Balci Sebiha, Secaur Jonathan M, Morris Bradley J
Department of Lifespan Development and Educational Science, Kent State University, 405 White Hall, Kent, OH 44242 USA.
Department of Physics, Kent State University, 103 Smith Hall, Kent, OH 44242 USA.
Educ Inf Technol (Dordr). 2022;27(6):8669-8704. doi: 10.1007/s10639-022-10983-z. Epub 2022 Mar 12.
Gamification, or the intentional use of gaming elements in non-game contexts, has been touted as a promising tool to improve educational outcomes in online education, yet the evidence regarding why it might work and its effectiveness is inconclusive. One reason is that previous research has often included several gamification tools together, neglecting that each gamification tool can vary in effectiveness. In order to evaluate their relative impact, two frequently used gamification tools, badges (i.e., digital credentials given for achievements) and leaderboards (i.e., digital rankings based on performance), were compared for their effectiveness on the academic performance and motivation of students. Two experiments were conducted in two online undergraduate physics courses taught via a learning management system. In Experiment 1 (N = 102), badges and leaderboards were implemented in only one part of the course grading system (i.e., quizzes). In Experiment 2 (N = 88), all course grading system was gamified (i.e., quizzes and assignments). Four groups were created by random assignment of participants: badges-only, leaderboards-only, badges with leaderboards, and control (i.e., no badges, no leaderboards). Academic performance was measured by comparing quiz scores among groups in Experiment 1 and both quiz and assignment scores in Experiment 2. Participants filled out a self-report motivation survey about badges and leaderboards at the end of the study. Two experiments yielded similar results: badges and leaderboards did not affect participants' academic performance; however, most students approached them positively as motivational tools and wanted to see them in future online classes.
游戏化，即在非游戏情境中有意识地运用游戏元素，已被吹捧为一种有望提升在线教育教学效果的工具，然而关于其奏效原因及有效性的证据尚无定论。原因之一在于，先前的研究常常将多种游戏化工具一同纳入，而忽略了每种游戏化工具的效果可能存在差异。为了评估它们的相对影响，对两种常用的游戏化工具——徽章（即因取得成就而授予的数字证书）和排行榜（即基于表现的数字排名）——在学生学业成绩和学习动机方面的有效性进行了比较。在通过学习管理系统授课的两门在线本科物理课程中开展了两项实验。在实验1（N = 102）中，徽章和排行榜仅在课程评分系统的一部分（即测验）中实施。在实验2（N = 88）中，整个课程评分系统都进行了游戏化处理（即测验和作业）。通过随机分配参与者创建了四组：仅徽章组、仅排行榜组、徽章加排行榜组和对照组（即无徽章、无排行榜）。在实验1中，通过比较各组的测验成绩来衡量学业成绩；在实验2中，则通过比较测验成绩和作业成绩来衡量。在研究结束时，参与者填写了一份关于徽章和排行榜的自我报告式动机调查问卷。两项实验得出了相似的结果：徽章和排行榜并未影响参与者的学业成绩；然而，大多数学生对它们作为激励工具持积极态度，并希望在未来的在线课程中看到它们。
