Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: A longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation,social comparison,satisfaction, effort,and academic performance

Gamification, the application of game elements to non-game settings, continues to grow in popularity as a method to increase student engagement in the classroom. We tested students across two courses, measuring their motivation, social comparison, effort, satisfaction, learner empowerment, and academic performance at four points during a 16-week semester. One course received a gamified curriculum, featuring a leaderboard and badges, whereas the other course received the same curriculum without the gamified elements. Our results found that students in the gamified course showed less motivation, satisfaction, and empowerment over time than those in the non-gamified class. The effect of course type on students' final exam scores was mediated by students' levels of intrinsic motivation, with students in the gamified course showing less motivation and lower final exam scores than the non-gamified class. This suggests that some care should be taken when applying certain gamification mechanics to educational settings.     

Design and evaluation of a gamified system for ERP training

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) facilitate the flow of information within a company by storing data in common databases. These systems offer a holistic view of the organization because they reduce information redundancy, offer information in real time, help with process standardization, and improve information flow and communication among employees. Nevertheless, the benefits attributed to an ERP implementation can be lost without an effective user training. Previous studies have observed that common training mechanisms don't provide meaningful learning to users, and that user satisfaction rates range from neutral to low. Therefore, in this paper we study the effects that gamification has on ERP training concerning user learning and user satisfaction. Gamification is the use of game elements and game design techniques in non-gaming environments. Several applications prove that gamified systems increase user engagement and performance. Our hypotheses were that a gamified system for ERP training improve user learning and user satisfaction levels during the training period. To test our hypotheses, we designed and evaluated a gamified system. The results showed that users trained using a gamified system performed better than those trained using a conventional, non-gamified, training mechanism.     

Gamification Solutions to Enhance Software User Engagement—A Systematic Review

Gamification is the use of video-game mechanics and elements in nongame contexts to enhance user engagement and performance. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review to have an in-depth investigation into the existing gamification solutions targeted at solving user engagement problems in different categories of software. We carried out this systematic review by proposing a framework of gamifying process, which is the basis for comparison of existing gamification solutions. In order to report the review, the primary studies are categorized according to the following: a) gamified software and their platforms; b) elements of the gamifying process; c) gamification solutions in each software type; d) gamification solutions for software user engagement problems; e) gamification solutions in general; and f) effects of gamification on software user engagement and performance. Based on the search procedure and criteria, a total of 78 primary studies were extracted. Most of the studies focused on educational and social software, which were developed for web or mobile platforms. We concluded that the number of studies on motivating users to use software content, solving problems in learning software, and using real identity is very limited. Furthermore, few studies have been carried out on gamifying the following software categories: productivity software, cloud storage, utility software, entertainment software, search engine software, tool software, fitness software, software engineering, information worker software, and health-care software. In addition, a large number of gamification solutions are relatively simple and require improvement. Thus, for future studies, researchers can work on the items discovered in this review; they can improve the quality of the current gamified systems by using a wide variety of game mechanics and interface elements, utilizing a combination of contextual types of rewards and giving users the ability to use received rewards “in-game” and “out-game.”     

Enhancing User Engagement through Gamification

Gamification—the use of game elements in non-game contexts—is gaining interest among researchers and practitioners. How gamification enhances user engagement, though, remains unclear, largely due to the lack of a theoretical framework. To narrow the theory gap, this study develops a theoretical model, which draws on cognitive evaluation theory to explain the effects of game dynamics on user engagement, and tests it using data collected from 164 users of a gamified information system. The results reveal that gamification enhances user engagement through the mediation of psychological needs satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) between game dynamics and enjoyment. The results suggest that gamification should go beyond merely providing fun and enjoyment; gamification should also generate diverse game dynamics, such as rewards, competition, altruism, and self-expression in a way that helps people to satisfy their psychological needs. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the success of gamification.     

