Using design science research to incorporate gamification into learning activities

Gamifying learning activities can be beneficial as it can better engage students and result in improved learning. However, incorporating game elements into learning activities can be difficult because it requires an appropriate mix of science, art, and experience. Design science research can help to address this issue. In particular, its search process for determining an appropriate solution for a given problem is useful as it allows for a number of iterative cycles over which the solution is incrementally refined, and ultimately resulting in a successful implementation. Our objective in this study is to develop a non-discipline-specific instantiation that can be embedded into a learning activity to motivate students and improve the quality of their learning. We provide a detailed explanation of how we designed and developed a gamified multiple choice quiz software tool over multiple iterations. The tool was trialled in three undergraduate IT-related courses and evaluated using a questionnaire survey. Results showed that the tool was well received as 76 per cent of students believed it was effective for learning and would for it to be used in their other courses

Quick quiz: A gamified approach for enhancing learning

Gamification has the potential to improve the quality of learning by better engaging students with learning activities. Our objective in this study is to evaluate a gamified learning activity along the dimensions of learning, engagement, and enjoyment. The activity made use of a gamified multiple choice quiz implemented as a software tool and was trialled in three undergraduate IT-related courses. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data to gauge levels of learning, engagement, and enjoyment. Results show that there was some degree of engagement and enjoyment. The majority of participants (77.63 per cent) reported that they were engaged enough to want to complete the quiz and 46.05 per cent stated they were happy while playing the quiz. In terms of learning, the overall results were positive since 60.53 per cent of students stated that it enhanced their learning effectiveness. A limitation of the work is that the results are self-reported and the activity was used over a short period of time. Thus, future work should include longer trial periods and evaluating improvements to learning using alternative approaches to self-reported data

Understanding student perceptions of game elements to develop gamified systems for learning

As a precursor to the development of a gamified system to improve learning outcomes, we investigate the perception of important stakeholders, namely learners, on gamification in learning. However, as gamification is a relatively new approach/term, we neither assume that learners are knowledgeable about it nor do we attempt to explain the term in detail to them. Instead, we focus on common elements between gamification and learners' gaming experience, to determine how learners perceive these game elements. This understanding of learners' perception on the matter will aid in the later development of a gamified system for learning. In this work, we survey 51 undergraduate IT students to obtain their perceptions on game elements such as points, leader boards, player profiles, progress bars, and achievement badges. We then analyse the responses and suggest how these game elements can be used in a gamified system for education. It was found that undergraduate students have a positive perception of gamification and are interested in its use for learning. They expect that gamification will make classes more interesting and will improve the learning environment. Students also believed gamification would be beneficial by assisting them to improve their understanding of course material. Our results also indicate that points and leader boards promote competition, and that points and player profiles (which includes the tracking of performance statistics) can be used to provide users with performance feedback. Students perceive progress bars as motivators to complete tasks while achievement badges are perceived to motivate task mastery. Given these results, we recommend that gamified learning systems should have a strong focus providing different types of feedback to learners, especially feedback related to progression

A model to investigate preference for use of gamification in a learning activity

Applying the engaging and motivating aspects of video games in non-game contexts is known as gamification. Education can benefit from gamification by improving the learning environment to make it more enjoyable and engaging for students. Factors that influence students' preference for use of gamification are identified. Students are surveyed on their experiences of playing a gamified quiz, named Quick Quiz, during class. Quick Quiz features several gamification elements such as points, progress bars, leader boards, timers, and charts. Data collected from the survey is analysed using Partial Least Squares. Factors including 'usefulness', 'preference for use', 'knowledge improvement', 'engagement', 'immersion' and 'enjoyment' were found to be significant determinants. Students were found to have a preference for use for gamification in their learning environment

Using persuasive system design principles to evaluate two next generation digital learning environment

The landscape of higher education is shifting as the expectations of modern students move towards increased integration of digital technology in their learning environments. As such, there is a strong need for Next Generation Digital Learning Environments (NGDLEs). Two examples of NGDLEs are Motivational Active Learning (MAL) and Task-Test-Monitor (TTM). Each was designed with a foundation of established learning theories. For these systems to be effective in improving student motivation and engagement however, they need to be persuasive. In this study, we evaluate the inherent persuasion of these two NGDLEs using the Persuasive Systems Design framework. The results show that MAL features more persuasive system characteristics than TTM. However, both are likely to persuade students. MAL's use of gamifica- tion adds a considerable amount of persuasiveness by leveraging social support, and provided justification for future NGDLEs to follow a similar path. This could lead to improvements in the design of e-learning systems in general