Toward Meaningful Engagement: A Framework for Design and Research of Gamified Information Systems

Abstract

Gamification, an emerging idea for using game design elements and principles to make everyday tasks more engaging, is permeating many different types of information systems. Excitement surrounding gamification results from its many potential organizational benefits. However, few research and design guidelines exist regarding gamified information systems. We therefore write this commentary to call upon information systems scholars to investigate the design and use of gamified information systems from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and theories, including behavioral economics, psychology, social psychology, information systems, etc. We first explicate the idea of gamified information systems, provide real-world examples of successful and unsuccessful systems, and, based on a synthesis of the available literature, present a taxonomy of gamification design elements. We then develop a framework for research and design: its main theme is to create meaningful engagement for users; that is, gamified information systems should be designed to address the dual goals of instrumental and experiential outcomes. Using this framework, we develop a set of design principles and research questions, using a running case to illustrate some of our ideas. We conclude with a summary of opportunities for IS researchers to extend our knowledge of gamified information systems, and, at the same time, advance existing theories.

Beyond Enjoyment: A Cognitive-Emotional Perspective of Gamification

“…We have addressed calls for greater theorizing around gamification [40] [64] by advancing a cognitive-emotional theoretical perspective that can guide the design of gamified systems to elicit the desired emotions in support of cognitive goals. We draw specific attention to the importance of both positive and negative emotions in creating an engaging experience through gamification.…”

“…To the extent that the design of gameful experiences can promote acquisition of knowledge by eliciting specific emotions in the player, researchers and practitioners should investigate the contextual and emotional factors under which learning is most effective. Salient contextual factors may include attributes of the individual (e.g., self-efficacy, achievement goal orientation), the task (e.g., complexity, predictability), or the technology (e.g., mobility, sensory feedback capability) [40]. Emotions that promote effective learning in one context may not be effective (or may even be detrimental) in another context.…”

“…Gamification of IS refers to the integration of game design elements into an existing system such that the system's instrumental functions are retained [40]. Elements of game design have been classified in a number of ways (e.g., [16] [64]), and are generally defined as the building blocks of which games are typically comprised.…”

“…Meaningful engagement, in which the dual outcomes of fostering engagement and enhancing instrumental task outcomes are met, has been proposed as a primary objective of gamification [40]. Focused attention is a key element in achieving a state of cognitive absorption or "flow" [13] [3].…”

“…Gamification is an emerging area of research in business and information systems [12] [40], finding outlets in highly-regarded journals (e.g., [12] [62]). Gamification of IS refers to the integration of game design elements into an existing system such that the system's instrumental functions are retained [40].…”