ABSTRACT
The commonly applied strategies for promoting compliance with public health and safety policies can be inefficient and coercive, posing a need to examine novel motivational strategies to aid in this endeavor. Gamification, which aims to foster engagement and intrinsic motivation towards mundane activities and behaviors, is one of the vanguard design approaches among behavioral change support systems. Despite the increasing interest in gamification, the corpus lacks studies on its effects on policy compliance. Therefore, this study examines the relationships between gamification design types, gameful experience, and policy compliance in the social distancing context (during COVID-19) using a vignette-based online experiment (n=937). Based on the results, gameful experience mediates the positive relationships between achievement and progression-based, competitive, and immersive gamification and policy compliance, while social gamification is not associated with gameful experience. The results provide evidence of gamification's potential as a non-coercive method of helping people follow policies. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of learning gamification in developing sustainable educational environments. To this end, gamified class data were analyzed to identify students' learning performance patterns. The study sample comprised 369 data points collected across four point domains: Activity, Game, Project, and Exam Points, which students obtained in their gamified college courses conducted between 2016 and 2019. A K-means data clustering algorithm and silhouette analysis were utilized to evaluate student performances and determine differential learning styles in gamified environments. Cluster analysis revealed three types of learning patterns centered on performance, mastery, and avoidance. Based on our findings, we propose suggestions regarding class design for instructors considering using gamification strategies to support a sustainable educational environment. We also highlight the scope for future research in both in-person and online gamified learning.
ABSTRACT
This descriptive study offers lessons learned from students' experiences with a gamified, social media-like instructional approach in eighteen courses from spring 2021 through spring 2022. Researchers at a mid-sized university in the southeastern United States leveraged Christensen's (2011) disruptive innovation theory as a guiding framework to explore student satisfaction with this instructional method. This first phase of the study measures learner satisfaction with this approach using the Ritzhaupt (2019) Electronic Learning Satisfaction Survey (eLSS). Preliminary results suggest that learners (n=145) rated their experience with this disruptive technology above average on all Likert scale questions on the eLSS. Identified best practices for instructional design using similar approaches include repeating the game rules, refraining the purpose beyond the game, helping students appreciate their community, guiding students to lead their own posts and gain reactions, and thwarting those trying to game the system. Initial findings across multiple courses suggest that instructors can leverage the gameful experience and social media-like engagement to foster critical connections and increase course satisfaction.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Points represent one of the most widely used game mechanics in gamification. They have been used as a means to provide feedback to users. They visually show user performance and are used along with other game mechanics to produce synergy effects. However, using points without analyzing the application environment and targets adversely affects users. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the problems that users encounter when points are applied improperly, to solve problems based on an analysis of previous studies and actual point use cases, and to develop a point design framework to deliver gameful experiences. METHODS: Three problems were identified by analyzing previous studies. The first problem is points that only accumulate. The second is points that emphasize a user's difference from other people. The third pertains to the reward distribution problem that occurs when points are used as rewards. RESULTS: We developed a framework by deriving 3 criteria for applying points. The first criterion is based on the passive acquisition approach and the active use approach. The second criterion is used to classify points as "high/low" and "many/few" types. The third criterion is the classification of personal reward points and group reward points based on segmentation of the reward criteria. We developed 8 types of points based on the derived point design framework. CONCLUSIONS: We expect that some of the problems that users experience when using points can be solved. Furthermore, we expect that some of the problems that arise when points are used as rewards, such as pointsification and the overjustification effect, can be solved. By solving such problems, we suggest a direction that enables a gameful experience for point users and improves the core value delivery through gameful experiences. We also suggest a gameful experience delivery method in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The metaverse is expected to turn imagination into reality through the convergence of various technologies and should be considered as a medium for sustainable education, free from the constraints of time and space. The purpose of this study was to identify world types in the metaverse to deliver a gameful experience to users. The relationship between gameful experience and learning motivation was examined by analyzing previous studies. Furthermore, the metaverse platforms were confirmed as virtual worlds using the metaverse classification. This study employed a bottom-up approach based on real cases to identify world types that can be used for metaverse-based education. Survival, maze, multi-choice, racing/jump, and escape room world types were identified. The results of this study can be used to provide equal educational opportunities to learners by creating innovative educational environments. This is expected to enable the achievement of the fourth sustainable development goal.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe, public health systems worldwide faced severe challenges. Amid the pandemic, one simulation game, Plague Inc., has received substantial attention. This game has indirectly drawn greater public attention to public health issues by simulating pathogen transmission and disease symptoms. OBJECTIVE: Against this backdrop, this research investigates whether the gameful experience of Plague Inc. has indirectly affected public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19. METHODS: An online survey was conducted through social networking services in Taiwan from May 6-28, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 486 subjects participated in this study, of which 276 (56.8%) had played Plague Inc. This study had several findings. First, participants who had played Plague Inc. demonstrated higher levels of knowledge (P=.03, median 7, IQR 7-8) and attitudes (P=.007, median 8, IQR 7-8) than participants who had not played Plague Inc. (knowledge: median 7, IQR 6-8; attitude: median 7, IQR 6-8). Second, there was a significant correlation between creative thinking (ρ=.127, P=.04) and dominance (ρ=.122, P=.04) in attitude. Finally, there was a significant correlation between creative thinking (ρ=.126, P<.001) and dominance (ρ=.119, P=.049) in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Serious games highlighting the theme of pathogen transmission may enhance public knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19. Furthermore, the creative thinking and dominance involved in gameful experiences may act as critical factors in public attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19. These findings should be further verified through experimental research in the future.