Gamified monetary reward designs: Offering certain versus chance-based rewards

To motivate visitors to engage with websites, e-tailers widely employ monetary rewards (e.g., vouchers, discounts) in their website designs. With advances in user interface technologies, many e-tailers have started to offer gamified monetary reward designs (MRDs), which require visitors to earn the monetary reward by playing a game, rather than simply claiming the reward. However, little is known about whether and why gamified MRDs engage visitors compared to their non-gamified counterpart. Even less is known about the effectiveness of gamified MRDs when providing certain or chance-based rewards, in that visitors do or do not know what reward they will gain for successfully performing in the game. Drawing on cognitive evaluation theory, we investigate gamified MRDs with certain or chance-based rewards and contrast them to non-gamified MRDs with certain rewards in user registration systems. Our results from a multi-method approach encompassing the complementary features of a randomised field experiment (N = 651) and a randomised online experiment (N = 330) demonstrate differential effects of the three investigated MRDs on user registration. Visitors encountering either type of gamified MRD are more likely to register than those encountering a non-gamified MRD. Moreover, gamified MRDs with chance-based rewards have the highest likelihood of user registrations. We also show that MRDs have distinct indirect effects on user registration via anticipated experiences of competence and sensation. Overall, the paper offers theoretical insights and practical guidance on how and why gamified MRDs are effective for e-tailers.     

Enhancing instructional outcomes with gamification: An empirical test of the Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model

BackgroundGamification, the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has become a popular technique to improve instructional outcomes in both organizational and educational contexts. In the organizational context, the Technology-Enhanced Training Effectiveness Model [TETEM] provides a framework to understand how technologies, like gamification, can effect change in various instructional outcomes. Specifically, application of TETEM suggests that gamification may not effect change in instructional outcomes when learner attitudes towards game-based learning and experience with video games are low.MethodIn this study, we test this model in the gamification context by assigning potential learners to read scenarios describing gamified instruction or traditional, PowerPoint instruction in a random order and assessing their training valence.ResultsOn average, participants anticipated greater value from gamified instruction, but as predicted by TETEM, this effect was moderated by both video game experience and attitudes towards game-based learning. Among potential learners with high experience and attitudes, gamification produces better outcomes than PowerPoint, but among potential learners with low experience and attitudes, gamification produces worse outcomes than PowerPoint.ImplicationsWe provide empirical support for TETEM and conclude that for gamification to be successful, the attitudes and experience of participants must be assessed and ensured before gamification is implemented.     

Learning and engagement in a gamified course: Investigating the effects of student characteristics

The current study investigated college students' experiences of a gamified informatics course. We surveyed 139 students aged 18–31 years (M = 20 years, SD = 1.5) enrolled in an undergraduate informatics course focused on social networking technologies. Surveys were conducted at 3 time points during the course (beginning, middle, and end). Overall, we found positive trends with respect to students' perceptions of gamification's impact on their learning, achievement, and engagement in the course material. Although students who played and identified variously with recreational games were more alike than not, we did uncover one notable difference with respect to how students' gaming frequency impacted their engagement in the course. Nongamers expressed somewhat less motivation to do well in the course than frequent gamers. For all other measures of engagement, however, nongamers appeared to be equally engaged by the gamified format of the course as gamers. There were virtually no differences between male and female students' perceptions of gamification. This study contributes new insight into the conditions under which gamification succeeds or fails in educational settings. These insights will be useful to designers and instructors of gamified learning environments as they seek to engage and support a variety of learners.     

Does ease-of-use contributes to the perception of enjoyment? A case of gamification in e-banking

The success of online games encouraged the development of gamification software in e-banking. Beside the growing trend of gamification, it is important understand how bank customers face the gamified applications, particularly as enjoyment and ease-of-use. To assess the determinants that influence the adoption of gamification in e-banking, we developed a research to propose a conceptual model that illustrates the adoption of gamified business applications by bank customers, in e-banking context. We conducted two quantitative studies (A and B) to understand how bank customers represent a gamified business software and its changes (or improvements) over time. Study A was performed in 2012 (N = 183), and study B in 2015 (N = 219). Online bank customers were invited to rate the importance of variables related to: socialness, ease-of-use, usefulness, enjoyment and intention to use e-banking systems with game features and social cues. The results show that ease-of-use and enjoyment are interrelated, and both have influence in e-banking usage. This study present theoretical ground of the conceptual model, and discuss two empirical studies, aiming to analyse the ease-of-use and enjoyment influence on bank customers. These findings will contribute directly to explain of adoption hedonic business software in e-banking.     

