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Enhancing student learning experience with technology-mediated gamification: An empirical study
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We evaluated the use of gamification to facilitate a student-centered learning environment within an undergraduate Year 2 Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course. In addition to face-to-face classroom practices, an information technology-based gamified system with a range of online learning activities was presented to students as support material. The implementation of the gamified course lasted two academic terms. The subsequent evaluation from a cohort of 136 students indicated that student performance was significantly higher among those who participated in the gamified system than in those who engaged with the nongamified, traditional delivery, while behavioral engagement in online learning activities was positively related to course performance, after controlling for gender, attendance, and Year 1 PPD performance. Two interesting phenomena appeared when we examined the influence of student background: female students participated significantly more in online learning activities than male students, and students with jobs engaged significantly more in online learning activities than students without jobs. The gamified course design advocated in this work may have significant implications for educators who wish to develop engaging technology-mediated learning environments that enhance students’ learning, or for a broader base of professionals who wish to engage a population of potential users, such as managers engaging employees or marketers engaging customers.
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... Pakinee and Puritat (2021) determined a significant difference between gamified and non-gamified groups' engagement in favor of gamified conditions. It was also available studies reported similar results: Zainuddin et al. (2020) behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic sub-dimensions of engagement, Huang et al. (2019) behavioral and cognitive engagement, and Tsay et al. (2018) performance and behavioral engagement. ...
... Unlike this study, Huang et al. (2019) compared the gamified and non-gamified interventions and revealed that the behavioral and cognitive engagement of undergraduate students in the gamified group was higher than in the non-gamified group. Tsay et al. (2018) determined that students' performance and behavioral engagement in gamified systems was significantly higher than in non-gamified systems. In future studies, learning engagement of students with different personality traits can be compared in gamified and non-gamified environments. ...
The aim of this study was to investigate effects of gamification on active and reflective learners' engagement and cognitive load. It was also presented both of groups’ experiences in 10-week gamification process in comparison. Participants consisted of 70 undergraduate students (45 active, 25 reflective learners). According to results, both active and reflective learners were high rate behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagements in gamification, and had low cognitive load. There was no any significant difference between groups' engagement and cognitive load. It was determined that the Challenge and Competition, Engagement in Group Tasks and In-Class Activities, Leaderboard, and Reward System were common themes regarding the pros and cons of gamification process. “Challenge and Competition” theme had the highest frequency totally in terms of pros of gamification process whereas “Engagement in Group Tasks and In-Class Activities” theme had the highest ones in terms of cons. Although it was available common themes related to pros and cons of gamification, it was determined similarities and differences in active and reflective learners' opinions on various codes in themes. Consequently, characteristic features affected reaction toward gamification elements and process.
... Além disso, o uso de jogos e elementos da gamificação em ferramentas de aprendizagem atuam com um componente motivacional no processo de aprendizagem dos alunos [Tsay et al. 2018]. ...
A utilização de jogos educativos tem se tornado cada vez mais comum em diversas áreas do conhecimento. No entanto, em algumas matérias na área da Ciência da Computação, poucas opções estão disponíveis para o aprendizado. Um exemplo disso é a área de Linguagens Formais e Autômatos (LFA), considerada um assunto de alta complexidade por estudantes devido aos aspectos teóricos e abstratos da matéria. Este trabalho portanto, tem o objetivo de apresentar um mapeamento sistemático de jogos que abordam a área de LFA, os assuntos que os jogos tratam, os gêneros dos jogos e como foram realizados os testes destes jogos. Os resultados iniciais apontaram 9 jogos encontrados abordando diversos temas e gêneros.
... Further high-quality research is needed to enable a more conclusive investigation of the relationship between gamification and learning. Although a diversity of gamification dynamics already exists [20][21][22][23], tending towards an individually tailored gamification scheme [24], gamified learning techniques continue to evolve, and new instructional mechanisms are still developed and designed. However, reviews focusing on different aspects related to gamification agree on the need for a unified research-based theory of gamified learning [13,25]. ...
Although increasing student motivation is widely accepted to enhance learning outcomes, this relationship has scarcely been studied quantitatively. Therefore, this study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring the effects of gamification on students’ motivation and consequently their learning performance, regarding the proper application of the scientific method. To motivate students and enhance their acquisition of new skills, we developed a gamification framework for the laboratory sessions of first-year physics in an engineering degree. Data regarding student motivation were collected through a Likert-scale-type satisfaction questionnaire. The inter-item correlations and Cronbach’s alpha confirmed the internal consistency of the questionnaire. In addition, the learning outcome was assessed based on the students’ laboratory reports. Students participating in gamified activities were more motivated than those participating in non-gamified activities and obtained better learning results overall. Our findings suggest that gamified laboratory sessions boost students´ extrinsic motivation, and consequently inspire their intrinsic motivation and increase their learning performance. Finally, we discuss our results, with a focus on specific skills and the short- and long-term effects of gamification.
