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Comprehensive List of 90+ Gamification Examples & Cases with ROI Stats (2024)

It’s all about the Gamification Examples & Case Studies

Below is a list of gamification examples and cases with ROI (Return On Investment) stats and figures, with many links to the case studies, so you can see for yourself the tremendous impact it is having on businesses.

I want this list to focus on cases that can confidently be measured as ROI.

The current gamification market size is estimated between $3 billion and $12 billion, depending on sources.

The Octalysis Group: Yu-kai Chou’s Case Studies

• A  712% uplift in sales for a well-known hotel chain, through our human-focused designs that boost product attractiveness and market performance.
• A loyalty program for a Major Airline with a  175% performance enhancement  through a well-crafted reward system.
• An employee engagement platform for sales staff led to 28.5% more revenue  and  59% higher KPIs .

Read the case studies done by the Octalysis Group of our clients.

The Octalysis Group has a decade-long track record of success working with clients across industry and service verticals. We specialize in creating engagement in areas where this is difficult to achieve.

Enterprise Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) Caixa Bank (Brazil) Their initial goal of a 5% increase in annual sales (R$ 8.6 billion to R$ 9 billion) was surpassed, achieving a remarkable 49% increase in just six months. This resulted in an additional USD 1 billion in revenue for the bank.

2) SAP: The SAP Community Network gamified its already-mature reputation system, increasing usage by 400% and community feedback by 96%

3) Onmicare:  introduces gamification to its IT service desk, getting a  100% participation rate from team members

4) Astra Zeneca : gamified medicine training gets 97% of their large network of agents to participate, with a 99% Completion Rate

5) CaLLogix:  reduces attrition by 50% and absenteeism by 80% . The company saves $380,000 per year

6) SAP Streamwork: added gamification in brainstorming groups and grew generated ideas by 58%

7) Galderma : a pharmaceutical company, uses gamification to train their sales division regarding new products. Despite the voluntary participation, n early 92% of targeted employees ended up playing

8) Spotify  and  Living Social:  replaced annual reviews with a mobile, gamified solution with over 90% of employees participating voluntarily

9) Objective Logistics : the company motivates the employees through behavioral rewards and increases their profit margin by 40%

10) Inside View:  gamifies their employee social media usage and increased Twitter updates by 312%

11) Keas:  employment wellness program that increased employee engagement with healthy activities by 10,000% (100x)

12) Danske Statsbaner:  through their “Engaged” platform, employees share their actions that support the value and strategy of the company, resulting in 92% positive ratings in content

13) Google:  designed a  Travel  Expense System  resulting in close to 100% employee compliance for travel expenses

14) Deloitte:  training programs that are gamified took 50% less time to complete and massively improved long-term engagement

15) Engine Yard : increased the response rate for its customer service representatives by 40% after posting response-time leaders to all employees

16) Nextjump : uses gamification to get 67% of their employees to go to the gym

17) Bluewolf:  gamified online conversations and posting increased employee community activity by 57%

18) Ford Canada: gamified its learning portal for employees and increased actions per user by 100% within 5 weeks

19) Blue Shield’s Wellivolution:  Team gamified system resulted in 80% of employees participating in at least one wellness program, and 50% of employees dropped smoking behavioral

20) Idea Street : the Department of Work in the UK used game mechanics to get 120,000 people to contribute 4,000 ideas , with 63 of them implemented in the marketing department

21) EMC RAMP : with their gamification platform, the company rewarded positive behavior from employees, partners, and customers which led to a 10% increase in documentation, 40% more videos watched, and 15% more discussions

22) DirecTV : uses gamification to overcome the fear of failure

23) HCL : decrease new hire “Pre Join” dropout rate by 90%

24) T-Mobile : dials up employee engagement by 1,000 percent

25) Royal Caribbean Cruises:  All-time high customer satisfaction with facial recognition.

26) Slalom Consulting: participation in the employee name recognition program increased from 5% to 90%, and recognition scores improved from 45% to 89%

 Sales Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) A utodesk: gamified the free trial, incentivizing users to learn how to use the program and offering both in-game and real word prizes, increasing t rial usage by 54%, buy clicks by 15%, and channel revenue by 29%

2) ePrize:  increased the participation in their sales event by 10% by creating a participation-based point economy 

3) LiveOps:  call center reduces call time by 15% and increases sales by over 8%

4) Step2: children’s retailers used PowerReviews’s social loyalty scheme to boost s ales with a 300% increase in revenue from Facebook and 600% in content uploaded

5) Domino’s Pizza : created the gaming app Pizza Hero and increased sales revenue by 30% by letting customers create their pizza with an app

6) Moosejaw , a clothing company, used an innovative gamified system that saw 76% of sales revenue come from gamified activities, including 240k social media impressions, resulting in a 560% ROI from initial marketing expenditures

7) Sil ver Grill Cafe:  received a 66% Return on Investment for having its waiters/waitresses play a cross-selling game)

8) Cisco:  used gaming strategies to enhance its virtual global sales meeting and call centers to reduce call time by 15% and improve sales by around 10%

9) Popchips : uses games to personalize mobile advertising and has seen its sales rise 40% leading to $100 million in sales.

10) Teleflora  gamified its store with a social engagement scheme offering points for actions, increasing traffic from Facebook by 105% and conversion rates by 92%

11) America’s Army:   30% of Americans aged 16 to 24 had a more positive impression towards and recruited more people than all the other methods combined while costing a fraction of the marketing cost

12) Extraco Bank:  raised customer acquisition by 700% through a gamified system

13) Lawley Insurance : with a 2-week contest, the company closed more sales than the previous 7 months combined

14) Playboy : in its Miss Social game, 85% of its users play more than once, with 50% returning a month later, resulting in a 60% increase in monthly revenue

15) Kill The Paper Invoice : increased website visits by 108.5%, and a conversion rate of 9.38% through a gamified system

16) Sneakpeeq.com : increased their conversion rate by 18% with a 3000% lift in the total number of click-per-buy

17) Ford Escape Route : with this game, Ford’s customers bought over $8 million in vehicles, with 600% increased likes on the FB page  and over 100 million impressions on Twitter

18) Investorville : with a property-investing game, Australia’s Commonwealth Bank created 600 new loans

19) Hewlett Packard: launched Project Everest to give rewards like holidays and other goods to the best reseller teams and saw  56.4% .

20) Grouper.MK: A 600% increase in monthly signups.

Product Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) Microsoft: improved its translations for Windows OS through the Language Quality game with over 900 employees completing 26,000 tasks with 170 additional errors reported

2) Leadership Academy : within three months, daily visitors increased by 46.6% with one user earning the Leadership Academy Graduate Badge, which was expected to take 12 months

3) Microsoft: obtained 16x more feedback from people through its Communicate Hope gamified system

4) EMC2:  increased the amount of feedback it received by 41%

5) Dosomething.org:   got a 26% response rate from the teen audience to a scavenger hunt game

6) OpenText:  implementation of a leaderboard contributed to a 250% increase in business usag e and adoption

7) Volkswagen:  got 33 million webpage hits and 119,000 ideas through its People’s Car Project which lets people design their “perfect car”

8) Samsung Nation : 500% increase in customer product reviews, and a 66% increase in site visits when using a gamified system

9) Beta One : Microsoft’s Testing Division got a 400% increase in participation for the pre-release testing

10) Uber: The rideshare app gets more drivers on the road using gamification.

11) Arcade City: Challenger to Uber and Lyft getting its start in Austin, TX, with smart contracts (Ethereum) and guilds to protect drivers: “Think Habitica meets Uber,” says its CEO. 

12) Audible : Audible uses badges to keep readers reading, even though they already have a strong product.

Lifestyle Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) OPower : reduced measurable energy consumption by over $100M

2) Aetna : increased daily healthy activities by 50% with an average engagement of 14 minutes on the site

3) ClinicalAdvisor.com:  embedded a social platform that improved user submission by 300% , comments by 400%, and Slideshow Visualizations by 53%

4) Bottle Bank Arcade:  gamified bottle bank was used 50 times more than conventional bottle bank.

5) The World’s Deepest Bin : 132% more trash collected  compared to conventional bin

6) Piano Stairs:   66% more people use the stairs  if they can produce music with it

7) Speed Camera Lottery : a lottery system that causes a 22% reduction in driving speed

8) Toilette Seat : 44% increase in lifting the toilet seat when urinating

9) Nike:  used gamified feedback to drive over 5,000,000 users to beat their personal fitness goals every day of the year

10) Recycle Bank  grew a community of 4 million members by providing a gamified recycling platform.

11) Chevrolet Volt : uses a green/amber indicator to give drivers visual feedback of their driving style and reduces the number of people exceeding the speed limit by 53%

12) Diet DASH at Drexel University shown to reduce sugar intake, and over half the players lost 3% body weight over 2 months

Consumer Behavior Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) MTV My Chart : lets users create their video chart based on various game dynamics, and obtained 500,000 votes and 150,000 videos viewed within 3 months

2) Joiz:  a Swiss television network increased sharing by 100% and social referral traffic by 54% with social infrastructure and gamification technologies

3) Muchmusic.com : increased their music userbase by 59%

4) Marketo : layered a game platform on their community and saw a 71% lift in daily activities , a 36% increase in ideas submitted, and a 48% increase in question replies.