Gamification in theory and action: A survey

Gamification has drawn the attention of academics, practitioners and business professionals in domains as diverse as education, information studies, human–computer interaction, and health. As yet, the term remains mired in diverse meanings and contradictory uses, while the concept faces division on its academic worth, underdeveloped theoretical foundations, and a dearth of standardized guidelines for application. Despite widespread commentary on its merits and shortcomings, little empirical work has sought to validate gamification as a meaningful concept and provide evidence of its effectiveness as a tool for motivating and engaging users in non-entertainment contexts. Moreover, no work to date has surveyed gamification as a field of study from a human–computer studies perspective. In this paper, we present a systematic survey on the use of gamification in published theoretical reviews and research papers involving interactive systems and human participants. We outline current theoretical understandings of gamification and draw comparisons to related approaches, including alternate reality games (ARGs), games with a purpose (GWAPs), and gameful design. We present a multidisciplinary review of gamification in action, focusing on empirical findings related to purpose and context, design of systems, approaches and techniques, and user impact. Findings from the survey show that a standard conceptualization of gamification is emerging against a growing backdrop of empirical participants-based research. However, definitional subjectivity, diverse or unstated theoretical foundations, incongruities among empirical findings, and inadequate experimental design remain matters of concern. We discuss how gamification may to be more usefully presented as a subset of a larger effort to improve the user experience of interactive systems through gameful design. We end by suggesting points of departure for continued empirical investigations of gamified practice and its effects.     

Playing seriously – How gamification and social cues influence bank customers to use gamified e-business applications

The development of business applications with game features has given rise to a new trend called gamification and challenged e-banking to introduce new game elements, such as mechanics and social cues, to its traditional applications. Yet, there has been a lack of empirical evidence regarding the intention to use, these type of applications and their possible impacts on business. Here, we explore the role of gamification, socialness, and other four well-known variables (ease-of-use, usefulness, enjoyment, and intention to use) in a gamified business application and corresponding business. We proposed and evaluated a model based on the Technology Acceptance Model to better analyze and understand the adoption of gamified business applications. To test this model, we developed a study using a sample of 183 bank customers, and we found that gamification significantly improved the customer’s sense of social interaction, which, in turn, strongly influenced the customer’s intention to use the applications. We argue that this intention to use could provide a strong benefit to the business, in term of increased customer engagement. This paper presents a new conceptual model to predict behavioral intention in regards to gamification in e-banking, illustrating seven variables that affect the adoption of e-banking by bank customers. Our findings contribute overall to a better understanding of gamification in e-banking (with the extension of Technology Acceptance Model theories, and the new variable gamification), providing important practical implications for software development and marketing practices.     

Deconstructing gamification: evaluating the effectiveness of continuous measurement,virtual rewards,and social comparison for promoting physical activity

Game design elements are often implemented in persuasive systems aimed to promote physical activity, a process called “gamification.” Gamification is believed to motivate users to become more active, and is commonly implemented in commercial products. However, relatively few studies rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of gamification, and they yielded contradicting findings. We set out to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual rewards and social comparison—two game elements prevalent in persuasive systems. We developed a research prototype, called “StepByStep,” aimed to promote routine walking. We created different versions of StepByStep, implemented as an application on Android-based mobile devices, and compared their effectiveness in two field studies. Study 1 showed that a quantified version of the application—offering continuous measurement of walking time, a daily goal, and real-time feedback on progress toward this goal—facilitated reflection on activity and significantly increased walking time over baseline level. Study 2 showed that gamified versions offering virtual rewards and social comparison were only as effective as the quantified version. Thus, we advise designers to facilitate reflection on meaningful aspects of physical activity by developing novel ubiquitous measures. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of systematic comparisons between quantified and gamified elements for better understanding their motivational affordances.     

Overcoming the novelty effect in online gamified learning systems: An empirical evaluation of student engagement and performance

Learners in the higher education context who engage with computer-based gamified learning systems often experience the novelty effect: a pattern of high activity during the gamified system's introduction followed by a drop in activity a few weeks later, once its novelty has worn off. We applied a two-tiered motivational, online gamified learning system over 2 years to a total number of 333 students. In a mixed methods research design, we used 3-year worth of longitudinal data (333 students for the treatment group and 175 in the control group) to assess students' engagement and performance in that period. Quantitative results established that students engaged and performed better in the gamified condition vis-à-vis the nongamified. Furthermore, students exhibited higher levels of engagement in the second year compared with the first year of the gamified condition. Our qualitative data suggest that students in the second year of the gamified delivery exhibited sustained engagement, overcoming the novelty effect. Thus, our main contribution is in suggesting ways of making the engagement meaningful and useful for the students, thus sustaining their engagement with computer-based gamified learning systems and overcoming the novelty effect.     

