The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review
Gamification has recently been presented as a successful strategy to engage users, with potential for online education. However, while the number of publications on gamification has been increasing in recent years, a classification of its empirical effects is still missing. We present a systematic l...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-08-01
|
| Series: | Informatics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/6/3/32 |
| _version_ | 1818837517565165568 |
|---|---|
| author | Alessandra Antonaci Roland Klemke Marcus Specht |
| author_facet | Alessandra Antonaci Roland Klemke Marcus Specht |
| author_sort | Alessandra Antonaci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gamification has recently been presented as a successful strategy to engage users, with potential for online education. However, while the number of publications on gamification has been increasing in recent years, a classification of its empirical effects is still missing. We present a systematic literature review conducted with the purpose of closing this gap by clarifying what effects gamification generates on users’ behaviour in online learning. Based on the studies analysed, the game elements most used in the literature are identified and mapped with the effects they produced on learners. Furthermore, we cluster these empirical effects of gamification into six areas: performance, motivation, engagement, attitude towards gamification, collaboration, and social awareness. The findings of our systematic literature review point out that gamification and its application in online learning and in particular in Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are still a young field, lacking in empirical experiments and evidence with a tendency of using gamification mainly as external rewards. Based on these results, important considerations for the gamification design of MOOCs are drawn. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:23:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32fe665b9c2a4a72a8f05edd320d6f71 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9709 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:23:46Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Informatics |
| spelling | doaj.art-32fe665b9c2a4a72a8f05edd320d6f712022-12-21T20:37:42ZengMDPI AGInformatics2227-97092019-08-01633210.3390/informatics6030032informatics6030032The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature ReviewAlessandra Antonaci0Roland Klemke1Marcus Specht2Welten Institute–Research Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology, Open University of The Netherlands, 6401 DL Heerlen, The NetherlandsWelten Institute–Research Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology, Open University of The Netherlands, 6401 DL Heerlen, The NetherlandsWelten Institute–Research Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology, Open University of The Netherlands, 6401 DL Heerlen, The NetherlandsGamification has recently been presented as a successful strategy to engage users, with potential for online education. However, while the number of publications on gamification has been increasing in recent years, a classification of its empirical effects is still missing. We present a systematic literature review conducted with the purpose of closing this gap by clarifying what effects gamification generates on users’ behaviour in online learning. Based on the studies analysed, the game elements most used in the literature are identified and mapped with the effects they produced on learners. Furthermore, we cluster these empirical effects of gamification into six areas: performance, motivation, engagement, attitude towards gamification, collaboration, and social awareness. The findings of our systematic literature review point out that gamification and its application in online learning and in particular in Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are still a young field, lacking in empirical experiments and evidence with a tendency of using gamification mainly as external rewards. Based on these results, important considerations for the gamification design of MOOCs are drawn.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/6/3/32gamificationgame elementsonline learningMOOCsempirical studiessystematic literature review |
| spellingShingle | Alessandra Antonaci Roland Klemke Marcus Specht The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review Informatics gamification game elements online learning MOOCs empirical studies systematic literature review |
| title | The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_full | The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_short | The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review |
| title_sort | effects of gamification in online learning environments a systematic literature review |
| topic | gamification game elements online learning MOOCs empirical studies systematic literature review |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/6/3/32 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alessandraantonaci theeffectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview AT rolandklemke theeffectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview AT marcusspecht theeffectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview AT alessandraantonaci effectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview AT rolandklemke effectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview AT marcusspecht effectsofgamificationinonlinelearningenvironmentsasystematicliteraturereview |