5) Interscope Records : the company obtained a 650% increase in engagement and interaction with the website

6) Verizon : users spend over 30% more time on-site with social login games versus a regular site login

7) Allkpop : during the week-long promotion of game mechanics, the online news site experienced a 104% increase in shares, 36% in comments, and 24% in pageviews

8) SessionM : offers mobile publishers a platform for adding game mechanics into apps, increasing 35% retention and reducing bounce rate by 25%, all while seeing a 40x increase in engagement rate in social activities

9) Buffalo Wild Wings : the campaign generated more than 100 million social impressions on SN, as well as a 500% increase in participation rate

10) Green Giant:  generated 420,000 likes on Facebook through their gamified system

11) NickTV : introduces a game-based role-playing platform as heroes and within 2 months obtained 750,000 page views (200% the amount of the usual traffic for the entire nickel. it website ), over 50,000 users, and over 4,000,000 sessions on the website, with an increase in time spent on site by 25%

12) More than a Game:  The interviewer changed the formulation of surveys, obtaining a 98% response rate and an 87.5% in descriptive words within answers

13) BlurbIQ:  introduced Interactive Video Interruptions and within two weeks obtained 915% more interaction, 1400% increase in click-through rate, and 95% increase in recollection

14) Bell Media:  increased customer retention by 33% by incorporating “social loyalty” rewards on its website

15) Club Psych USA:  saw a 130% jump in page views and a 40% increase in return visits to the game 

16) American Express :  the company has gotten over 2 million likes on Facebook through their Nextpedition gamified system

17) Boyd Game:  the casino gets over 700,000 visits each month by introducing gamification on its website

18) Verizon Wireless : more than 50% of the site’s users participate in this gamified environment and spend 30% more time on the site

19) Topliners : introducing gamification in the community lifted active users by 55%

20) SAP ERP : introducing game mechanics improved user participation with telepresence increasing by 29.75%

21) GetGlue: Has built a community of 2 million users around a gamified TV. feedback platform, 20% of all social media posts to dedicated TV. show pages during primetime come through GetGlue.  (Link in Italian)

22) Ask.com  uses game mechanics to increase user engagement through real-time notifications and activity streams, increasing answered questions by 23% and votes by 58%

23) MuchMusic.com implemented a social loyalty program, rewarding users with tangible gifts such as concert tickets which led to a weekly activity increase of 59%

24) Badgeville & Kendall-Jackson : increase customer engagement by 65%

25) Patient Partner : uses gamification to improve medication adherence

Education Gamification Case Stats and Figures

1) Beat the GMAT:  students increase their time spent on site by 370% through a gamified system

2) OTT , an e-learning provider, increased by 65% user engagement, with some users peaking at over 300% , by adding a reward system

3) Deloitte Leadership Academy,  an executive training program, increased by 46.6% the number of users that returned daily to their platform by embedding gamification mechanics into it

4) Stray Boots & A.L.Penenberg : the professor taught journalism through gamification and saw student grades increase by more than a letter grade

5) Devhub : a place for Web developers, added gaming feedback and watched in awe as the percentage of users who finished their sites shot up from 10% to 80%

6) Foldit : gamers have solved a 15-year AIDS Virus Protein problem within 10 days

7) Duoling:  Grew to 300 million users and 10 minutes per day per user.

Scientific research related to the effect of Gamification

1) Research findings support the impact of levels, badges, and a (dummy) feedback system connected to a study course, results were significant, with 18.5% higher average grades for students enrolled in the gamified course

2) Research findings support the impact of levels, points, leaderboards , streaking, and visual storytelling to improve participation in crowdsourced assessments. Results were significant with an increase of 347% of participants returning for recurrent participation. (compared to the control group)

3) Research findings support the impact of point-based levels (Status titles) and leaderboards on IBM’s internal social network service. Short-term impact showed a 92% increase in comments posted,  within this research long-term engagement was also measured and a rise  of 299% more comments posted was found compared to the control group

4) Subsequent research in the same social network service above showed the effects of removing the point-based levels, status titles, and leaderboards. The removal of the game mechanics showed a significant result as across-the-board activities on the social network service dropped by 52%. 

5) Research findings support the impact of narratives, leaderboards, and countdown timers on online training. Results were significant with a 61% increase in participation in online training.

6) Research findings support the impact of narrative, levels, quests, countdown timers, immediate feedback, guidance systems, visual storytelling, surprise events, and flow (matching ability and difficulty) to an online tutorial. Results were significant with users learning via the gamified tutorial showing increased ability by finishing tasks 135% faster than the control group. Additionally, the users expressed much higher satisfaction in regards to using the system.

The Octalysis Group: Case Study Collection

Updated by Howie Ju: Oct. 10, 2023

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Case study: How Duolingo Utilises Gamification to Increase User Interest

“We created Duolingo in 2011 with a mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. I’ve always felt that economic inequality is one of the biggest problems facing humanity, and education is the best way to help most people around the world improve their lives. Our vision is to create a world where more money can’t buy you a better education.” -Luis von Ahn, CEO

Duolingo has grown at an enormous scale, with over 500 million total users and around 40 million monthly active users, representing every country in the world. They offer 98 language courses that teach 39 different languages.

One strategy that does keep Duolingo users coming back for more is their implementation of gamification. If you want to learn more about gamification itself, we have written an extensive blog post about this here . We’ll discuss how Duolingo embraces the trusty Gamification Octalysis Framework.

Table of Contents

Octalysis Framework

The Octalysis framework, created by gamification guru Yu-kai Chou, essentially analyses the forces that drive human motivation and displays how these drives can be harnessed to build engaging and rewarding experiences for a user.

Worded wonderfully by the creator himself, Gamification is “the craft of deriving all the fun and addicting elements found in games and applying them to real-world or productive activities. This is what I call ‘Human-Focused Design’ as opposed to the “Function-Focused Design.” – Yu-kai Chou.

Epic Meaning and Calling

According to the Octalysis Framework, Epic Meaning & Calling is the core drive where a player believes that he is doing something greater than himself or he was “chosen” to do something.

Take the above Duolingo notification examples. Duolingo is notorious for its constant (and almost over the top) notification bombardment. It has even become such a big meme sensation that Duolingo has written about their notification process in a  blog post  discussing ‘the AI behind the meme.’

To some, these notifications might be a total hindrance, but to others, it’s that daily piece of encouragement / a friendly nudge to get back amongst their language learning. It aims to make the user feel valued and wanted on the platform, igniting a sense of ‘calling’ to the user. It can make you feel like you are not only contributing to your own language learning goals but contributing to the Duolingo community as a whole.

Asana also asks for their user’s reason for cancellation, with an ability to select “Other” if they find the options non-applicable to their situation. The examples provided have quite a few options for the user to select, which is good because the more direct and specific the information is that you gather, the more you learn how to improve your services. You are never going to find out a reason without asking “Why?” It can be a daunting task, it can invalidate months and years of work on a particular feature that customers just aren’t a fan of, and it can mean extra work. But if constant iteration and improvement don’t occur from customer feedback, you’ll find yourselves with an inconsequential product.

Development and Accomplishment

Many products allow their users to feel a sense of getting closer to your goal. Achieving it can be provided by breaking your challenge into stages and showing your progress (points, gems, levels and more). Duolingo does not skip this vital step in the gamification process, celebrating every little win with its users. You will notice in the examples below that Duolingo’s iconic bright colours and playful illustrations are used in a positive manner to emphasise that something has been accomplished.

The enthusiastic and positive tone of voice is very prominent amongst these examples as well, with plenty of exclamation marks sprinkled in, ensuring the user feels as accomplished as possible after their action.

They also provide levels of progression and rewards for accomplishment, including:

• Leaderboards and leagues: While these also fall under the Social Influence and Relatedness / Envy Pillar, being promoted or demoted to a particular level can ignite emotions within the user. Being promoted encourages the user to continue excelling, and being demoted encourages them to work even harder to get back to the level they were at. No one likes to be told that their skills are lessening.
• Experience points (XP): Experience points are used in a multitude of online games. It is a simple yet effective way to reward your users.
• Progress bars: Duolingo display a progress bar around each unit topic. This progress bar decreases the longer you leave that unit, as language learning requires constant practise and repetition. The user then feels obliged to revisit that unit to ‘top up’ their progress.
• Streaks: Streaks have become quite a popular tool on social applications, with Snapchat being a prime example. The longer your streak, the more exciting it is. And the more pressure there is not to break it. You are also rewarded if you can prolong your streak.

These are strategically placed within the app to make sure that the user knows that they are progressing. Progression and positive reinforcement in turn lead the user to feel like they’re doing something pretty fantastic here, encouraging them to continue to use the platform.Each screen still allows the user to click “I’m not interested, continue to cancel” which is strategically designed as an outlined secondary button. The messages on each screen are written by members of the Pipedrive team with their names, positions, and profile image included at the top. This may seem small, but it adds a lovely, personal element to the cancellation process and takes on board the “show your support” approach.

Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback

Yu-kai Chou compares this part of gamification to building Lego blocks. A user is engaged in a creative process where they have to try different combinations. Users can then receive the feedback they crave, and be provided with the result of their creativity.

A Duolingo user will inevitably get some questions wrong during their time on the app. While being incorrect can sometimes be projected as something negative, Duolingo takes it as an opportunity to allow its users to learn and grow.

In the first image, when a question is answered incorrectly, a red-coloured pop up appears at the bottom to indicate the incorrectness. Although red can be associated with a more negative / error-like tone, the simplistic design makes it a little less intimidating. This pop up allows you to continue, and it also allows you to flag an error on Duolingo’s behalf, or click the ‘speech bubble’ button and learn about the word further.

The second image advertises Duolingo Plus. The page highlights that the user has made some mistakes in their questions, but that’s okay because Duolingo Plus is here to create a personalised lesson for you to hone in on any weak spots. This is an excellent example of how Duolingo manages to monetise the craving for feedback. If a user were interested in this feature, they would start their two week trial of Duolingo Plus, which would then transition into a paid monthly subscription.

Ownership and Possession

The Ownership and Possession Pillar is based on the principle that because you own something, you want to improve it, protect it, and get more of it. This pillar is often associated with elements such as virtual goods and currencies.

