line weight tool to make a thick border on the circle.
• Add design elements.
• Use the File menu to select “Share” and “Publish to the Web.”
• Copy the published link.

Adding the Google Drawing

While you can add images to Google Sheets using the Insert menu, I would recommend a formula instead. You want the badge image to only show up if the student has accomplished the requirements for the badge.

You will need a way to indicate the student has met the requirements. I like to use checkboxes. Add a checkbox from the Insert menu. Assume this is in column A.

In the cell you wish the badge to appear add the formula

=IF(A2=FALSE,””,IMAGE(“URL”))

A2 assumes the checkbox is in row 2 and column A. Adjust the formula accordingly.
Where the formula says “URL” instead paste the link to the published drawing. Ensure the URL is enclosed within “single quotes.”