Towards the social gamification of e-learning: a practical experiment

Gamification is the use of game mechanics and game design in non-game contexts to engage users and motivate action.Although gamification has a great potential in higher education, existing research focuses on competitive approaches andpresents contrasting evidence. We present a social gamification approach and tool designed to address the situatedmotivational affordances of students (relatedness, competence and autonomy). An experiment (N = 374) is conducted totest it in an undergraduate course, comparing students’ performance with a traditional blended-learning approach.Students’ attitude towards the new tool is also analyzed. Results suggest that social gamification can be used to improve theoverall academic performance in practical assignments and to promote social interaction. However, our findings also raiseand important caveat. The creation of gamified experiences for higher education requires a deep knowledge of themotivational affordances of students anda careful designof the rewards that are introjectedby studentsand that eventuallystimulate participation.