Above are screenshots of a Duolingo user profile and the Duolingo shop. Multiple components on this page utilise the Ownership and Possession Pillar, including:

• Profile picture:  customisation allows the user to feel a closer connection to the product they are using. In this instance, my picture is a sunset photo, but you can add whatever image you wish, allowing users to feel more ownership or pride in their digital persona.
• Streak:  As mentioned in the Development and Accomplishment Pillar, streaks can have an addictive effect and encourage their user to continue using the app so that they can continue to ‘own’ a high streak score.
• XP:  Not only do they provide a sense of progression and accomplishment, but they also provide a sense of ownership from accumulating digital wealth.
• League:  Whilst this falls under the category of development and accomplishment,
• Heart refills – to increase your ‘lives’ when answering questions, so that you don’t have to worry about making mistakes.
• Outfits – emphasising that customisation aspect of Ownership and Possession, outfits are used on lots of online games to provide a sense of uniqueness and possession for the userYou can also buy gems with real money. If you don’t have enough gems on the game to purchase an item of your choice, you can always purchase more. This is also a common feature on a lot of online games / applications.

All of these ownership and possession tactics combine seamlessly to provide a gamified and somewhat addictive experience for a dedicated Duolingo user.

Social Influence and Relatedness / Envy

“Social Influence and Relatedness is a Right Brain Core Drive that bases its success off the common, and sometimes inevitable human desire to connect and compare with one another. When utilised properly, it can serve as one of the strongest and long-lasting motivations for people to become connected and engaged.” – Yu-kai Chou.

Social media utilises this tool as a primary drive for users to interact with their app. Whilst there can be positive aspects to social media, such as connecting with others and sharing your creativity and experiences. It also has some negative implications that are imminent due to human nature, such as judgement, negative comparison by putting others down and unhealthy levels of envy.

Duolingo, whilst not a social media app, utilises the positive aspects of social influence. The app encourages you to invite friends (something that almost every app does nowadays), follow people, check out your friends’ progressions and your place on league leaderboards.

These features allow an aspect of comparison to others on the app which can, when used effectively, encourage the user to continue using Duolingo or interact with it a little more in order to progress alongside their friends.

Scarcity and Impatience

There is a natural human tendency to want what we cannot have. Scarcity and impatience is the drive that motivates us simply because we cannot obtain something immediately, or because there is difficulty in obtaining it. This pillar can sometimes overlap into the Loss and Avoidance Pillar, where users do not want to lose progress or points in case they miss out on something amazing.

There are two screens above that are examples of this particular pillar. Delving into each one:

• “Duolingo’s exclusive club – Duolingo won’t let just anybody in”  – this is a prime example of scarcity. The tone of voice is a prominent tactic in this section, with the term ‘exclusive’ sounding out of reach and desirable. The fact that they ‘won’t let just anybody in’ also makes the user think, “If I get into this exclusive club, then I must be special.”
• “XP Ramp Up Challenge – this event ends in 21 hours.”  – Tapping into a couple of other pillars including Development and Accomplishment and Ownership and Possession, the desire to obtain more XP on this app is highly desirable. It allows you to feel a sense of progression and it also allows you to feel a sense of ownership over this XP. To add to these desirable features, Duolingo has added a time limit to the XP Ramp Up Challenge, so the users only have the next 21 hours to earn bonus XP.

Whilst these are not the only examples on the application that displays the Scarcity and Impatience Tactic, it is evident that this strategy is implemented effectively to drag language learners further in.

Unpredictability and Curiosity

Unpredictability and Curiosity taps into the human desire to find out what happens next. According to Yu-kai Chou, our intellectual consciousness is inherently lazy, and if tasks at hand don’t demand immediate attention, the neocortex delegates the mental legwork to our subconscious mind, or “System 1” according to Economics Nobel Prize winner and psychologist Daniel Kahneman.

The intellectual consciousness only wants to be disturbed when it is absolutely necessary, such as when a threat is present or when the brain encounters new information it hasn’t processed before. Pair a new piece of information with the human desire to explore, and you have this particular Gamification pillar.

Duolingo taps into this pillar when trying to get users to progress to another level. When something is ‘locked’ there is a desire to view and progress to the unknown. In the middle image below, users are given the opportunity to spend some of their gems take a test to skip to the unknown level. Will it be so hard that you will not progress? Or, by chance will you succeed and progress further than before. It is a gamble that many users are willing to take.

Revisiting Duolingo’s paid tier, Duolingo Plus, the below screens are another example of the unknown for a user who is on the free tier. Whilst the benefits are not necessarily ‘unknown,’ they certainly ignite some level of curiosity, a desire to explore these fancy premium features. Iconography and a mature change of colour add a visual level of sophistication, drawing the user in further.

And as a result, as long as there is a chance of reaping benefits, new features or rewards of progression or accomplishment, people are willing to invest small amounts of Duolingo’s digital currency to obtain a gigantic reward.

Loss and Avoidance

The Loss and Avoidance Pillar is simply motivating through the fear of losing something or having undesirable events transpire. It goes hand in hand with Ownership and Possession, where something you once earned could be taken away from you.

The primary example in Duolingo’s product is the use of the Streak feature. Although this has been touched on in the previous pillars, one core drive for withholding your streak is the fear of losing it.

It helps that throughout a user’s journey on the app, positive affirmations and visual celebrations are included when a streak milestone is reached – as you can see in the examples above. This adds to the user’s excitement and pride in their streak.

So when a notification buzzes on a user’s phone, like the one below, panic can set in. In fear of losing this impressive streak, the user will feel more inclined to hop onto Duolingo’s app and reach their daily goal. Using the word ‘alive’ is also strategic as it adds a human factor to the streak itself, adding an element of desperation and igniting emotions within the user, even if they don’t realise it.

Duolingo even takes it to another level – capitalising off this fear of loss. You will notice in the example below that Duolingo can miraculously recover your streak at a small fee. For some, $4.99 could be considered worthwhile, as long as it meant that their beloved streak would return in full force.

Duolingo seeps with this pillar, igniting that primal desire to avoid losing something of value.

Satisfying Different Types of Duolingo Players

An important point to consider when designing a platform that utilises gamification is the fact that no person is the same. People will use your platform for different reasons and in turn have different motives. This means that there will be different player types. Richard A. Bartle, professor and game researcher, classified common player characteristics into 4 different player types: Achievers, Explorers, Socialisers, and Killers.

So, how does Duolingo satisfy each type of player?

Duolingo’s game mechanics (that have been touched on above in the Pillars) are targeted at certain types of users and can trigger them in different ways.

Achievers  focus on points, badges, and statuses, thus, Duolingo targets them with level points, XP points, leaderboard places, and leagues. The progress you achieve is visible to other members of the platform and gives achievers a chance to show off their achievements.

For Explorers  who are more focused on delving into new areas and don’t care a lot about points, the app offers new levels and categories to unlock with each completed level.

For the Socialisers  who are eager to collaborate and achieve goals with friends and other users, Duolingo allow users to follow and track the progress of other learners and their friends.

The Killers  (a smaller group compare to others – about 1%) are quite similar to achievers as they are motivated to earn points and progress, but they focus more on  Winning  and seeing others  Lose . That’s where a leaderboard of sorts comes in handy. They yearn to win and are satisfied by the special values for the first three places on the leaderboard. People who don’t take the first 10 places are demoted to the previous league, which touches on that desire to see others lose.

Duolingo have managed to pave quite a solid foundation for crafting a truly engaging, player-centered design. Utilising all eight pillars of the Octalysis Framework, Duolingo provides a sense of purpose, challenge, clear feedback along the way and creates a fun, voluntary way to learn for hose busy language learners out there.

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How Effective is Gamification in Education? 10 Case Studies and Examples

At its essence, gamification in learning involves the strategic integration of game elements and mechanics into educational pursuits, with the aim of promoting engagement, motivation, and enhanced learning outcomes.

By imbuing the learning experience with the excitement and sense of accomplishment associated with games, gamification has the potential to transform the way we approach education. Elements such as badges, leaderboards, and rewards tap into the innate human desire for achievement and progress, compelling students to devote their energies to the mastery of new skills and concepts.

Due to its increasingly recognized benefits, gamification is expected to grow by an average of 28% every year between now and 2030 .

Let’s dive into 10 case studies that explore the positive impact of gamification on student engagement, motivation, and learning performance.

1. 89% increase in student performance via challenge-based, gamified learning

A study was conducted among 365 students at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece.

The experiment involved a web-based gamified application called Horses for Courses aimed to improve the learning outcomes of students in statistics.

It was found that challenge-based gamification can improve student performance by 89.45% compared to lecture-based education .

The overall performance of the students increased by 34.75%.

2. Gamification led to a 65% increase in user engagement

Online Travel Training (OTT) launched a new website where members were encouraged to undertake particular training activities and earn virtual badges for completing 5 European training courses.

The platform conducted a review of its website users and found an average increase of 65% in user engagement and a 300% uplift in online activity for some users after implementing gamification.

3. Gamification boosts memory and recall by 40%

A study by the Federation of American Scientists found that students recalled 20% of what they heard. When visuals accompanied an oral lecture, the number rose to 30%.

If someone took an action along with the explanation, the number rose to 50%. But if the students perform the job themselves with the use of gamification, they can retain 90% of what they learned .

4. 68% of students feel more motivated and engaged when using gamified learning

A survey was conducted among 124 students to measure their behavior and perception of a gamified course, as it related to their motivation and engagement levels.

It was found that 67.7% of students felt that the gamified course was more motivating than a traditional course.

5. 300% higher homework completion rate when using a gamified course with levels, badges, and a feedback system

A study was conducted to test the validation of a gamified platform using badges, titles, leaderboards, etc., to support students.

The 2014-2017 study, conducted on three generations of students in two different computer science undergraduate courses, revealed that the gamified group had an attendance of 86.25% against 61% of the control group. The homework completion rate for the gamified lot was 56.25% compared to 18.5% of the control group .

6. The use of gamification in training led to a 44% increase in motivation

Compared to non-gamified training, gamification appears to enhance learning motivation and reduce boredom and unproductiveness.

A majority of individuals who receive non-gamified training scored low in motivation (28%), found the training boring (49%), and unproductive (12%). However, when gamification elements are included in training, 83% of individuals reported feeling motivated, while only 13% reported feeling bored or unproductive.

