Learning Mechanics and Game Mechanics Under the Perspective of Self-Determination Theory to Foster Motivation in Digital Game Based Learning

Background: Using digital games for educational purposes has been associated with higher levels of motivation among learners of different educational levels. However, the underlying psychological factors involved in digital game based learning (DGBL) have been rarely analyzed considering self-determination theory (SDT, Ryan \& Deci, 2000b); the relation of SDT with the flow experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) has neither been evaluated in the context of DGBL

Serious Gaming for Behaviour Change: A Systematic Review

Over the years, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of game-based interventions for behaviour change associated with many fields such as health, education, and psychology. This is due to the significance of the players’ intrinsic motivation that is naturally generated to play games and the substantial impact they can have on players. Many review papers measure the effectiveness of the use of gaming on changing behaviours; however, these studies neglect the game features involved in the game design process, which have an impact of stimulating behaviour change. Therefore, this paper aimed to identify game design mechanics and features that are reported to commonly influence behaviour change during and/or after the interventions. This paper identified key theories of behaviour change that inform the game design process, providing insights that can be adopted by game designers for informing considerations on the use of game features for moderating behaviour in their own games

A Comparison of Registered Nurses’ Motivation and Knowledge Levels Between Gamified And Traditional Courses

Registered nurses (RNs) working in today’s healthcare environment must consistently learn new knowledge and skills, keep abreast of practice changes, and implement strategies to improve patient outcomes. However, healthcare organizations face significant challenges as they attempt to facilitate efficient training. Nursing professional development practitioners miss opportunities to leverage learner motivation, which drives investment, knowledge retention, and practice application. Gamification, which strategically embeds game elements and mechanics into an educational design to boost motivation, offers a potential solution. It aims to increase learner engagement by presenting learners with challenges, tracking their progress, and offering feedback, ultimately leading to knowledge retention and application. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether gamification leads to increases in motivation to learn and knowledge levels for RNs. Specifically, the study focused on RNs who did not have previous cardiac monitoring experience. The study used flow theory and self-determination theory to optimally incorporate gamification. A quasi-experimental posttest-only design with a comparison group allowed for comparisons among RNs who completed a traditional ECG course with those who completed a gamified ECG course. The comparison group contained 66 eligible participants who completed the survey and the experimental group contained 64 participants. Post-course surveys were electronically distributed to registered nurses who completed either the traditional or the gamified version of the ECG course. Research instruments included a demographic survey, the Flow Perceptions Questionnaire (a self-reporting motivational survey), and an ECG knowledge test. Additionally, RNs who completed the gamified version were administered a short survey measuring the motivational effects of included game elements and mechanics. Two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to identify differences between the comparison and experimental groups when controlling for age and current patient care environment. The first indicated the addition of the variable class type to the prediction of ECG test scores was statistically significant (ΔR2 = .116, p \u3c.001). Therefore, the experimental group scored statistically significantly higher than the comparison group. The second hierarchical multiple regression suggested the addition of the variable class type to the prediction of Flow Perceptions Questionnaire scores was not statistically significant (ΔR2 = .006, p = .397). Thus, no significant differences were discovered between the two groups specific to learner motivation. In fact, the comparison group reported higher motivation levels than the experimental group. The proposed theoretical framework effectively guided the ECG course’s gamification design; however, since anticipated learner motivation scores were not achieved, minor adjustments might be warranted. Game mechanics and game elements, specifically selected for the gamified ECG course based on learner personas, were mostly rated as promoting higher motivation levels. Future research must be conducted to improve sample diversity, control, and motivation measurement, in addition to exploring qualitative data, longitudinal outcomes, and gamification’s various technological sophistication levels

Smart, social, flexible and fun: Escaping the flatlands of virtual learning environments

© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This paper describes the development of intelligent, social, flexible and game-based pedagogic approaches and their applications in Virtual Learning Environment based Education. Applications of computer science technologies and techniques can enable, facilitate and change educational approaches, allowing scalable approaches that can address both individual student needs whilst managing large – sometimes-massive - cohort sizes. The benefits of these information systems include supporting the wide range of contexts met in education, in terms of individual needs and specific subject and curriculum requirements. Technologies and approaches that are considered range from the representation of knowledge and the use of intelligent systems, the use of social computing, through to the enabling opportunities of ubicomp and the practical application of game mechanics (gamification). This paper concludes with practical illustrations in the context of undergraduate computer science didactics