Gamification analytics model for teachers

Abstract

There is a growing interest in applying gamification in technology-enhanced learning environ-ments in order to keep students engaged and motivated during the learning process. Although the positive outcomes obtained through the application of gamification in the technology-enhanced learning context, some studies found in the literature reported unexpected results concerning students’ engagement, learning, and motivation in gamified learning systems. A possible solution to avoid these unexpected outcomes is to monitor and adapt the gamification design of gamified learning environments during the learning process when the targeted objectives are not being achieved. Moreover, considering that the existence of teachers is essential to the success of education, teachers could be responsible to monitor and adapt gamification design in these environments. However, there is a lack of contributions in the literature that allows teachers to monitor and adapt gamification design of gamified e-learning environments in an intuitive, meaningful, enjoyable way and with no advanced technical skills required. Therefore, this dissertation proposes the “gamification analytics model for teachers”. In this model, the teacher is allowed to define interaction goals, monitor students’ interaction with the system’ learning resources and the gamification elements and adapt the gamification design through missions to engage and motivate students that are not achieving the interaction goals defined. However, the gamification analytics model-based design concepts that will be implemented in the future in gamified learning systems should be well planned to respect the teachers’ needs. Consequently, one of the contributions of this dissertation is the validation made by teachers of 20 gamification analytics model-based design concepts through the speed dating method. Therefore, the most well-rated design concepts provided relevant insights to guide the design and the development of a tool, called GamAnalytics, that aims to allow teachers to adapt the gamified design of gamified learning systems during learning process based on monitoring of dashboards that expose students‘ relevant information about their interaction with learning resources and gamification elements in an intuitive and meaningful way. Moreover, teachers evaluated the developed tool online where perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioral intention, relevance, perceived enjoyment, and self-efficacy metrics were measured. Results showed a high acceptance and approval of the proposed tool by teachers concerning the measured metrics. Furthermore, in order to investigate the impact of the use of gamification analytics models by teachers through the GamAnalytics tool on students’ engagement, learning, and motivation, a case study was conducted. The case study took place for four weeks, and it was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students of the Federal University of Alagoas who were enrolled in the ”Gamification in Education” course. Finally, the results suggest an improvement in students’ engagement, learning outcomes and a positive effect on students’ motivation.