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Related Experiment Videos

Does gamification increase engagement with online programs? A systematic review.

Jemma Looyestyn1, Jocelyn Kernot1, Kobie Boshoff1

  • 1School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Plos One
|April 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Gamification strategies effectively boost engagement in online programs by incorporating game-like elements. This systematic review found that gamification significantly improves participation and related outcomes in digital learning environments.

Area of Science:

  • Educational Technology
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Maintaining user engagement in online programs presents a significant challenge.
  • Gamification, integrating game elements like points and badges into non-game contexts, is a promising approach to enhance participation.
  • This review critically evaluates the effectiveness of gamification in online learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if gamification strategies are effective in increasing user engagement in online programs.
  • To synthesize evidence from experimental studies on the impact of gamification on engagement and downstream outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted across eight major databases from 2010 to October 2015.
  • Eligibility criteria followed the PICOS framework, focusing on adult populations, online programs with gamification, control groups, engagement outcomes, and experimental designs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Effect sizes, including Cohen's d and 95% confidence intervals, were calculated for included studies.

    • Main Results:

    • Out of 1017 identified studies, 15 met the inclusion criteria, involving 10,499 participants, primarily in tertiary education.
    • Engagement metrics included time spent, contribution volume, and visit frequency, alongside downstream outcomes like performance and healthy behaviors.
    • Twelve of the 15 studies reported significant positive effects favoring gamification for both direct engagement and downstream behaviors, with medium to large effect sizes.

    Conclusions:

    • Gamification strategies are effective in enhancing engagement within online programs.
    • Future research should employ rigorous study designs to fully understand gamification's effects.
    • Further investigation is needed to determine optimal methods for achieving sustained engagement through gamification.