Psychological interventions of virtual gamification as a motivational basis: A mixed-method systematic review

Abstract

BACKGROUNDStudents constantly seek ways to improve productivity within academia. With the advancement of technology in the recent decade, virtual implementations may provide additional support for student productivity, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic with online learning. One of the virtual realms for motivation include gamification, which has potential as an effective tool to further bolster an individual’s source of intrinsic motivation.METHODUsing a convergent integrated synthesis approach, qualitative and quantitative studies were extracted from APA PsycInfo, ProQuest, and IEEE for relevance to virtual gamification and intrinsic motivation. Studies were reviewed based on a pre-determined and piloted screening tool. Included studies were published between 1990 and 2020 in English within Asia, North America, and/or Europe. Only systematic reviews, randomized control trials (RCTs), metaanalysis, and grey literature were included. Study screening, extraction, and quality appraisals using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) were performed independently among two authors. Disagreements following reconciliation between two authors were settled by a third author. Heterogeneity in study designs, outcomes, and measurements precluded meta and statistical analyses; thus, a qualitative analysis of studies was provided.RESULTSBased on the appraised articles, gamification improves intrinsic motivation through badges, social interactions, points, and leaderboards. Experimental studies also displayed a correlation between learning behaviour.CONCLUSIONThe data exhibited an increase in intrinsic motivation due to gamification features, which can be integrated within a virtual context to enhance motivation with potential for application towards online learning settings.

Students’ goal orientation and gamification in learning for academic performance: A systematic literature review

“…It gives students more authority over their academic assignments, improving their appearance and encouraging teamwork, diligence, and other admirable traits (Manzano-León et al, 2021). Students' behavior and attitudes toward learning have been shown to change because of gamification, which also increases motivation and engagement and fosters an environment that is conducive to learning (Xu et al, 2021).…”

“…Gamification in educational settings has been shown to have a positive impact on student engagement, motivation, and academic performance, which can be closely tied to students' goal orientation. Research indicates that when gamification elements are introduced into the learning environment, they can enhance students' intrinsic motivation and encourage them to focus on mastery and learning goals rather than solely on performance metrics (Chen et al, 2018;Moreira et al, 2020;Xu et al, 2021). For instance, studies have found that gamified activities can lead to superior academic performance in subjects like statistics and math, as students exposed to gamification showed increased confidence in their competencies and were more motivated to learn (Fuster-Guilló et al, 2019;Manzano-León et al, 2021).…”

“…These students are driven by a desire to improve and understand the material, and gamification can provide immediate feedback and a sense of progression that aligns with their goals. However, there is a risk that extrinsic rewards such as points and badges could potentially overshadow intrinsic motivation, which is a key driver for these students (Antonaci et al, 2019;Xu et al, 2021).…”

“…The use of points, badges, and leaderboards, for example, can generate engagement and extrinsic motivation but may not necessarily lead to long-term satisfaction. Therefore, educators should consider the individual goal orientations of students when implementing gamification to ensure that it supports their learning and motivation effectively (Murillo-Zamorano et al, 2021;Xu et al, 2021).…”

Effectiveness of Personalized Virtual Reality with Game Components Behavioral Intervention on Smoking Cessation

“…A systematic literature review by Joy et al also indicates that seven out of 10 support the idea that gamification could raise the user's intrinsic motivation. The remaining three are not relevant to the research topic [8].…”