... Besides, it increases the enjoyment and effectiveness of the learning process (Gerdenitsch et al., 2020). The gamified learning design and determining the game's elements and scenario impact achieving the training process's objectives (Kyewski & Krämer, 2018;Tsay et al., 2018). ...
The aim of this study is to design and implement an e-learning course for distributors of fast-moving consumer goods using gamification. In the first step, the components of the in-store assortment are extracted using a systematic literature review, and customer preferences in each of these factors were determined as users’ opinions of 387 customers. In the next step, the game is designed based on the persuasive game design (PGD) model, and the mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics (MDA) of the game were determined by an experts’ panel, and a mobile app is designed as a learning tool. In the following step, the designed game was carried out by the distributors and the game prizes are awarded to the winners. Finally, the effects of the gamified e-learning are evaluated using the IMI questionnaire and analyzing the players’ points. Findings show that enjoyment, perceived competence, effort importance, pressure tension, perceived choice, and usefulness of this course are significantly higher than average. Besides, the average of points gets higher during repetition rounds while the dispersion of the points gets lower. As a result, it seems that gamification could be a valuable alternative to learning operational tricks for marketing staff, especially distributors.
... Online learning during the pandemic and post-pandemic era has been quite challenging for education institutions, especially on improving their teaching pedagogy while maintaining the quality of learning experience (Scholes, 2021). Fortunately, this challenge provides more opportunities to explore and transform teaching and learning experience through various methods such as gamification (Tsay et al., 2018), massive open online courses (Wong et al., 2019), project based learning (Sultanova et al., 2021), and many more. The usage of problem-based learning (PBL) technique has been accelerated during the pandemic. ...
Implementation of integrated project in chemical engineering courses has shown positive impact on students' understanding, teamwork, critical thinking, and communication. In this case, an integrated project covering three different courses in chemical engineering, namely Reaction engineering, Process modelling and simulation, and Separation process was formulated on palm-oil based biodiesel production and introduced to students. The response from questionnaire was recorded and analyzed by using Excel software. More than 90% of students agree that the project helps them to understand the course and prepare for test or exam. While more than 70% of students want to see this type of project for other courses. Majority of students think that collaboration and teamwork help them to finish the project and doing integrated project saves their time to do assessment. Beside improving their soft skill like critical thinking, students can also sharpen their technical skills in solving the problems, especially on process flow drawing, operation of simulation tool, calculation technique, and search for suitable information and data. Through this integrated project, students could explore the connection among courses in Chemical Engineering program and implement the taught concepts in solving engineering problem, which can be challenging things to achieve during online learning.
... In addition to face-to-face classroom practices, and information technology-based gamified system with a range of online learning activities was presented to students as support material. (Tsay, Kofinas, & Luo, 2018). ...
... Course design is also one of the significant contributors to perceived learning outcome and it also partially but significantly impacts perceived satisfaction. Therefore, instructors who wish to teach online should spend more time in improving their course design so that their course materials can be effectively delivered to their students in different ways to support different learning style, such as via PowerPoint slides, videos, quizzes and online games [66]. These tools are available through most commonly use learning platforms and other websites. ...
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected educational institutions and instructors in an unprecedented way. The majority of educational establishments were forced to take their courses online within a very short period of time, and both instructors and students had to learn to navigate the digital array of courses without much training. Our study examined factors that affect students’ attitude toward online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is different from other online learning studies where online courses are mostly a method of choice, with suitable support from institutions and expectation from instructors and students, rather than a contingency. Under this specific environment, we utilized an online survey to collect students’ feedback from eleven universities across Hong Kong. Using partial least squares for analysis on the 400 valid samples we received, we found that peer interactions and course design have the most salient impact on students’ attitude, whereas interactions with instructors has no effect at all on students’ attitude. Furthermore, we also provide suggestions on using the existing technologies purchased during COVID-19 for a more sustainable learning environment going forward.