7. Learners using gamified tutorials completed tasks 57.5% faster than the control group

A study compared a gamified tutorial system with a non-gamified one. The findings revealed that students felt highly engaged, completed tasks faster, and did more tasks after using the tutorial with gamified components.

The student survey revealed that they were able to complete 10% more testing tasks and completed the tasks an average of 57.5% faster than the control group , which used a non-gamified tutorial.

8. Gamification improved students’ understanding of the curriculum by 75.5% and 89% wanted gamification for other subjects

A study included 260 management students who were surveyed and asked about their views on their experiences with gamification solutions at the end of the semester.

The students gave positive feedback and said that the classes were interesting and they liked attending them. 85% of students liked that they could be creative, 75.5% felt they better understood the curriculum , and 89% wanted a similar opportunity for other subjects.

9. 73% of children with ADHD reported a lasting improvement in attention after regularly playing the game EndeavorRx

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used EndeavorRx , the first prescription video game, to treat children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The method was tested on 600 children for over 7 years.

73% of children reported an improvement in their attention after eight weeks of use with a 25-minute play session five times a week for four weeks. This was the first time a video game was used as a part of digital therapy by the FDA.

10. 95% of medical students felt engaged during gamified learning and 74% agreed it was better than traditional lectures

A study was conducted to create a gamified review of core obstetric and gynecology topics which were educational and useful for residents.

In this study, 36 residents were divided into small groups led by a faculty facilitator. Each group was divided into two teams of three or four members who were asked to complete certain tasks and an online survey. Most of the residents enjoyed the activity.

95% of the medical learners agreed they were engaged during the gamified session. 74% agreed that the activity was better than traditional lectures.

This is a stark contrast to the 46% of students who reported feeling engaged at school in 2021.

Will the gamification revolution take over online learning?

Today, the digital generation is finding game-based learning familiar and more conducive to learning than traditional methods like lectures, passive videos, and textbooks.

The studies above show that students using gamification achieve better recall rates, faster task completion, and improved engagement compared with traditional learning formats.

It has become clear that gamification will be a key driver of next-generation learning systems, and educators have an incredible opportunity to implement game-based learning to improve student outcomes and enjoyment of learning.

Axon Park is focused on pushing these limits to make gamified learning even more fun, social, easy to create, and accessible across a wide range of platforms.

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10 Case Studies of Successful Gamification in Education

Introduction.

Gamification in education, the art of applying game-like elements to non-game contexts, has become a powerful tool in the world of education. By integrating elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards into the learning process, educators can ignite a sense of competition, motivation, and engagement among students. But what does this look like in practice? How are teachers and educational institutions leveraging gamification to enhance learning experiences?

The purpose of this blog post is to delve into the world of gamification in education , providing you, the reader, with a comprehensive list of case studies and examples. From elementary schools to higher education, we’ll explore how gamification is being used to transform traditional learning environments into interactive and engaging experiences.

Whether you’re an educator looking to spice up your teaching methods or a curious reader interested in the latest educational trends, these case studies will offer a glimpse into the innovative ways that gamification is revolutionizing education. So, grab your controller, and let’s embark on this educational journey together!

Are you ready to explore how gamification can enhance your classroom? Read on to discover real-world examples and insights from educators around the globe.

Case Studies in K-12 Education

1. using gamification to ignite student learning | edutopia.

Author: Matthew Farber

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Struggling to engage students in complex subjects, the author sought to create an immersive learning experience.
• Solution: Utilization of game-based learning to make subjects more interactive and relatable.
• Gamification Strategies: Integration of game mechanics like quests, levels, and rewards.
• Results and Outcomes: Increased student engagement and motivation, improved understanding of complex subjects.
• Challenges and Limitations: Balancing game elements with educational content; addressed through careful planning and alignment with learning objectives.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification requires thoughtful integration to be effective; it can be a powerful tool when aligned with educational goals.

2. Social Networks and Gamification in Physical Education: A Case Study | IJLTER

Author: Maria Antonietta Impedovo

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: The need to increase student participation and motivation in physical education.
• Solution: Implementation of social networks and gamification to create a more engaging physical education experience.
• Gamification in Education Strategies: Use of leaderboards, badges, and social collaboration.
• Results and Outcomes: Enhanced student participation, motivation, and physical activity.
• Challenges and Limitations: Ensuring that competition remains healthy and inclusive; addressed through careful monitoring and guidance.
• Lessons Learned: Social elements combined with gamification can foster a positive and engaging learning environment.

3. Gamification in Everyday Classrooms: Observations from Schools in Hong Kong | Frontiers

Author: Dennis K. K. Chan and Allan H. K. Yuen

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Addressing the lack of engagement and motivation in everyday classrooms in Hong Kong.
• Solution: Integration of gamification techniques into daily lessons and activities.
• Gamification in Education Strategies: Use of points, levels, and challenges to motivate students.
• Results and Outcomes: Improved student engagement, motivation, and academic performance.
• Challenges and Limitations: Maintaining educational integrity while incorporating game elements; addressed through alignment with curriculum goals.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification can be integrated into everyday lessons to enhance student engagement without compromising educational quality.

4. How Gamification is Revolutionizing Education: Case Studies from Around the World | Instructional Tech Talk

Author: Jeff Herb

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Exploring how gamification can be applied globally to enhance education.
• Solution: Compilation of various case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of gamification.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Diverse strategies include quests, badges, and collaborative challenges.
• Results and Outcomes: Global success in increasing student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.
• Challenges and Limitations: Cultural considerations and scalability; addressed through customization and careful planning.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification has universal appeal and can be adapted to various educational contexts.

5. Gamification in K-12 Education Technology: Unlocking the Potential for Student Engagement and Learning | Elucidat

Author: Steve Penfold

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Leveraging technology to enhance student engagement in K–12 education.
• Solution: Integration of gamification into eLearning platforms.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Use of interactive quizzes, badges, and personalized learning paths.
• Results and Outcomes: Increased student engagement, personalized learning experiences, and improved learning outcomes.
• Challenges and Limitations: Balancing technology with personal interaction; addressed through blended learning approaches.
• Lessons Learned: Technology and gamification can work hand-in-hand to create engaging and personalized learning experiences.

6. The 5 Benefits of Gamification | Smithsonian Science Education Center

Author: Not specified

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Understanding the Benefits of Gamification in STEM Education
• Solution: Exploration of gamification’s impact on learning and engagement.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Incorporation of game-like elements into STEM subjects.
• Results and Outcomes: Enhanced student engagement, improved retention, and increased collaboration.
• Challenges and Limitations: General applicability across subjects; addressed through customization.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification offers diverse benefits across various subjects.

Case Studies in Higher Education

1. gamification in higher education (case study on a management subject) | researchgate.

Authors: Maja Pivec and Christian Gütl

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Enhancing student engagement in a management subject at the university level.
• Solution: Implementation of gamification techniques to create an interactive learning environment.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Use of scenarios, challenges, and rewards to simulate real-world management situations.
• Results and Outcomes: Increased student participation, improved critical thinking, and practical application of management concepts.
• Challenges and Limitations: Ensuring relevance to real-world scenarios; addressed through continuous refinement.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification can bridge theory and practice in higher education.

2. How Effective is Gamification in Education? 10 Case Studies and Examples | Axon Park

Author: Axon Park Team

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Gamification Across Different Educational Settings
• Solution: Compilation of 10 case studies showcasing the impact of gamification.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Various strategies, including virtual reality, leaderboards, and personalized learning paths.
• Results and Outcomes: Demonstrated success in increasing engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.
• Challenges and Limitations: Scalability and technology access are addressed through diverse implementation methods.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification’s effectiveness is evident across various educational contexts.

3. A Comprehensive List of 90+ Gamification Cases with ROI Stats | Yu-kai Chou

Author: Yu-kai Chou

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Providing a comprehensive overview of gamification’s ROI across industries, including education.
• Solution: Compilation of 90+ cases with detailed ROI statistics.
• Gamification in Education Strategies : Diverse strategies ranging from point systems to narrative-driven learning.
• Results and Outcomes: Demonstrated ROI in terms of engagement, retention, and learning effectiveness.
• Challenges and Limitations: Broad applicability; addressed through specific case analysis.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification offers measurable ROI across various sectors, including education.

4. Gamification: 5 Effective Ways to Gamify Learning in Higher Education | Hurix Digital

Author: Hurix Digital Team

• Summary of Challenges and Objectives: Exploring effective ways to implement gamification in higher education.
• Solution: Identification and analysis of five effective gamification methods.
• Gamification in Education Strategies include leaderboards, quizzes, simulations, badges, and collaborative challenges.
• Results and Outcomes: Increased student engagement, collaboration, and practical application of concepts.
• Challenges and Limitations: Balancing gamification with academic rigor; addressed through alignment with learning objectives.
• Lessons Learned: Gamification can be tailored to fit various learning needs and objectives in higher education.

Discussion: Benefits of Gamification in K-12 and Higher Education Classrooms

A. benefits in k–12 classrooms, engagement and motivation.

Gamification has proven to be a powerful tool for igniting student engagement and motivation. For example, in the case study titled Using Gamification to Ignite Student Learning by Edutopia, game-like elements such as quests and rewards were used to make subjects more interactive. Similarly, the Observations From Schools in Hong Kong revealed how the daily integration of gamification enhanced student engagement and motivation.

Personalized Learning Experiences

Customizing learning paths through gamification allows for more personalized experiences. Elucidat’s case study on K–12 education technology demonstrates how gamification can unlock the potential for individualized student engagement and learning.

Enhanced Collaboration and Social Interaction

Gamification also fosters social interaction and collaboration. The IJLTER case study on social networks and gamification in physical education highlights how leaderboards and badges can enhance student participation and collaboration.

B. Benefits in Higher Education Classrooms

Bridging theory and practice.

In higher education, gamification can bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application. A ResearchGate case study on a management subject illustrates how scenarios and challenges can simulate real-world situations.