Co‐creation of new solutions through gamification: A collaborative innovation practice

This paper aims to explore the main implications of gamification approaches to collaborative innovation and particularly to co‐creation, i.e. the interaction and interchange of ideas between users, customers, suppliers and other actors in the development of new solutions. Despite the few approaches attempting to make co‐creation more ludic and accessible, researchers have yet to analyse the link between gamification and co‐creation in an extensive manner. In order to better understand this unexplored relationship, empirical case research studies have been conducted with multi‐actors participating in a real‐life co‐creation project through the deployment of a gamified method and tool (ideaChef®), as well as a combination of different instruments, involving speed meetings, workshops, debriefings and interviews. Besides advancing the body of knowledge on collaborative innovation practices and conceptualizing the relationship between gamification and co‐creation, this paper provides important implications for managers on how multiple actors can be engaged and coordinated in such practices through gamification. The paper's main contribution lies in the suggestion that engagement goes hand in hand with coordination, and that a combination of both will be the best strategy for co‐creating new solutions through gamification.     

Learner Acceptance of a Multimedia-Based Learning System

The present study applied the technology acceptance model to examine the determinants leading to learners’ behavioral intention to use a multimedia-based learning system. Four exogenous constructs—multimedia self-efficacy, perceived richness of multimedia presentation, perceived learner control, and perceived system responsiveness—were externally added to the framework to improve its predictive power for the specific behavioral context. In addition, the second-order construct of cognitive engagement was created based upon the dimensions of curiosity, attention focus, and interest and was subsequently incorporated into the framework. The hypothesized conceptual framework was validated using sample data collected from 286 respondents who completed an online survey instrument. Results from structural equation analysis revealed that (a) behavioral intention was jointly determined by attitude and perceived usefulness; (b) attitude was jointly determined by perceived usefulness and cognitive engagement; (c) multimedia self-efficacy, perceived richness of multimedia presentation, and cognitive engagement were immediate antecedents to perceived usefulness; and (d) cognitive engagement was a key intervening variable linking the four exogenous constructs with perceived usefulness.     

Applying cognitive evaluation theory to analyze the impact of gamification mechanics on user engagement in resource recycling

Public awareness of the need to protect the environment has been on the rise given the widespread, continuous degradation of the global environment. Governments and businesses play important roles in fostering public acceptance of eco-friendly products and in increasing people's use of resource recycling to achieve sustainable development. The present study, thus, explores how a website's gamification mechanics influence the intrinsic motivations and needs satisfaction of users as well as their engagement in resource recycling. In addition, it investigates how environmental concerns moderate the relationships between intrinsic motivations and user engagement. The results reveal that gamification helps foster user engagement in resource recycling by influencing needs satisfaction (i.e., relatedness, competence, and autonomy) between gamification mechanics and intrinsic motivations (i.e., self-presentation, self-efficacy, and flow). For users with high vs. low environmental concerns, intrinsic motivations have a more significant effect on their engagement in resource recycling. It is found that gamification not only creates intrinsic motivation, but it is also likely to facilitate the satisfaction of psychological needs through mechanisms such as self-expression, point rewards, and competition. This research adds to the literature by contributing a slightly different understanding of the success of gamification.     

The design of a hybrid cultural model for Arabic gamified systems

The growing popularity of gamification in the global environment increases the importance of balancing factors that affect user engagement, satisfaction and acceptability in different cultures. While the main motivation behind gamifying software systems is to improve user engagement, an adverse effect might happen if the design and functionality did not consider users' cultural requirements. This paper presents a hybrid cultural design model for localising Arabic systems that takes into consideration the visual elements of user interfaces as well as the functionality and cultural factors of Arabic countries. We start by introducing design guidelines for localising Arabic systems and then evaluate the designed localisation criteria by conducting questionnaires and interviews. We base our studies on the factors that could affect the productivity levels of software engineers who use gamified software project management tools in their workplace. 63 software engineers participated in a mood board based questionnaire composed by different visual elements, rewards and achievements. To validate our findings, seven experts were interviewed. Those were software developers and designers. Based on our results, we propose a hybrid cultural design model, composed of personalised elements, localised elements and non-localised elements. This paper also proposes the first comprehensive model for localising Arabic gamified systems.     

