Increasing Engagement with the Library via Gamification

One of the main challenges faced by providers of interactive information access systems is to engage users in the use their systems. The library sector in particular can benefit significantly from increased user engagement. In this short paper, we present a preliminary analysis of a university library system that aims to trigger users' extrinsic motivation to increase their interaction with the system. Results suggest that different user groups react in different ways to such 'gamified' systems

Autonomy in Video Games and Gamification

In the past decade, gamification (using game elements in non-gaming tasks to enhance motivation and engagement) has become a popular concept in many industries, but few studies have explored the principles under which it works. Self-determination theory suggests three psychological needs that gamification fulfills: competence, relatedness, and autonomy. Autonomy, a person\u27s perception that they have the ability to act however they choose, has emerged as an important, yet less-studied aspect in gamification. Inclusion of autonomy in gamification should foster engagement, enjoyment, and better performance. An experiment inspired by the above was carried out in which a sample of college students (N = 57) played a video game called Super Mario Bros. Crossover with either the choice to customize the aesthetics of their character and background (autonomy-supportive) or no choice of aesthetics (non-supportive). It was hypothesized that conditions involving more choice would lead to higher perceived autonomy and performance, and that perceived autonomy would be positively correlated with engagement, enjoyment, and performance. The manipulation resulted in no significant difference in perceived autonomy or performance, and perceived autonomy was only significantly positively correlated with enjoyment. Prior Super Mario Bros. experience was also found to positively correlate with perceived autonomy in the autonomy-supportive condition. The choice of aesthetics does not appear to have been sufficiently strong enough to increase perceived autonomy in this context

Using library impact data to inform student marketing campaigns

This article uses an evidenced based approach using the finding of the Library Impact Data Project to help market library resources to students at the University of Huddersfield. Initiatives discussed include the roving librarian, desk-top visits and Lemontree (library game). Reading list software is also used to drive usage and the marketing of these services is also discussed. Finally, the paper looks at the use of a marketing placement student in the library

The Use of Gamification to Increase Engagement and Other Intrinsic Factors with Work Integrated Learning Participants During New Hire Onboarding: An Organisational Case Study

Gamification is a developing approach to increase factors such as engagement, collaboration and motivation amongst learners. With the growing popularity of gamified learning experiences and shifting workplace demographics, the current study aims to shed light on the use of gamification by work integrated learning (WIL) participants within an organisational context. Previous studies have highlighted mixed levels of success when applying gamification techniques to educational settings and have often neglected the development of a conceptual framework to aid successful implementation of this. The current study will critically examine the use of gamification within new hire onboarding and utilise self-determination theory in the design of a gamified mobile application to facilitate this. Findings will add to the body of knowledge and extend practical understanding of the specific gamification features to promote effective outcomes in terms of user engagement and increased motivation in the new hire context

Collaboration or competition: The impact of incentive types on urban cycling

Bicycling is an important mode of transport for cities and many cities are interested in promoting its uptake by a larger portion of the population. Several cycling mobile applications primarily rely on competition as a motivation strategy for urban cyclists. Yet, collaboration may be equally useful to motivate and engage cyclists. The present research reports on an experiment comparing the impact of collaboration-based and competition-based rewards on users’ enjoyment, satisfaction, engagement with, and intention to cycle. It involved a total of 57 participants in three European cities: Münster (Germany), Castelló (Spain), and Valletta (Malta). Our results show participants from the study reporting higher enjoyment and engagement with cycling in the collaboration condition. However, we did not find a significant impact on the participants’ worldview when it comes to the intentions to start or increase cycling behavior. The results support the use of collaboration-based rewards in the design of game-based applications to promote urban cycling

Milk Man: Investigating the Effectiveness of a Socially Connected Breastfeeding App Targeting Fathers

Breastfeeding is the ideal first food for infants and fathers are important in influencing breastfeeding initiation and duration. Mobile technology offers opportunity to reach and engage people in interventions. This study investigated the impact Milk Man, a father-focused socially connected, gamified app about breastfeeding, had on exclusive breastfeeding duration. The findings provide valuable insight into the acceptability of the engagement strategies, and demonstrate a father-focused app is an acceptable approach that impacts positively on breastfeeding

UniCraft: Exploring the impact of asynchronous multiplayer game elements in gamification

This paper describes the development and evaluation of UniCraft: a gamified mobile app designed to increase the engagement of undergraduate students with the content and delivery of their course. Gamification projects rely on extrinsic motivators to encourage participants to engage, such as compulsory participation or real-world rewards. UniCraft incorporates an asynchronous multiplayer battle game that uses constructive competition to motivate students, without using motivational levers that may reduce intrinsic motivation. The novel battle game employed by UniCraft employs Player vs Environment (Shafer, 2012) and Player Matching (Jennings, 2014) to ensure students work together in similarly ranked small groups as a team against a shared enemy. A study was undertaken which examined students' long-term engagement with UniCraft within the context of a 12-week long undergraduate programming course. The app was initially provided with the battle feature disabled, so that the effect on motivation and engagement could be studied when it was introduced during the intervention. Detailed interaction data recorded by the app was augmented by semi-structured interviews in order to provide a richer perspective on its effect at an individual and group level. The interaction data revealed convincing evidence for the increased motivational power of the battle feature, and this was supported by the interview data. Although no direct negative effects of competition were observed, interviews revealed that cheating was prevalent and this could in turn have unintended negative side-effects on motivation. Full results are presented and case studies are described for three of the participants, giving an insight into the different styles of interaction and motivation experienced by students in this study