Measurable ROI and Effectiveness

The effectiveness and ROI of gamification in education are well-documented. Yu-kai Chou’s comprehensive list of 90+ gamification cases provides measurable statistics on engagement, retention, and learning effectiveness.

Diverse and Customizable Strategies

Higher education can benefit from the diverse and customizable nature of gamification. Hurix Digital’s insights into five effective ways to gamify learning showcase how strategies like leaderboards and simulations can be tailored to various learning needs.

C. Common Themes and Insights Across Education Levels

Across both K–12 and higher education, common themes emerge, such as increased engagement, motivation, and the ability to tailor learning experiences. However, challenges such as balancing gamification with educational integrity and addressing scalability must be considered.

Summary of the Section

This discussion has illuminated the multifaceted benefits of gamification across different educational levels. From enhancing engagement to providing personalized learning experiences, gamification is a versatile tool that can transform the educational landscape. The insights from various case studies and examples offer valuable lessons for educators seeking to innovate their teaching methods.

The world of education is ever-evolving, and gamification has emerged as a transformative force, breathing new life into traditional learning environments. Through the exploration of various case studies and examples , we’ve seen how gamification can enhance engagement, motivation, collaboration, and personalized learning across both K–12 and higher education classrooms.

The potential benefits of gamification are vast, but it’s not without its challenges. Balancing game elements with educational content, ensuring inclusivity, and aligning with curriculum goals requires thoughtful planning and execution. Yet, the successes highlighted in this blog post demonstrate that these challenges can be overcome, leading to measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Whether you’re an educator looking to innovate your teaching methods or a student seeking more engaging learning experiences, gamification offers exciting possibilities. It’s more than just a trend; it’s a testament to the power of creativity and innovation in education.

So, why not take the leap? Explore gamification as a tool for enhancing your educational journey. The game of learning has never been more thrilling, and the next move is yours.

Are you ready to embrace gamification in your classroom or learning experience? Share your thoughts, questions, or experiences in the comments below. Let’s continue to learn and grow together!

Richard Campbell

Richard Campbell is an experienced English professor in South Korea with over 20 years of teaching experience across all levels of education. With a doctorate in education, Richard is passionate about promoting language learning and using innovative approaches, including AI writing tools, to inspire his students.

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Does Gamification Work? Here’s the Proof!

• September 27, 2019
• Gamification

Today, companies all around the world are taking the features you love about video games and applying them to boring tasks. In fact, due to a huge surge in demand, the gamification industry has grown eleven-fold in four years.

With the use of gamification on the rise, it’s worth asking, is there any proof it actually works? This article tackles the neuroscience behind its power and four gamification studies to show that it really works!

The Neurochemistry

Research has shown that when gamification is done well, neurotransmitters are released. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that your brain uses to send signals. When it comes to gamification, there are four you need to know about:

1. Dopamine

Learning associations are vital to an effective training programme. They help learners make sense of complicated information by relating it to the real world. Dopamine is the chemical driving force of learning associations , and your brain releases loads of it whenever you’re surprised.

This is why everyone loves dramatic plot twists. Games use them all the time to thrill their audience and make the game more memorable. If you want to send a torrent of dopamine coursing through your learners’ brains then astound them with unbelievably exciting training.

2. Oxytocin

Thanks to oxytocin we can forge connections with everyone we meet – and they don’t even have to be real people. That’s why we love stories so much and it’s why video games love a rich narrative.

Oxytocin helps us to develop relationships with the characters and feel involved in the plot. Have your learners fall in love with your training by wrapping content in a meaningful narrative. Host that training on a social LMS and your learners will develop relationships that will continue to reinforce your training.

3. Serotonin

Serotonin levels are the difference between feeling anxious and unhappy or balanced and content. Our serotonin levels are affected by how important we feel . Part of the reason people love gaming so much is that it gives them the chance to feel significant. The game lets you do the impossible and be someone who changes the world!

You can do the same thing for your learners if you create a sense of Epic Meaning in your training! Make sure that your training and the platform it’s hosted on helps your learners understand how they fit into your company’s big picture.

4. Endorphins

Whenever you achieve something you didn’t think possible, you feel euphoric. That incredible feeling comes from a release of endorphins . Endorphins give you the strength to power through challenges and they reward us when we finish them.

This is why most games come with a ‘hard mode’, their developers know you want to be challenged! Without a challenge, there’s no achievement in their completion and it saps all the fun out of the game.

Don’t make your training too easy – you’ll stop your learners feeling like they’ve achieved something. Instead, challenge your learners and make them wrestle for a victory!

What Does This Mean?

We’ve seen that gamification releases a cocktail of neurotransmitters that leave learners feeling great and wanting more! But what happens when you take the learning out of the laboratory? Let’s take a look at what the research says about gamification in the workplace:

1. It’s all positive

A research paper examined 24 peer-reviewed research papers which analysed gamification. According to this paper, every study that looked at gamification in a learning context found that it had positive outcomes. Most notably: increased motivation, engagement, and enjoyment.

2.  Motivation Increases

When learners undertake gamified learning, it increases their motivation to return . If you want your learners to continue growing and to become better at what they do, learning can’t be a one-off occasion. Instead, they need to return time and time again. Gamifying your training helps ensure that learners keep coming back!

3. An Increase in Grades

Research by the University of Lisbon found that a fully gamified solution not only saw an increase in participation and engagement but also saw the grades of participants increasing.

If your learners’ grades are improving, then their understanding of the content must be improving too. The better your learners understand your training, then the more likely they are to recall what they learned and apply it in the workplace.

4. Engagement

When learning is gamified it’s more enjoyable for learners . Studies have found that this leads to increased engagement with content.

This means higher levels of knowledge retention, increased behaviour change and happier learners! Gamification transforms dull online learning into something irresistible.

Gamification improves your learners’ grades and increases their motivation, enjoyment, and engagement. What does this mean for your training?

Higher grades mean that your learners have an improved understanding of the content. The better they understand it, the more able they are to apply it in the day-to-day of work life.

Increased motivation makes your learners more committed to their training. This means they’ll return to the platform again and again, letting you reinforce the training and ensure real behaviour change.

If your learners enjoy the content, they might just encourage their fellow employees to log in and learn. The more learners you have completing training the bigger the impact of your training.

An engaged learner is personally invested in your training. This means that they will want to use what they’ve learned.

When your learners apply the training in their work life, you’ll see your return on investment level up in no time! After all, behaviour change is the ultimate goal of the training department. If you can change learner behaviour, you can be sure that your training is taking hold.

Recent research gives proof that gamification does all this and more, but what companies are using gamification to improve their training?

Gamification Case Studies

GAME, Hendrick Automotive, T-Mobile and AstraZeneca are all businesses who have maximised their use of gamification and reaped spectacular rewards:

As the largest videogames retailer in the UK, GAME wanted to engage their staff with a gamified learning management system. They chose the Academy LMS and used all of its gamification features.

They had 3,600 learners logged in more than 40,500 times over four months. With that level of engagement, it’s clear that gamification helped keep their learners coming back for more!

“It’s a perfect match”  Craig Mills, Head of Training, GAME

T-Mobile introduced gamified elements into its community platform for its customer care team. The gamification encouraged learners to share their knowledge with the team.

This meant that when customers asked tough questions the team could collaborate and find a solution much faster. In the six weeks after the introduction of gamification, T-Mobile awarded 187,000 achievement badges to their learners! That’s some serious engagement!

“There’s no other way to say it: this effort has taken off like wildfire” Krissy Espindola, Director of Knowledge Management, T-Mobile

Hendrick Automotive

Hendrick is the United States’ largest privately owned automotive dealership and they partnered with Growth Engineering to replace an outdated LMS with an engagement-focused platform.

They made full use of gamification and they must have been on to something. When they launched the Academy LMS, the learners loved it! In fact, they had over 750,000 LMS visits in eight months.

“Our learners really just devoured the system, they loved it!” David Thompson, Videographer, Hendrick Automotive

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is an international pharmaceuticals company. They needed to teach 500 sales staff about a medicine due for release in the near future. They created a gamified system in which learners move along a leaderboard towards a stadium. The stadium represented the official launch of the medicine.

Their solution was a huge success, over 95% of learners completed each training module. As an added bonus, learners were completing content in their own time, and it helped to get the whole team excited about the product launch!

Final Words

We’ve looked at the proof. What does it say? Gamification makes us feel good, it helps learners enjoy their training, improves their grades, increases motivation, and boosts engagement. This is the perfect recipe for long-lasting behaviour change and a hefty return on investment.

At Growth Engineering, we work closely with a whole range of businesses. These businesses, no matter their shape, size or industry, have found that Growth Engineering LMS is the ultimate tool for learner engagement. It uses gamification , social functionality , and personalisation to transform the learner experience into an engagement engine.

Want to learn how gamification can transform your training? Download our whitepaper – Game-Based Learning & the Future of L&D it’s a gamechanger!

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MINI REVIEW article

Gamification as online teaching strategy during covid-19: a mini-review.

• 1 Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
• 2 Center for Neuropsychological Assessment and Neurorehabilitation (CERNEP), University of Almería, Almeria, Spain

The ongoing pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has enforced a shutdown of educative institutions of all levels, including high school and university students, and has forced educators and institutions to adapt teaching strategies in a hasty way. This work reviews the use of gamification-based teaching during the pandemic lockdown through a search in Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Semantic Scholar databases. A total of 11 papers from Chemistry, Business, Computer Science, Biology, and Medical areas have been identified and included in the present work. All of them analyzed the use of gamification strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed student’s learning and motivation outcomes. In general, students reported that gamification was innovative, engaging, and an efficient strategy to deliver curricula material; moreover, it was perceived as a fun activity. Some students reported that gamified videoconferences aided to connect with their classmates during isolation time providing effective social support. However, some students reported a bad physical or psychological condition, as consequence of the confinement, and did not get involved in the activity. Some weaknesses of the reviewed studies are the small sample size and its homogeneity, which makes it difficult to generalize their results to other scenarios and academic areas. Furthermore, although there is a feeling of learning during the activity, this result is mainly based on subjective perceptions, and any of the studies demonstrated that superior learning was achieved in comparison with traditional teaching strategies. Nevertheless, gamification can be implemented together with traditional lectures and can be a valuable instrument during post-COVID times.

