Making sense of student engagement in a technology mediated gamified course

This empirical study examines how the development of a technology-mediated, gamified course, Personal and Professional Development, influences student engagement and course performance. For the gamified course, in addition to weekly classroom teaching, students participated in a two-tiered system with online Essential Learning (EL) and Super Learning (SL) activities based on Moodle. Data were collected from 166 students in academic year 2015-16. Evaluation of the course effectiveness revealed solid evidence of student engagement, as engagement in online learning activities (measured by view count per activity) was higher in the gamified condition. Also, there was a significant, positive relationship between online learning engagement and course performance controlling for gender, class attendance, and prior performance. Further analysis suggested that there were additional layers in the student engagement process beyond what was expected from the gamification intervention. When measuring for actual completion date of ELs, we found that students often completed ELs beyond the originally set deadlines of completion, a phenomenon mostly linked to students with jobs who exhibited a strong tendency towards late completions of ELs compared to students without jobs. Not only students in employment completed more online learning activities than students without jobs, but they also did it out of synch with the competitive nature of the gamified system indicating that while the gamified system was helpful in getting students on board the EL/SL learning activities it was the features of autonomy and flexibility of online learning that attracted this particular learners’ group towards the gamified system. We conclude that improved student engagement was due to the gamified system; however, it was not only because the gamified system was playful but also because it was designed in a way that the students could engage with it in a longitudinal manner and at their own terms

Student engagement and the novelty effect in a technology-mediated gamified course

We investigate the extent to which the use of gamification in blended learning influences student engagement. For the gamified course, Personal and Professional Development, in addition to weekly classroom teaching, students participated in a two-tiered system with online learning activities. Gamification elements were developed online and the intervention continued for two years. Data were collected from two cohorts of 334 students. Results suggested that students engaged more in the gamified course and that the second year intervention led to an increased, deeper engagement. Also, in both years, there was evidence of “novelty effect,” as students’ weekly engagement declined across time. Nevertheless, the pattern of decline did not follow what the literature would suggest. Possible reasons may be the usefulness of learning tasks, clearer expectations, and regular communications. We conclude that gamification is a useful tool for onboarding and engaging students. However, to sustain long-term engagement, course designers need to consider other factors

Does international experience count in the cross-cultural management course effectiveness?

The rapid increase of globalization processes in many aspects of social and work life has pushed educators to develop students with cross-cultural competence in order to work in culturally diverse settings. We extend the current understanding of the effectiveness of cross-cultural management courses by emphasizing multidimensional learning outcomes. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of international experience on the effectiveness of cross-cultural management education. By studying 179 students at two universities, our results showed that students’ international experience through international student status was positively associated with their cognitive cultural intelligence, and students’ international experience through military affiliation was positively related to their motivational cultural intelligence and cross-cultural adjustment efficacy. We discuss ways to utilize experience for better learning and implications for management education

Enhancing student learning experience with technology-mediated gamification: An empirical study

We evaluated the use of gamification to facilitate a student- centered learning environment within an undergraduate Year 2 Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course. In addition to face-to-face classroom practices, an information technology-based gamified system with a range of online learning activities was presented to students as support material. The implementation of the gamified course lasted two academic terms. The subsequent evaluation from a cohort of 136 students indicated that student performance was significantly higher among those who participated in the gamified system than in those who engaged with the nongamified, traditional delivery, while behavioral engagement in online learning activities was positively related to course performance, after controlling for gender, attendance, and Year 1 PPD performance. Two interesting phenomena appeared when we examined the influence of student background: female students participated significantly more in online learning activities than male students, and students with jobs engaged significantly more in online learning activities than students without jobs. The gamified course design advocated in this work may have significant implications for educators who wish to develop engaging technology-mediated learning environments that enhance students' learning, or for a broader base of professionals who wish to engage a population of potential users, such as managers engaging employees or marketers engaging customers

Enhancing student learning experience with technology-mediated gamification: An empirical study

We evaluated the use of gamification to facilitate a student- centered learning environment within an undergraduate Year 2 Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course. In addition to face-to-face classroom practices, an information technology-based gamified system with a range of online learning activities was presented to students as support material. The implementation of the gamified course lasted two academic terms. The subsequent evaluation from a cohort of 136 students indicated that student performance was significantly higher among those who participated in the gamified system than in those who engaged with the nongamified, traditional delivery, while behavioral engagement in online learning activities was positively related to course performance, after controlling for gender, attendance, and Year 1 PPD performance. Two interesting phenomena appeared when we examined the influence of student background: female students participated significantly more in online learning activities than male students, and students with jobs engaged significantly more in online learning activities than students without jobs. The gamified course design advocated in this work may have significant implications for educators who wish to develop engaging technology-mediated learning environments that enhance students' learning, or for a broader base of professionals who wish to engage a population of potential users, such as managers engaging employees or marketers engaging customers

In favor of large classes: a social networks perspective on experiential learning

Most of the literature has viewed large classes as a problem and a challenge. Furthermore, large classes are often presented to be an obstacle to students’ experiential learning and a multitude of solutions can be found in the literature to manage large classes; solutions that include innovative technologies, alternative assessment designs, or expanding the capacity of delivery. This conceptual paper advocates that large classes, when used intentionally as a pedagogical tool, can be a powerful means for socialized and experiential learning for our students. In this work we connect the phenomenon of large classes with social network theory and concepts to re-conceptualize large classes as a social micro-cosmos consisting of a multitude of interconnected student communities. On this conceptual basis we offer three positive features of large classes: (i) higher levels of freedom for students to learn in their own terms (ii) learning from a diverse body of students and (iii) the provision of meaningful experiences of learning. We conclude with suggestions that should enable educators in large classes shift from an individualistic psychology-based model of experiential learning to a sociological model of experiential learning