Research on gamification’s effects in educational environments has been a growing domain in recent years. As research has demonstrated the power of gamified systems to effectively motivate learners in educational settings, it has also become clear that not all individuals are motivated in the same way, or to the same extent, by the same gamified system. Patterns in individuals’ attitudes and behaviors in online gaming are commonly known as player types. Nearly all player-type models were developed in online gaming settings, though they are sometimes applied to educational environments. Because online gaming and educational gamification are different in important ways, player-type models developed in online gaming are not optimal tools for describing the individuals’ motivations in education or prescribing best practices for educational gamification design. In this paper we address this gap by presenting a motivational-style model developed in a gamified educational setting. Using principal component analysis on motivational data taken from gamified Organizational Behavior courses, we define a two-factor space including the following motivational dimensions: (1) social versus individual motivators and (2) utility versus accomplishment motivators. Within this space, we describe four motivational profiles: Citizen—being motivated by social assignments like group work and peer review; Pragmatist—being motivated by completing traditional assignments and exams; Gamer—being motivated by game elements that show one’s progress compared to their peers and provide social reinforcing feedback; and Achiever—being motivated by improving one’s individual progress in a course. We also suggest best practices for designing educational gamification experiences optimized for students from each motivational type.
Öğrenme ortamlarında başarıyı, motivasyonu, katılımı artırma potansiyeline sahip oyunlaştırmanın uygulanması için çeşitli araçlara ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Öğretmenler finansal ve teknik destek eksikliği; uygulamanın ve değerlendirmenin vakit alması gibi, araçlarla ilgili sebeplerle oyunlaştırma uygulamalarından kaçınabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, eğitim ortamlarında kullanılabilecek oyunlaştırma araçlarının özellikleri incelenmekte ve karşılaştırmalı bir şekilde sunulmaktadır. Araçlar seçilirken eğitime yönelik geliştirilmiş ya da öğrenme öğretme süreçlerinde kullanılabilir olması; aracın içerikten bağımsız olması; en azından bir dersi oyunlaştırabilmeyi mümkün kılacak özelliklerin ücretsiz olması ve çevrimiçi olması göz önünde bulundurulmuştur. Classcraft, ClassDojo, Gimkit Live, GooseChase ve Pointagram olmak üzere toplam 5 adet araç incelemeye dahil edilmiştir. İnceleme, oyunlaştırmanın temelini oluşturan bileşen ve mekanik yapısının üzerinden ilerlemektedir. Çalışmada bileşen ve mekanik ilişkisi kuramsal temellere dayandırılarak açıklanmakta ve araçların özellikleri bu bağlamda tartışılmaktadır. Araçlarda bileşen olarak puan, rozet, seviye, başarımlar, sanal eşyalar, lider tabloları, hediye, küçük görevler, takım ve avatar; mekanik olarak ise ödül, ilerleme, rekabet, hikaye, özgecilik, anlık dönüt, mücadele ve statü yer almaktadır. Tüm araçlar puan, küçük görevler ve takım bileşenlerine ek olarak rekabet, anlık dönüt, mücadele ve statü unsurlarına sahiptir. Son olarak, çalışmada araç seçimi veya geliştirmesine yönelik birtakım öneriler getirilmektedir.
The education sector has undergone a tremendous transformation during the last few decades with the advancement of information and communication technology. Traditional methods of teaching and learning are replaced with modern technology enabled methods such as virtual reality, 3D images and videos, augmented reality, and gamification. Tourism education involves learning about geographic regions, destinations, and sightseeing. The shift from offline mode of teaching to a completely online and digital platform during the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the need to include such innovative practices in teaching and learning. This chapter focuses on the potential benefits of enabling technology infused teaching and learning methods and their implications on improving student motivation and engagement.
The importance of understanding students’ engagement is prominent in higher education. Assessment is the main driver of student engagement, a phenomenon known as backwash. I propose in this paper that students’ engagement with learning is often driven by an aesthetic motivation. I establish the connections between Burke’s (and Kant’s) conceptualisation of aesthetics as a dichotomy of beauty and the sublime (which I label the Burkean Pendulum) to motivation. I explore the links between this aesthetic motivation and the assessment regime focussing on the Burkean/Kantian sublime and suggest four communication strategies that can help manage the sublime when it arises in students’ education journeys. Thus, my contributions are twofold: firstly, I introduce the Burkean Pendulum as a means for educators to reflect on the aesthetic aspects of their designed assessment regimes. Secondly, I propose a framework of communication strategy narratives (Thriller, Horror, Exploration and Action) that could be used to manage the sublime of the assessment regime.
An examination of the literature on conflict between work and family roles suggests that work-family conflict exists when: (a) time devoted to the requirements of one role makes it difficult to fulfill requirements of another; (b) strain from participation in one role makes it difficult to fulfill requirements of another; and (c) specific behaviors required by one role make it difficult to fulfill the requirements of another. A model of work-family conflict is proposed, and a series of research propositions is presented.