Introduction

In a time disrupted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the development of educational tools compatible with social distancing has become a fundamental strategy as millions of students are confined to reduce the spread of the epidemy. Thus, almost all teaching has quickly transitioned to distance education in order to provide appropriate social distancing ( Johnson et al., 2020 ). Although social distancing has been accompanied by online interactions, it has been possible thanks to the continuous advances in digital technologies. Technology also gives the student much access to information and promotes the creation and sharing of knowledge, but it requires educators to work to find ways of increasing students’ motivation and engagement. Thus, a great amount of work has also been devoted to develop new teaching strategies that enhance students’ motivation and commitment and maximize their knowledge acquisition. Among different strategies, gamification has attracted the interest of educators, who in the last times have been exploring its potential to improve student learning ( Dichev and Dicheva, 2017 ; Majuri et al., 2018 ; Koivisto and Hamari, 2019 ). Studies about the effectiveness of gamification are promising, with variable to positive results ( Caponetto et al., 2014 ; Majuri et al., 2018 ; Osatuyi et al., 2018 ; Koivisto and Hamari, 2019 ).

Although “game” is an ambiguous term and different game formats have been used by researchers and educators ( Hanghøj, 2013 ), gamification can be defined as the use of game elements in non-entertainment contexts to promote learning. The fact that games have many elements that are naturally appealing for young and adults and have a strong influence in their lifestyle helps to introduce an extra motivation for learning. Over the last decade, gamification is being increasingly employed in learning environments as a way to enhance students’ motivation and encourage social interaction. Thus, games have been employed in many educational contexts across different educational levels, showing its potential to improve learning outcomes ( Seaborn and Fels, 2015 ; Koivisto and Hamari, 2019 ). The symbiosis between gaming and learning is also evidenced by the progressive development of best practices for courses gamification and game design. Usually, the game (course) is designed to progressively introduce new concepts to be mastered; students must then apply these concepts to increasingly challenging problems and ultimately apply prior knowledge to new situations ( Varonis and Varonis, 2015 ). Another reason for including game elements in education is that it has been reported that games can provide social links ( Waytz and Gray, 2018 ), promote knowledge seeking ( Toh and Kirschner, 2020 ), develop creativity ( Vartanian and Beatty, 2015 ), improve mental health ( Cruea, 2020 ), and reduce isolation ( Valkenburg and Peter, 2009 ).

There exist several types of games and gamification strategies. Quizzes are one of the simplest ways to gamify teaching, allowing students to test their knowledge on different platforms, such as web-based quizzes or apps. In recent years, educators have developed thousands of electronic quizzes as apps to assist students in many areas. Additionally, different strategies have been employed: the challenge-, the immersion-, and the social-based gamification. The first strategy is based on overcoming challenges ( Majuri et al., 2018 ; Koivisto and Hamari, 2019 ). The second model attempts to immerse the user into a story and is characterized by its audiovisual richness ( Concannon et al., 2019 ). Finally, social-based games permit to develop strategies of competition and collaboration ( Romero, 2017 ).

Gamified activities have been linked to enhancing students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In this line, the self-determination theory places the focus on three basic psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence ( Richter et al., 2015 ). Thus, gamification must fulfill at least one of them. Another theory that has been associated with gamification is the goal-setting theory. According to this theory, there are four factors linked to students’ performance: their commitment toward the goal, the feedback they receive, the complexity of the activity, and the situational constraints ( Locke and Latham, 2002 , 2006 ; Landers, 2014 ). According to this theory, gamification would require a challenge, an indication of progress, some feedback, levels of achievement, and a sort of competition ( Huang and Hew, 2018 ). The third theory related to gamification is flow theory, where an optimal psychological and physical state maximizes enjoyment and engagement. According to this theory, gamification requires specific and understandable goals, immediate feedback, achievement indicators, and an adequate balance between challenges, student’s skills, and perceived value of the activity ( Huang and Hew, 2018 ).

Thus, according to the goal-setting and flow theories, besides designing applications with capability to increase students’ motivation, teachers must also consider the special difficulties that their students face during confinement. Therefore, they can use gamification to mitigate physical and psychological constraints associated with a situation of quarantine. Furthermore, not all students have high-tech devices or appropriate internet connection at home, which restrict the generalized adoption of gamification for distance learning situations, as has been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in developing countries and rural areas.

This work is aimed at reviewing the published experiences of gamified learning in secondary school and university education during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will describe the gamification strategy, the methodologies used during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its motivational and educational outcomes. Finally, we also pretend to analyze the theoretical base of these gamification strategies and how they have helped to ameliorate the situation of the students from a physical and psychological situation.

Gamification Case Studies in COVID-19 Times

Although there exists previous evidence about the use of online tools and games in education, the number of studies using gamified strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic is scarce. There are, however, a large number of publications describing research proposals, protocols, and expert opinions regarding the implementation of digital tools in education. The sudden development of the COVID-19 outbreak made it difficult to plan empirical studies that tested the use of gamified tools, with the majority of educators doing huge efforts to move from a face-to-face classroom environment to online lectures through videoconferencing tools.

In the present work, a non-systematic search for terms included in the title, abstract, or keywords using the following syntax [(“distance” OR “remote”) AND (“teaching” OR “learning” OR “education”) AND (“covid” OR “pandemic”) AND “gam ∗ ”] has been carried out. The search was done on February 28, 2021 for studies published between January 2020 and February 2021 in Scopus (46 results), PsycINFO (2 results), ERIC (1 result), and Semantic Scholar (1,450 results) databases. Only research articles and conference papers describing a gamified practice in a learning environment have been included. Studies not written in English, reviews, surveys, and opinion papers that did not carry out any gamified practice have been excluded. A total of 11 studies that met these eligibility criteria have been included and reviewed here. The studies reviewed correspond to the following areas of knowledge: Chemistry, Business, Computer Science, Biology, and Medical education. A summary of the reviewed studies is shown in Table 1 .

Table 1. Articles included in the review: objectives, methodology, and outcomes.

Chemistry Learning

Organic Chemistry is considered a difficult subject for secondary school and undergraduate students, being organic reactions are one of the most difficult topics in Organic Chemistry ( Eticha and Ochonogor, 2015 ). Previous studies show that when learning activities of chemistry concepts are combined with games in the classroom, students’ motivation increases ( Stringfield and Kramer, 2014 ) improving their performance ( Liberatore, 2011 ; Revell, 2014 ) and making them more engaged compared with traditional methodologies ( Sousa Lima et al., 2019 ; da Silva et al., 2020b ).

da Silva et al. (2020a) designed an interactive game-based application (Interactions 500) aimed to help students review concepts related to intermolecular forces in a collaborative environment. This game was originally designed to be used by students in the classroom; however, the interruption of face-to-face classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic required to use it remotely. Forty-four pharmacy undergraduate students (11 groups) played the game remotely. A student got the role of a leader who was in charge of coordinating the game, motivating their mates, discussing answers, and clarifying doubts. In the game, there was a competition among students who had to answer different quiz questions. The students rated the game very positively through a Likert-type survey with regard to its design, content, game play, and usefulness as educational tool. The authors compared the knowledge of a group of 44 students who played the game with regard to another group (N = 40) who were not exposed to it and studied alone at home. Both groups showed similar marks in the pretest and the post-test and the same level of learning. Therefore, the authors concluded that the game resulted in similar learning outcomes to traditional problem-solving classes, although only the game created a pleasant learning environment, so all the students who played the game reported that they preferred it with regard to regular problem-solving classes.

Fontana (2020) developed a gamified activity based on ChemDraw (a software designed for drawing molecules) with the aim of making students get practice using this tool. Thus, students had to compete in a tournament. The idea was that it would maintain the classroom community, improve students’ wellness, and develop their organic chemistry skills. Videoconferencing software (Zoom) was used to enable real-time classroom participation. Nine students participated in the molecule speed-drawing tournament (Molecule Madness). A molecule’s chemical structure was posted to the class learning platform, and for each match, two students had to share their screens with the class and compete to correctly draw its structure first in ChemDraw. Non-participating students followed the tournament as active observers (social spectators), socially engaging with fellow observers and learning from contenders. Students competed to correctly draw molecular chemical structure, where advanced rounds presented molecules progressively more difficult to draw. By playing ChemDraw, students reported wellness experiences comparable with playing traditional videogames: enjoyed practicing, felt expectancy for the coming class activity, and connected with their classmates. They also described Molecule Madness as a fun way to learn organic chemistry, practice ChemDraw, and promote high levels of excitement and engagement. According to the author, postpandemic chemistry education will likely include some distance gaming elements that will enhance face-to-face teaching.

Chemistry crosswords have been used for a long time, and their effectiveness has been described as a tool for leaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearson (2020) used crossword puzzles as a model of remote active learning for first- and second-year undergraduate pharmacy students. Chemistry-themed crossword puzzles were delivered via the eBlackboard site and used to supplement lectures and problems content. This activity started before the lockdown, so the author compared students’ behavior before and during the lockdown, with no clear differences between both periods. When analyzing students’ exam performance with and without crossword aids, no significant differences were observed in the mean and median cohort exam grades (compared with a cohort from the previous academic year). However, more students responded to the question (from a choice of four) taught alongside online crossword exercises. The author suggested that the crossword activity instilled greater confidence to answer a question when it had been included in the crossword exercises. Moreover, a larger percentage of students got higher marks in their exam after crossword exposure compared with the previous academic year, in the absence of the crosswords. The author suggested that the crossword impacted the exam performance for at least more engaged students. Around 50% of first-year students and 80% of second-year students reported that this activity was helpful and would welcome more. Moreover, in an online survey, 20.4% of the students rated quizzes and puzzles as the best remote teaching tool second only to instructional videos (46.3%).