Encouraging IS developers to learn business skills: an examination of the MARS model

Though prior research has recognized business skills as one of the keys to successful information system development, few studies have investigated the determinants of an IS developer’s behavioral intention to learn such skills. Based on the Motivation–Ability–Role Perception–Situational factors (i.e., the MARS model), this study argues that the intention of IS developers to acquire business skills is influenced by learning motivation (M), learning self-efficacy (A), change agent role perception (R), and situational support (S). Data collected from 254 IS developers are analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. Results show that a developer’s intention to learn business skills is positively influenced by intrinsic learning motivation and both absolute and relative learning self-efficacy. Furthermore, in comparison to two other change agent roles, the advocate role leads to a significantly higher level of learning intention. Finally, work and non-work support positively influence both extrinsic and intrinsic learning motivation. Notably, non-work support has a greater impact on both absolute and relative learning self-efficacy. Our results suggest several theoretical and practical implications

Coping Cycle and its importance when designing an Assessment: Reflections on the Learning Process

Live student projects in a Higher Education (hereinafter HE) setting are vital in business education as they allow for a practice-based and holistic development of employability skills. This empirical paper illustrates how the assessment design and regime may affect student engagement and learning in live student projects. The approach advocated encompasses the conduct of projects that take advantage of a simple principle in learning, the utilization of the coping cycle as a means for double loop learning. The data used as evidence in this work focus on the project teams’ Facebook conversations. The descriptive statistics and the qualitative data provide an empirical basis for the claim that assessment design leads to a particular kind of learning and emotional journey for the students and in this case potentially facilitating double-loop, deeper learning. The findings can inform HE academics and teaching practitioners who are developing educational student-run projects and can provide insights for educational pedagogy

Knowledge withholding intentions in teams: the roles of normative conformity, affective bonding, rational choice and social cognition

The decision of members in a knowledge-intensive team to withhold their knowledge may threaten the performance of the team. To address the problem of knowledge resource risk in project teams, we maintain that it is important to understand why team members choose to withhold their knowledge, conceptualized as knowledge-withholding intention. In line with the literature on effort withholding, the research on multifoci relations between justice perceptions and social exchanges, and social cognitive theory, we proposed that the social exchange relationships that individuals form in the workplace, their perceptions of justice, and their knowledge withholding self-efficacy would influence their knowledge-withholding intentions. Through a survey of 227 information system development team workers, we found that all social exchange relationship variables had a significant impact on knowledge-withholding intentions. However, the justice perception variables only indirectly influenced knowledge-withholding intentions through the mediation of social exchange relationships. In addition, one of the task variables, task interdependence, influenced knowledge withholding intention through the mediation of knowledge withholding self-efficacy. Our results contribute to the knowledge management literature by providing a better understanding of the antecedents of knowledge withholding. We also offer suggestions for future research utilizing the framework of Kidwell and Bennett (1993) to study effort and knowledge withholding

Understanding Students' Adaptation to Graduate School: An Integration of Social Support Theory and Social Learning Theory

The contemporary business world demands adaptive individuals (Friedman & Wyman, 2005). Adaptation is essential for any life transition. It often involves developing coping mechanisms, strategies, and seeking of social support. Adaptation occurs in many settings from moving to a new culture, taking a new job, starting or finishing an educational program, or transitioning in or out of an interpersonal relationship. For managers, an understanding of how to help individuals to adapt becomes imperative. Transition to graduate management school, often after years of working, characterizes a life change for many individuals (Goplerud, 1980; Griffiths, Winstanley, & Gabriel, 2005; Mallinckrodt & Leong, 1992). A better understanding of how to improve adaptability and the factors that predict effective adaptation has becomes a central focus of graduate management education efforts. However, little is known about how students adapt to graduate school. Drawing on experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984), learning how to adapt involves the integrated functioning of the whole person- thinking, feeling, perceiving, and behaving. During the learning process, to reconcile dialectically opposed learning modes and successfully adapt, it often elicits negative emotional reactions and stress (Kayes, 2002; Thoits, 1986; Vince, 1998). For graduate management students, the unique demands of the academic environment further confound the stress from other domains of life. For many of these students, effective adaptation may predict how they perceive their overall educational experience. Based on a resource vs. demand view of adaptation, social support is proposed as a critical situational determinant of graduate adaptation because it helps students reduce uncertainty and enhance mastery over the environment (Albrecht & Adelman, 1987; Thoits, 1995). Drawing on multiple bodies of literature, including social support theory (Cohen & Wills, 1985a), social learning theory (Bandura, 1997), and the adaptation literature, this study provides a better understanding of graduate stress, social support, and self-efficacy and how they relate to graduate student adaptation. The study utilized a longitudinal design and data were collected from 150 MBAs at the middle and end of the fall semester, 2011. I used Partial Least Squares (PLS) to test hypothesis. Controlling for individual characteristics, social support was found to have direct, positive impacts on learning adaptation, stress adaptation and graduate satisfaction. In addition, social support had indirect effects on these adaptive outcomes through the mediation of perceived stress and academic self-efficacy. Despite the direct and indirect effects of social support, the moderating effect of social support was not found, suggesting social support is effective for all level of stress. Finally, the examination of type-specific effects of social support indicated that while some types of support were beneficial for adaptive outcomes, others had deleterious impacts. The study contributes to the social support literature by comprehensively examining different effects of social support in a management education setting. Also, the study contributed to the literature on adaptation in general and Pulakos et al.'s (2000, 2002) work in particular by examining social support as a situational predictor of adaptive performance. Finally, it offered insight into how to facilitate students' adaptation through adequate types of support and efficacy enhancement