Answer: The effect this technique is intended to have on the reader is to:
Place small importance to the little formal recognition most student wish for.
Explanation: The rhetorical question which quote "Could students be better motivated by something as simple as a little formal recognition?" means that students are being motivated by little formal recognition they get from others, which is of low or little priority. In order words, students need to forget about this little formal recognition and focus on effective ways to improve themselves for future achievements.
