How to Gamify a Mobile Learning Application A Modularization Approach

Abstract

Countless possibilities of usage make it more and more difficult to engage and motivate users in a regular use of mobile learning applications. However, users must be convinced to complete and explore every given option within the application. Considering this, gamification seems to be a promising approach to engage and motivate users. Gamification refers to the use of game-like elements in a non-entertainment-based context. Regarding previous research, most game design elements are randomly selected and combined. This is why we use modularization to systematically select and combine game design elements. Following the design science approach and the cognitive evaluation theory, we aim to define a new way of gamifying a mobile learning application. We, therefore, present an approach for the combination of game design elements. Contributions will be given by providing guidance in how to systematically select and combine game design elements.

Capturing the complexity of gamification elements: a holistic approach for analysing existing and deriving novel gamification designs

“…In line with this, future research should conduct analyses to determine whether different element combination patterns exist for different gamification contexts. This should be further aligned to a more detailed analysis of element relationships, which will help us to better understand how we can induce certain outcomes and configurations (Schöbel et al, 2017), and also how we codify design knowledge related to those successful gamification patterns. This should enable design science researchers to accumulate gamification-related design knowledge (Hevner et al, 2004).…”