The Use of Gamification in Academic Teaching – Evidence from Polish State Universities

The purpose of the article is to provide answers to the following research questions: How popular are digital games as the first step to gamification, comparing to other teaching methods used in such fields of study as economics, humanities and natural science in Poland? What is the practice of using gamification in academic teaching? The subject literature studies and empirical research carried out in the form of auditorium survey in the third quarter of 2019 across a sample of 200 students (50 people representing each field of study) were used in the article. In order to collect additional information, in-depth interviews with students (4 people representing each field of study) were carried out in the first quarter of 2020. The problem of applying gamification in tertiary education is gaining importance, as evidenced by the growing number of scientific publications addressing this issue. The conducted empirical research shows that digital-game-based learning method is marginally used in academic teaching in Poland and, thus, it is hard to talk about gamification. The article also presents the research process limitations and directions of further research

EnCOMPASS - An integrative approach to behavioural change for energy saving

This paper presents the research objectives of the enCOMPASS project, which aims at implementing and validating an integrated socio-technical approach to behavioural change for energy saving. To this end, innovative user-friendly digital tools will be developed to 1) make energy data consumption available and understandable for different types of users and stakeholders (household residents, office employees, school pupils, building managers, utilities, ICT providers) and to 2) empower them to collaborate in order to achieve energy savings and manage their energy needs in efficient, cost-effective and comfort-preserving ways. The project will demonstrate how this can be achieved with a novel approach that integrates user-centered visualisation of energy data from smart sensors and user-generated information with context-aware collaborative recommendations for energy saving, intelligent control and adaptive gamified incentives enabling effective and sustained behavioural change

User perception of gaming element effectiveness in a corporate learning application

This Conversion Masters in Information Technology thesis gathered users' perceptions about eight gaming elements to determine their effectiveness on aspects of playability, enjoyment and intrinsic motivation needed in a gamified corporate learning application. The study focused on user opinions about a Progress Bar, Individual Leaderboard, Departmental Leaderboard, Timer, In-Game Currency, Badges, Storyline/Theme and Avatar. A gamification application containing these gaming elements was designed and developed to make the evaluation. The application entailed users learning four Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes needed to manage an information technology department in a telecommunications company. The application design process considered the business goals, rules, target behaviours, time limits, rewards, feedback, levels, storytelling, interest, aesthetics, replay or do-overs, user types, activity cycles, fun mechanisms and development tools needed to create a coherent, addictive, engaging and fun user experience. Player types were determined using the Brainhex online survey. Federoff's Game Playability Heuristics model was used to measure the users' perceptions about the playability of the application. Sweetser and Wyeth's Gameflow model was used to measure perceptions about the gaming elements' contribution toward creating an enjoyable experience. Malone and Lepper's Taxonomy of Intrinsic Motivation for Learning was used to measure the gaming elements' ability to promote an intrinsically motivating learning environment. Masterminds, Achievers, Conquerors and Seekers were the most prominent player types found in the Brainhex online survey for which the gamification application design then catered. The staff in the department play-tested the application to evaluate the gaming elements. Overall the Storyline/Theme, suited to Seekers and Masterminds, ranked as the most effective gaming element in this study. The users perceived artwork as an essential component of a gamified learning application. The Individual Leaderboard, suited to Conquerors, ranked very closely as the second most effective gaming element. The Storyline/Theme and Individual Leaderboard both performed the strongest against the criteria measuring the playability. The Storyline/Theme was by far the strongest from a gameflow perspective and the Individual Leaderboard from a motivation perspective. The Avatars ranked the worst across all the measurement criteria. Based on quiz results, 86 percent of the staff in the department had learned the material from the gamified training prototype developed in this work. The findings from this study will therefore serve as input for developing a full-scale gamification learning application

Gamification with leveling up: Effects on learning science and motivation toward learning science.

This study was a quantitative, quasi-experimental study, comparing 4 classes, studying an 8th grade science unit in a gamified classroom within a suburban middle school. A “Leveling Up” intervention was used in a gamified classroom with the experimental group and compared to a control group in a gamified classroom not using the leveling up intervention. The three driving questions of this study are: Q1)Does Gamification with Leveling Up Promote Learning in an 8th Grade Science Unit more than Gamification Alone? Q2) Does Gamification with Leveling Up Promote Motivation to Learn Science in an 8th Grade Science Unit more than Gamification Alone? And Q3) Does Gamification with Leveling Up Increase Students Perception of Their Motivation? The data showed no significant findings to improve achievement, homework completion or self reported motivation on the survey

Architecture of Engagement: Autonomy-Supportive Leadership for Instructional Improvement