A gamified peer assessment model for on-line learning environments in a competitive context

Peer Assessment (PA) offers a powerful solution that helps teachers in online learning environments to correct essays by distributing the workload among students. Nevertheless, the quality of the results in PA depends on good evaluations of reviewers. Thus, the main drawback for scaling up the use of PA is the presence of inadequate behaviours, such as being too harsh or too soft in the assessment, or even not offering a helpful feedback. This usually occurs due to the lack of motivation and engagement of students in the PA process. To deal with this problem, this paper proposes a gamified peer assessment model, where gamification elements are used to engage students in PA activities. Two experiments using the proposed model within an intelligent tutoring system called MeuTutor shows satisfactory outcomes. We verified that the average grade given by students to an essay are equivalent to those given by experts, but the time and costs to complete the assessments were largely reduced. Furthermore, the use of gamification helped to increase the amount of students' access to the system in 64.28%; increase in 10.53% the number of essays written and submitted; and improve the quantity and quality of assessments for each essay.     

Why to gamify performance management? Consequences of user engagement in gamification

Gamification offers one of the most promising solutions for information technology (IT) managers to innovate performance management systems. Yet, evidence on its benefits is limited, and IT managers are left without a clear guidance on why to implement it. To solve the problem, this article shows the benefits of gamification for overall job performance and the intermediating mechanisms through which it exercises its advantageous effects. It is theorized that employees’ engagement in gamification favorably alters their cognitions, transferring their effect onto employee attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. First, user engagement in gamification alters cognitions about the performance management system, making employees perceive justice, which, in turn, affects their satisfaction with the performance system. Second, user engagement in gamification alters cognitions about the job, influencing the perceptions of job stressors that affect job satisfaction. Third, user engagement in gamification alters cognitions about the organization, making employees perceive organizational support, which translates into higher organizational commitment. The improved cognitions then transfer their beneficial effect onto overall job performance as justice is found to exercise a mediating effect. The findings from 268 employees in a human resource service organization support the hypotheses and provide concrete evidence for the benefits of gamification in performance management.     

Gamification's impact on manufacturing: Enhancing job motivation,satisfaction and operational performance with smartphone‐based gamified job design

Gamification is defined as applying game design elements to non‐game contexts. The integration of gamification into the workplace adds a stimulating and captivating game‐like layer to the working experience of employees. This is predicted to improve their positive affect at work and operational performance to a certain extent. With the ubiquity of smartphones and Internet technology, smartphone‐based interactive operations can better facilitate the implementation of gamification in work processes. Against a backdrop of a drastic transformation facing the Chinese equipment manufacturing industry, we gamified a number of  computer numerical control machine operational jobs. A gamified job design framework was proposed, based on the job characteristics model and the game elements hierarchy. To achieve gamification in this context, a smartphone application was designed. We then hypothesized that smartphone‐based gamified job design (SGJD) would enhance participants’ three key indicators, namely, (i) job motivation, (ii) job satisfaction, and (iii) operational performance. We also analyzed how participants’ willingness to embrace gamified job design, known as “consent,” affected the improvement in the three key indicators. The results illustrated that SGJD significantly increased participants’ job motivation, job satisfaction, and operational performance. Furthermore, our experiment showed that consent to SGJD was positively correlated to the improvement in job motivation. However, no significant correlation was observed between consent to SGJD and an improvement in job satisfaction or operational performance.     

Publication trends in gamification: A systematic mapping study

The term gamification and gamified systems are a trending area of research. However, gamification can indicate several different things, such as applying the game-like elements into the design of the user interface of a software, but not all gamification is necessarily associated with software products. Overall, it is unclear what different aspects are studied under the umbrella of ‘gamification’, and what is the current state of the art in the gamification research. In this paper, 1164 gamification studies are analyzed and classified based on their focus areas and the research topics to establish what the research trends in gamification are. Based on the results, e-learning and proof-of-concept studies in the ecological lifestyle and sustainability, assisting computer science studies and improving motivation are the trendiest areas of gamification research. Currently, the most common types of research are the proof-of-concept studies, and theoretical works on the different concepts and elements of gamification.