In recent years, technology has been increasingly harnessed for motivating and supporting people toward various individually and collectively beneficial behaviors. One of the most popular developments in this field has been titled gamification. Gamification refers to technologies that attempt to promote intrinsic motivations toward various activities, commonly, by employing design characteristic to games. However, a dearth of empirical evidence still exists regarding why people want to use gamification services. Based on survey data gathered from the users of a gamification service, we examine the relationship between utilitarian, hedonic and social motivations and continued use intention as well as attitude toward gamification. The results suggest that the relationship between utilitarian benefits and use is mediated by the attitude toward the use of gamification, while hedonic aspects have a direct positive relationship with use. Social factors are strongly associated with attitude, but show only a weak further association with the intentions to continue the use of a gamification service.
The existing literature on indicators of an optimal learning environment for high-ability students frequently discusses the concept of challenge. It is, however, not clear what, precisely, constitutes appropriate challenge for these students. In this study, the authors examined an undergraduate honours course, Advanced Cell Biology, which has succeeded extremely well in challenging students. Methods included interviews with teachers and students, analysis of course materials, and observation of class meetings. As part of their course, the students developed a research programme according to national scientific standards, which they did successfully, according to an external jury of experts in the field. The challenge faced by the students comprised the complexity of the task, the high expectations placed upon them, and the lack of teacher direction. The results indicate that students' perceived learning peaked in a period of over-challenge and, although students felt worried and frustrated in this period, their efforts increased.
Meaningful gamification is the use of gameful and playful layers to help a user find personal connections that motivate engagement with a specific context for long-term change. While reward-based gamification can be useful for short-term goals and situations where the participants have no personal connections or intrinsic motivation to engage in a context, rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation and the long-term desire to engage with the real world context. If the goal is long-term change, then rewards should be avoided and other game-based elements used to create a system based on concepts of meaningful gamification. This article introduces six concepts—Reflection, Exposition, Choice, Information, Play, and Engagement—to guide designers of gamification systems that rely on non-reward-based game elements to help people find personal connections and meaning in a real world context.
The aim of this study was to assess gamification as a method of experiential learning theory (ELT) on student motivation and self-efficacy to perform System Engineering/Information Assurance (IA) tasks. The study was a basic qualitative method, whereby data was collected via semi-structured interview and then analyzed for recurring themes and patterns. The students involved in the study were undergraduate students enrolled in system administration and security courses. We introduced ELT in early stages of curriculum in place of commonly used didactic methods of delivering theory. We compared the themes found in increased ELT classes with past didactic sections of the same courses. Data analysis revealed that increasing ELT in IA coursework at all levels of the curriculum increased both student intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. This paper outlines gamification pedagogy used in 200 and 300 level postsecondary courses of system administration. Gathered results indicated high intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy from the students 96 interviewed. The paper will also present examples of gamification ELT lessons at each level of undergraduate study.
Millions play Farmville, Scrabble, and countless other games, generating billions in sales each year. The careful and skillful construction of these games is built on decades of research into human motivation and psychology: A well-designed game goes right to the motivational heart of the human psyche. In For the Win, Kevin Werbach and Dan Hunter argue persuasively that game-makers need not be the only ones benefiting from game design. Werbach and Hunter, lawyers and World of Warcraft players, created the world's first course on gamification at the Wharton School. In their book, they reveal how game thinking--addressing problems like a game designer--can motivate employees and customers and create engaging experiences that can transform your business. For the Win reveals how a wide range of companies are successfully using game thinking. It also offers an explanation of when gamifying makes the most sense and a 6-step framework for using games for marketing, productivity enhancement, innovation, employee motivation, customer engagement, and more.
During recent years, the practice of adding game design to non-game services has gained a relatively large amount of attention. Popular discussion connects gamification to increased user engagement, service profitability, goal commitment and the overall betterment of various behavioral outcomes. However, there is still an absence of a coherent and ample body of empirical evidence that would confirm such expectations. To this end, this paper reports the results of a 2 year (1+1 year – between-group) field experiment in gamifying a service by implementing a game mechanic called ‘badges’. During the experiment a pre-implementation group (N=1410) was monitored for 1 year. After the implementation, the post-implementation (the gamified condition) group (N=1579) was monitored for another full year. Results show that users in the gamified condition were significantly more likely to post trade proposals, carry out transactions, comment on proposals and generally use the service in a more active way.
Studies in 2 work organizations tested a self-determination theory based model in which employees' autonomous causality orientation and their perceptions of their managers' autonomy support independently predicted satisfaction of the employees' intrinsic needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, which in turn predicted their performance evaluations and psychological adjustment. Path analysis indicated that the self-determination theory model fit the data very well and that alternative models did not provide any advantage.