Does gamification increase participant engagement?

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The Impact of Gamification on Participant Engagement

Introduction to Gamification and Engagement

Gamification, the application of game-design elements in non-game contexts, has gained significant traction as a strategy to boost engagement across various domains. This article synthesizes findings from multiple research studies to determine whether gamification effectively increases participant engagement.

Gamification in Online Programs

A systematic review of 15 studies involving 10,499 participants found that gamification significantly enhances engagement in online programs. Metrics such as time spent, volume of contributions, and frequency of visits showed medium to large effect sizes in favor of gamification. Additionally, downstream behaviors like performance and healthy habits also improved, indicating that gamification is a potent tool for sustaining engagement in online educational contexts.

Gamified Civic Engagement

Gamification has also been applied to e-participation, where it has shown promise in increasing civic engagement. A review of 66 papers revealed that gamified e-participation enhances motivation, civic learning, and enjoyment. However, the ethical and inclusive aspects of gamification need further exploration to ensure broad and fair participation.

Cognitive Assessment and Training

In cognitive research, gamification has been used to make tasks less effortful and more engaging. A review of 33 studies found that gamified cognitive tasks generally improve participant motivation and engagement. Although the effects on task performance were mixed, the overall engagement and data quality were positively influenced by gamification.

Enhancing Engagement in MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have also benefited from gamification. An experience with a MOOC at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos demonstrated that gamified activities and social network elements significantly increased student participation and engagement. The continuous activity within the MOOC community even after the course ended highlights the long-term engagement benefits of gamification.

Mobile Apps and User Engagement

Research on mobile apps indicates that gamification enhances user engagement by satisfying psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. This increased engagement leads to higher usage intentions, positive word-of-mouth, and better app ratings. These findings suggest that gamification can effectively foster user engagement in mobile applications .

Corporate Training Programs

Incorporating gamification into corporate training programs has shown to improve learner engagement and learning outcomes. A study involving medical sales representatives found that those in the gamified training group exhibited higher levels of affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, as well as better performance on knowledge and skills assessments.

Mental Health Interventions

Gamification has also been explored in the context of web-based mental health interventions. An exploratory experiment found that gamified interventions increased cognitive engagement and positive emotions, although the effects on behavioral and affective engagement were less clear. Positive emotions played a crucial role in mediating the impact of gamification on engagement.

Student Motivation and Learning

Gamified learning interventions have been shown to increase student engagement and enhance learning outcomes. A study involving over 100 undergraduate students found that gamification positively impacted participation and performance, although the effects varied based on whether students were intrinsically or extrinsically motivated.

Effectiveness in Elementary Education

Research on elementary school students in Brazil using gamification platforms like ClassDojo and ClassBadges demonstrated that gamification can significantly improve student engagement and performance. The study highlighted the importance of teacher participation in creating effective gamified experiences that align with educational objectives.

Conclusion

The collective evidence from various studies strongly supports the notion that gamification increases participant engagement across different contexts, including online programs, civic participation, cognitive tasks, MOOCs, mobile apps, corporate training, mental health interventions, and educational settings. While the specific mechanisms and outcomes may vary, the overall trend indicates that gamification is a valuable strategy for enhancing engagement. Future research should continue to explore the ethical implications and long-term sustainability of gamified interventions.