The author proposed that, looking ahead, these puzzles should be delivered in a more interactive online format and provide instant feedback. Moreover, for optimum student engagement and learning improvement, instructors could design crosswords that help students identify key topics and concepts. Finally, another approach would be that the students create their own crosswords.

The COVID-19 pandemic learning disruption has seriously affected interactive and hands-on experiences in laboratories. Thus, D’Angelo (2020) developed a series of five exercises, called “Labventures,” mimicking the principle of “Choose your own adventure” books or escape rooms. The exercises were created to review/reinforce several tasks, and 24 students took part. Labventures stories were set up as a series of webpages, and the students should complete a laboratory task choosing proper techniques. After every incorrect response, the students were given feedback explaining why a choice was wrong, whereas correct choices moved the activity forward. However, the analysis of students’ execution indicated a low performance and understanding of the activities. The author proposed some improvements for future versions of these exercises, including pictures or videos, providing more data to encourage problem solving, using a notebook quiz, and giving further information after wrong choices.

In all the works, a small number of participants with reduced heterogeneity of the samples were included. In the case of da Silva et al. (2021) , 44 pharmacy undergraduate students were included. In the studies done by D’Angelo (2020) and Fontana (2020) , all the students belonged to the same classroom, whereas 132 first-year and 120 second-year undergraduate pharmacy students participated in the study of Pearson (2020) . Nevertheless, the main weakness comes from the predominant use of subjective procedures to assess learning outcomes.

Business Studies

Pakinee and Puritat (2021) investigated the effect of gamified and non-gamified learning for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) course to motivate the students to engage and participate during working from home. Thus, two versions of an e-learning platform were developed, one implementing game elements (avatars, challenges, levels, points, progress bar, and leaderboard) and another one without game features (just the exams and course materials). Furthermore, in their study, the authors considered students’ personality traits (Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Imagination/Openness). A test before and after each chapter and web monitoring of students’ activity provided quantitative data about their performance. According to the results, the gamified e-learning group showed higher engagement during the first 2 weeks, but then it started to drop, and at the fourth week, both groups had equaled their activity. The authors referred that the gamification strategy increased students’ activity in the short term but not in the long term. Another activity record showed that gamification motivated students to start working during the first days a lesson was available, whereas the non-gamified group delayed their activity to the end of the week. Nevertheless, there was no statistical evidence to support any differences in learning between the non-gamified and gamified groups.

According to the authors, gamification cannot improve the overall knowledge because it has positive and negative impacts on each personality type. Thus, some personality traits were linked to higher scores for the gamified e-learning because they are more prone to competition, whereas others reported a negative effect from competition. The authors affirmed that gamification in the ERP course can improve students’ motivation, although the fun and curiousness related to gamification are short-lived. They recommend adding new small tasks of game elements every 2–3 weeks until the end of the course, concluding that gamification of e-learning alone serves as a tool to engage students in distance learning, but in order to enhance learning, the presence of a lecturer is also required.

This work has the merit of including students’ personality traits as a research variable. Thus, it can provide some cues about how to design more personalized gamification strategies according to participant’s personality. Furthermore, it has compared the efficiency of gamified and non-gamified options. However, it has some limitations, for instance, the research was conducted only in one course (ERP) and the limited number of participants per group.

Computer Science Learning

Lelli et al. (2020) addressed the concept of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) as a temporary shift of teaching in crisis circumstances and involves the use of fully remote teaching solutions. The authors described a gamification methodology for two Computer Science courses by using ClassCraft, a free educational platform from Google that works as a virtual classroom. This platform allows the teacher to assign tasks to the students and enables the use of asynchronous (forums, videos) and synchronous tools (chats) and a score based on the accomplishment of the tasks. A number of modules (missions) with different tasks were defined according to the courses content, and game levels for each module were set as students progressed through tasks.

The authors stated that the use of this gamification tool was effective to engage the students during the pandemic. Some students pointed out gamification as a positive experience to learn remotely. However, the number of students who participated in the remote activities decreased after some time, with some students reporting no physical and psychological conditions or interest in following the gamification activities. The authors also observed that students had difficulties to understand the purpose of using asynchronous tools, such as forums.

In another work, Liénardy and Donnet (2020) provided to first-year Computer Science students a set of gamified homework exercises, they called GameCode, aimed at teaching an appropriate methodology for programming. The exercises were inspired by GameBooks in which the reader can choose the path to complete the story. Students could choose their own solving path for each exercise and do it at their own pace. Any GameCode exercise met the following requirements: (a) each exercise was self-sufficient and contained the minimal information to complete it; (b) theoretical reminders were needed and were as short as possible; (c) hints never revealed the solution, nor a part of it; and (d) several solutions were always possible and could be discussed in the course forum. However, the authors reported that few students took part in the exercises, as many students had abandoned their courses, supposedly a consequence of the loss of motivation by the COVID-19 lockdown. Half of students who did the activity informed that they liked it, but 43% declared that they would have preferred podcasts.

In both studies, the reduced number of participants can be considered a serious weakness. In the study by Lelli et al. (2020) , the use of a free platform will allow other researchers to replicate the same protocol in different courses. However, in both cases, the participation was lower than expected, which demonstrates a lack of motivation and engagement. Similar outcomes were obtained by Liénardy and Donnet (2020) . In both cases, the authors explained the low participation as a consequence of the physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 confinement.

Biology Studies

Teaching biology is particularly challenging if the students are not allowed to access laboratories for hands-on observation of fresh specimens and the lockdown restricted movement outside students’ home. Lobet et al. (2020) developed a biological treasure hunt activity for 346 first-year biology students by using QuoVidi, an open-source web-based platform. This platform was conceived to teach biological vocabulary and to observe the surrounding natural world. Students received a list of quests that addressed botanical and zoological terms. Students should understand the meaning of the quest and go out to get photos of plants and animals that should be uploaded to the platform. Due to movement limitations during the lockdown, there was the option of learning from photos submitted by other students (photography quiz). In this case, they had to match the submitted photos with their quest. Students showed a good performance as the majority of pictures submitted in the treasure hunt activity were correct. Nevertheless, performance was less accurate for the photography quiz, probably due to different levels of engagement. Regarding students’ feedback, 91% reported to like the activity and have learned from it, although there were two main criticisms, that the activity took so much time and some students had the feeling that they did not truly learn. The authors addressed these points by proposing a better tailoring of the activity and a better communication with the students about the pedagogical goal of the activity.

One strong point of this activity is its scalability, so hundreds of students can be involved. Furthermore, according to students’ feedback and performance, it was motivating and engaging in learning a list of technical vocabulary. Nevertheless, the photography quiz, included as a response to the lockdown, resulted in a worse performance compared with the hunting activity. Thus, it would be essential to redesign the photography quiz in order to make it more engaging and efficient.

Medical Education

COVID-19 has challenged medical educators on continuing to provide quality educational content. O’Connell et al. (2020) described a novel virtual game for obstetrics and gynecology teaching. The game consisted of several rounds of rapid-fire questions and cases, eliminating teams to a final contest. All residents participated individually in a previous “warm-up” round, using a Kahoot quiz to test their knowledge of ultrasound imaging. The residents were divided into small groups and placed into a breakout room with a faculty facilitator who then divided their residents into two teams of three to four residents. The two teams then competed in the breakout room for the first three rounds. Each round focused on testing the team’s knowledge of a different aspect of obstetric and gynecological care. The fourth and final round was a series of three cases in which the remaining teams were given a case and they had to write down their proposal for how each case should be managed. The fourth round was judged by the faculty facilitators. At the end of the game, 23 out of the 36 residents completed an anonymous online survey. A large majority of the residents enjoyed the activity. Ninety-five percent of the residents were in agreement or strong agreement that they were engaged during the activity. Seventy-four percent were in agreement or strongly agreed that this activity was better than traditional lectures. Therefore, the majority of the residents found this activity to be educational, entertaining, engaging, and better than the traditional lecture format.

Medical students usually learn clinical reasoning through “whole-case” conferences. However, this procedure has many challenges in social distancing scenarios. Thus, although videoconferencing tools allow some interaction, audience engagement and active participation are limited. Kobner et al. (2020) have described a novel case conference format to train clinical reasoning skills to a spatially distant audience. In their work, the authors describe a gamified serial-cue, low fidelity simulation in which a team of residents must analyze a real case that challenges their clinical reasoning skills. The case includes all relevant diagnostic results, including several elements that challenge clinical reasoning abilities. The team of residents plays through a simulated tabletop version of the case live on a videoconference call. The case flow is facilitated by a chief resident familiar with serial-cue tabletop simulations and gaming procedures. A simulated cardiac monitor provides vital signs to the team and the virtual audience, and as team members ask for diagnostic studies, the facilitator provides them through Dropbox to the team and the audience. At the conclusion of the case, a debriefing was conducted. After this, a spontaneous discussion ensued, covering themes ranging from diagnostic decision to patient safety and foundational medical knowledge. Finally, a sample of simulation participants, the virtual audience, and residency program administrators were interviewed. All simulation participants felt that the tabletop simulation improved their clinical reasoning abilities in ways that mimicked real clinical encounters. They reported that the level of unpredictability helped to model the actual practice of emergency medicine, adding a level of excitement absent from typical mock oral boards-type tabletop simulations. Audience members agreed that they were more engaged throughout the case simulation than during traditional case conferences. Residency program administrators noted increased faculty engagement and discussion when compared with traditional case conferences. Finally, interviewees suggested that this experience would benefit from more gamification throughout the simulation.

