Exploring the Impact of Gamified Learning Portfolio on Student Engagement With Different Learning Motivations

Vol.&No.：Vol. 69, No. 3
Date：September 2024
Pages：137-170
DOI：https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202409_69(3).0005

Abstract：
Research Motivation and Objectives
Learning motivation plays a critical role in enhancing learning effects and learning engagement. Lack of learning motivation among students is a widespread problem in higher education worldwide. The capabilities, interests, and motivations of higher education students vary, which makes it challenging to boost their learning motivation. The responsibility of higher education is not only to provide necessary knowledge and experience but also to foster students’ self-directed learning and engagement. To achieve effective engagement, a voluntary mindset must first be cultivated, which is intimately linked to motivation. Motivation is a prerequisite for successful learning. However, motivation is a psychological state, which precludes its direct assessment through observations of internal or external stimuli. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of an integrated approach involving gamification design and two-factor theory on students’ learning engagement in learning processes with different learning motivations.
Theoretical Framework
We propose a theoretical framework for curriculum design that integrates two-factor theory with gamification design. The proposed gamification design is based on the Octalysis framework, which involves the following eight drives of motivation (Chou, 2015; Moreira et al., 2020): epic meaning and calling, development and accomplishment, empowerment of creativity and feedback, ownership and possession, social influence and relatedness, scarcity and impatience, unpredictability and curiosity, and loss and avoidance. On the basis of two-factor theory, these eight drives were further divided into five motivators and three hygiene factors. This theoretical framework formed the foundation for the present study’s analysis.
Research Method
The study employed a mixed-methods research approach. Students’ learning processes were analyzed using a pretest motivation questionnaire, observations, case interviews, and a posttest gamification questionnaire. In total, 46 individuals attending a class on data analysis in a university were recruited. The study was conducted weekly throughout an 18-weeks semester. The data analysis curriculum was designed on the basis of the gamification design, with the intention of encouraging the students’ learning engagement throughout the semester. Collecting student feedback is a crucial means of analyzing learning processes. Triangulation was employed to validate the accuracy of our findings. Quantitative and qualitative data on the same phenomenon from different perspectives were collected and analyzed.
Findings
After triangulating data from different research methods, the following findings were obtained. First, the motivational factors of gamification design positively influenced students with high intrinsic motivation. Second, students driven by extrinsic motivation were more comprehensively influenced by gamification design. Incorporating gamification into the curriculum enhanced engagement among students with extrinsic motivation. Third, among the hygiene factors of gamification design, loss and avoidance crucially influenced learners with no motivation. Fourth, among the motivational factors of gamification design, social influence and relatedness was effective for both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated learners.
Contributions
This study makes some salient contributions to the literature. The study proposes a theoretical framework that incorporates the two-factor theory to classify the eight gamification drives in the Octalysis framework into five motivators and three hygiene factors. This framework was used to investigate how gamification drives affect learning engagement in the relationship between gamification design and learning motivation. Second, the findings illustrate how gamification-driven course design affects the learning engagement of students with different types of learning motivations throughout their learning processes. These results inform the design of a curriculum that fosters the engagement of students with different learning motivations. Third, this study provides insights for curriculum design in higher education by proposing different gamification-driven approaches and strategies.
Research Limitations and Future Research Directions
This study was conducted in the context of a data analysis course administered in a university, and the results may not be fully generalizable to courses in different disciplines. However, the triangulation of pretest questionnaires, interviews, observations, and posttest questionnaires provides insights into how gamification design elements affect students with different learning motivations. Future research could explore and compare these effects across different disciplines in higher education.

Keywords：higher education, gamification, learning motivation, learning portfolio, two-factor theory

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