This multiple paper dissertation addresses the importance of improving student success in online higher education programs by providing support for instructors. The autonomy-supportive structures to improve instructional practice are explained through three main domains, including instructional development, instructional design, and instructional practice. The first paper addresses instructional leadership with the theoretical foundations and practical considerations necessary for instructional leaders. Recommendations are made to use microcredentials or digital badges to scaffold programming using self-determination theory. The second paper addresses the importance of instructional design in improving instructional practice including the intentionality involved in implementing a gamification strategy to improve online student motivation. The third paper addresses instructional practice with a mixed-method sequential explanatory case study. Using the community of inquiry framework, this paper explains intentional course design, course facilitation, and student perceptions of the digital powerups strategy. The conclusion considers implications for practice and the need for instructional leaders to scaffold an architecture of engagement to support instructors and improve student success

Aplicações de gamificação na educação em matemática: um mapeamento sistemático

The teaching of mathematics presents a series of great challenges, which are in a great number and variety. These challenges follow students since childhood. There are authors who argue that the mathematical concepts learned in secondary education have a more operational or practical nature, and it can interfere in the ability to learn more abstract mathematical concepts, taught in higher education. Traditional and technicist education based only on the teacher's view where he acts in the way he learned that was passed on to him over time is now a thing of the past. With the widespread use of the internet, computers and information technologies we live in a globalized world where new technologies are presented to us every day. Students in this context, where classes are totally traditional, feel discouraged and seek other activities to develop and spend time. Gamification can be defined as a methodology that is being used as the mechanisms of games, aesthetics and thinking of the game to involve people, motivate action, promote learning and problem solving. This systematic mapping selected 45 recent papers related to the use of gamification in mathematical learning and presents future directions in this research area.O ensino de matemática apresenta uma série de desafios, que são de grande número e variedade. Esses desafios seguem os alunos em vários níveis de escolaridade. Existem autores que argumentam que os conceitos matemáticos aprendidos no ensino médio têm uma natureza mais operacional ou prática e podem interferir na capacidade de aprender conceitos matemáticos mais abstratos, ensinados no ensino superior. Com o amplo uso da Internet, computadores e tecnologias da informação, vivemos em um mundo globalizado, onde novas tecnologias são apresentadas a nós todos os dias. Os alunos nesse contexto, onde as aulas são totalmente tradicionais, se sentem desencorajados e buscam outras atividades para desenvolver e passar o tempo. A gamificação pode ser definida como uma metodologia que está sendo usada como mecanismo de jogos, estética e pensamento do jogo para envolver as pessoas, motivar a ação, promover o aprendizado e a solução de problemas. Esse mapeamento sistemático selecionou 45 artigos recentes relacionados ao uso da gamificação no aprendizado de matemática e apresenta orientações futuras nessa área de pesquisa

The Perceptions of College Faculty Toward Gamification: Opportunities and Challenges

Gamification is the use of game elements (storytelling, leaderboard, badges, points, and progress bars), mechanics (rules, objectives and challenges), and game designs in non-game contexts (Deterding, 2012; Kapp, 2012; Wiggins, 2016). The use of gamification in learning environments has been on a steady increase since 2010 (Deterding, 2017). This may be due to the limitations of game-based learning, and the need for specialized instructors (Simoes, Redondo, & Vilas, 2013). However, researchers such as Boer (2014) believe the effects of gamification on students’ engagement and motivation appear lower than expected. This is because studies such as Dichev and Dicheva (2017) indicated that its effect on motivation was lower than anticipated and argued that the design of a successful gamified learning experience that could motivate learning and change behaviors remained a guessing practice. This study used the collective case study method for data analysis and the syntheses of studies from gamification researchers to investigate and understand faculty members’ perceptions of the opportunities and challenges inherent in the use of gamification in adult students’ learning. The study then developed a robust framework for scientifically designing successful gamification learning experiences using Keller’s (1979, 1987) attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation, and Freire’s (2013) critical thinking concept as guiding lenses. Among other findings, the study found that a well-designed gamified learning experience engenders the following opportunities: (a) reduces the barriers to learning through the use of meaningful storytelling, which enables the opportunity to inject humor and experiential learning; (b) stimulates intrinsic motivation through the use of the game element of teamwork or group work, which induces good student-to-student and students-to-faculty relationships; and (c) creates the feelings of autonomy in students with the use of the game design principle of repetition

Review of Serious Energy Games : Objectives, Approaches, Applications, Data Integration, and Performance Assessment

In recent years, serious energy games (SEGs) garnered increasing attention as an innovative and effective approach to tackling energy-related challenges. This review delves into the multifaceted landscape of SEG, specifically focusing on their wide-ranging applications in various contexts. The study investigates potential enhancements in user engagement achieved through integrating social connections, personalization, and data integration. Among the main challenges identified, previous studies overlooked the full potential of serious games in addressing emerging needs in energy systems, opting for oversimplified approaches. Further, these studies exhibit limited scalability and constrained generalizability, which poses challenges in applying their findings to larger energy systems and diverse scenarios. By incorporating lessons learned from prior experiences, this review aims to propel the development of SEG toward more innovative and impactful directions. It is firmly believed that positive behavior changes among individuals can be effectively encouraged by using SEG