Telesimulation can be employed to deliver hands-on training that usually takes place in in-person simulation. In order to assess if it can be effective to teach anesthesiology trainees to manage a complex case-based scenario, Patel et al. (2020) developed a remote high-fidelity immersive case-based scenario for anesthesiology residents training. For this, the authors adapted an existing simulation scenario based on a real clinical case. Fifty-eight residents were scheduled to participate remotely via Zoom meetings. For each session, a group of 6–8 residents participated in the simulation (a total of 8 sessions were carried out), whereas 4 faculty anesthesiologists were present in the simulated operating room with a manikin. Using Zoom’s share screen feature, images of the operating room and a manikin vital signs were monitored. The residents were asked to respond to the scenario and verbalize all the actions that they would perform in a real-life situation. An anesthesiologist present in the operating room performed actions based only on instructions from the residents’ team. Just before and after the simulation, participants’ medical knowledge was assessed through an online exam, and a satisfaction survey was conducted at the end of the activity.

Overall, telesimulation resulted to be effective at increasing residents’ knowledge as their score was superior in the post-test. They also rated the experience positively and informed that it could be a reasonable substitute for in-person learning. Nevertheless, the authors pointed out the importance of using small group sizes (3–5 students are the typical number for traditional simulations), assigning roles to participants, and using intermittent reflective pauses.

The main weakness of these studies is the small number of participants, and that they are based on a single-center study. Moreover, only students’ attitude was evaluated in O’Connell et al. (2020) and Kobner et al. (2020) , and there are no results about the educational efficacy of the activity. Patel et al. (2020) conducted pre- and post-assessment of residents’ medical knowledge; however, there was no comparison for knowledge gains in telesimulation versus traditional simulation setups.

In recent years, several innovations have emerged in the field of education. In an age disrupted by COVID-19, the development of gamified teaching strategies can be seen as a promising option to provide knowledge and enhance students’ collaboration during social distancing. Thus, although traditional scholarly academic curricula are content-focused and essentially ignore personal development, some gamification literature suggests that collaborative activities can stimulate motivation and enhance learning ( Rutledge et al., 2018 ). All the studies described here aimed at enhancing learning by improving participants’ motivation and engagement. Some studies have used a pre-existing platform that has been gamified, but there are also some experiences in which a gamified application has been developed on purpose by the authors. In most of the cases, the gamified activity was well-received by learners, considered effective, educational, and engaging, and in some cases also fun.

One of the findings of this review is that most of the gamification experiences have been developed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This could be the consequence of the difficulties to carry out laboratory and hands-on practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, which particularly have affected these fields. Nevertheless, the efforts to introduce teaching innovations that help to overcome social distancing shortcomings have led teachers to improvise activities along the way. In many cases, this has been associated with a poor planning of the gamified environment, together with the ad hoc use of gaming elements mechanics with unclear guidelines for students. Thus, some of the studies included in the review ( D’Angelo, 2020 ; Lelli et al., 2020 ; Liénardy and Donnet, 2020 ) showed little or no participation by students. According to the authors, such apathy would be associated with a decreased intrinsic motivation related to the pandemic situation. At least in these cases, the employed gamification strategy did not result in efficient tool for engaging students.

Although any of the reviewed studies have implemented a theoretical framework behind their gamification strategy, most of them have reported an increase of learning and/or motivation. Game elements associated with competition, such as leaderboards and points, have been the most common ones, resulting in higher levels of engagement and learning outcomes, with similar results being reported in simulation procedures and quizzes. Only one study used puzzles, reporting moderate results, whereas those that employed escape rooms and gamebooks resulted in negative outcomes.

It has been stated that competition elements affect extrinsic motivation in students mainly, without increasing intrinsic motivation ( Erdogdu and Karatas, 2016 ). However, most of the reviewed studies have reported a sense of enjoyment and positive feelings toward learning, which are directly related to intrinsic motivation ( Bai et al., 2020 ). Thus, all the reviewed studies that reported positive emotions associated with intrinsic motivation, even when external elements were employed (competition elements), referred to increased motivation, engagement, and/or learning outcomes. Thus, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation would correlate and show common properties as stated by the Self-Determination Theory ( Ryan and Deci, 2002 ). However, some studies ( D’Angelo, 2020 ; Lelli et al., 2020 ; Liénardy and Donnet, 2020 ) reported low motivation, engagement, and/or bad performance. In order to increase the interest and motivation of students, they should receive continuous support from the teaching staff, and the aim of the activity should be clear for all them.

Gamification procedures allowed to monitor students learning progress in a non-invasive way, for instance, tracking students’ behavior in the web platform, or their achievements in the game. Other strategies to gather information about students’ perception of their own progress relied on the use of questionnaires and interviews. However, some works have attempted to assess students’ learning through their performance in exams. In general, the reviewed studies have combined quantitative and mixed methods to assess students’ learning and engagement (see Table 1 ). In general, most of the reviewed works came to the conclusion that gamification resulted in learning outcomes. In some cases, this statement was a subjective perception of participants obtained through questionnaires, whereas other works performed objective tests to assess students’ knowledge. For instance, da Silva et al. (2020a) , Pakinee and Puritat (2021) , and Patel et al. (2020) compared students’ performance in pre- and post-exams, whereas Pearson (2020) compared exam scores with regard to previous year scores, showing an increase of students’ knowledge following gamified activities. However, there is no evidence indicating that gamification yields better learning outcomes than could be obtained with more traditional strategies. Furthermore, one study ( Pakinee and Puritat, 2021 ) reported that gaming elements linked to competition resulted in controversy and did not produce the same effect in all students, and in some cases, they could increase or decrease motivation according to the student’s personality.

Social interaction is considered one of the foundations of gamification ( Sánchez-Martín et al., 2017 ). All the studies were conducted in a time of limited social interaction; however, only Fontana (2020) had as a main goal to enhance students’ well-being and promote social interaction. The author reported an increase of class community, showing that the gamification strategy was useful to keep class morale during social distancing time.

According to the works reviewed, it is possible to infer that gamification can be effectively combined with traditional teaching methods, such as online lectures, in order to enhance students’ engagement and deliver curricula material that usually is taught through face-to-face education. Likely, technology-enhanced learning initiatives will become more prominent as the education landscape is reorganized following COVID-19, and gamification may therefore be considered as an option to augment traditional learning no longer deliverable at traditional face-to-face classes. It can be also incorporated into academic programs currently limited to videoconference lectures to boost students’ engagement and motivation.

There are, however, some weaknesses that must be taken into account. The reviewed studies are mainly a single-center study with data from single classroom groups, resulting in a relatively low number of participants, which restricts the generalization of their results. Furthermore, all studies included had a short-term format. Thus, longitudinal studies are required to determine the efficacy of gamification as teaching strategy. Nevertheless, the main limitations are the lack of an objective assessment of learning as result of the gamified activity and the lack of a theoretical framework. Although some studies ( Lobet et al., 2020 ; Patel et al., 2020 ) reported that the students’ knowledge improved after the activity, there was no direct comparison with conventional teaching scenarios. Only Pakinee and Puritat (2021) compared the performance of their students in both situations, showing that gamification made students start working earlier, but there were no differences on their performance in the long term. This could indicate that gamification can open a more efficient time window during online learning. Therefore, the main conclusions of the reviewed studies are based on the subjective perception from participants: “a fun way to learn” or “feeling to have learned.” In some cases, this drawback resulted from the sudden lockdown imposed by the authorities, so teachers had to design and adapt their courses along the way.

We must remark that during the COVID-19 lockdown, many students faced increased demands at home, many had to bring together their studies with their job activities, caring for children during the day, along with an increase of academic online activities. Furthermore, some students and teachers could be resistant to implement a game as an educational tool as it is a new way of learning and teaching quite different from the traditional classes. It is also important that there is a good communication between teachers and students, so the pedagogical aim of the activity becomes clear.

Finally, it is important to bear in mind that there are many examples of trendy “gamechangers” in education that have varied greatly over time. Problem-based learning, for instance, once a main educational strategy in some curricula, and social media-based learning have lost part of their interest after a time of apogee ( Guckian and Spencer, 2018 ). It is essential that educational innovations have a solid foundation on research data. In the case of gamification as an educational strategy, future research must address different aspects, such as game mechanics and elements, in relation to an underlying theoretical framework.

Author Contributions

FN-E and MR-T conceived the present work, did the literature search, wrote the manuscript, and revised and verified the final version. Both authors have read and accepted the content of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords : gamification, videogame, simulation, COVID-19, distance learning, motivation, student satisfaction, engagement

Citation: Nieto-Escamez FA and Roldán-Tapia MD (2021) Gamification as Online Teaching Strategy During COVID-19: A Mini-Review. Front. Psychol. 12:648552. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648552

Received: 31 December 2020; Accepted: 14 April 2021; Published: 21 May 2021.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2021 Nieto-Escamez and Roldán-Tapia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Francisco Antonio Nieto-Escamez, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

How Duolingo’s Gamification Transforms Language Learning?

Duolingo, a renowned language-learning application, has brought about a remarkable shift in how people embrace new languages. Its unique approach of incorporating gamification has garnered a vast and devoted following. Duolingo’s gamification strategy has wholly transformed the language education landscape by infusing fun and engagement into the language learning process.

The core principle driving Duolingo’s gamification is the belief that learning should be an enjoyable and immersive experience. Leveraging an array of game-like components such as incentives, accolades, and competitive leaderboards, the app successfully inspires learners to persist in their language journey. These dynamic features are pivotal in motivating learners, proving crucial for adequate language acquisition.

Understanding Duolingo

Established in 2011, Duolingo has evolved into a household name among language learners worldwide, boasting its status as a popular language learning app that offers free language education to millions of users. This innovative approach to teaching languages has transformed the language education landscape, making it a compelling Duolingo case study.

With a diverse range of over 40 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese, Duolingo’s courses captivate learners through their fun, engaging, and effective methods, driven by the powerful strategy of Duolingo gamification .

The platform’s unique gamified approach follows the principle of “learning by doing,” encouraging users to actively use the language in real-world scenarios actively, thus enhancing their language proficiency. Points, levels, badges , and streaks are ingeniously integrated as game-like features, serving as motivational tools to keep learners consistently engaged and inspired.

Central to Duolingo’s success is its adaptive learning algorithm, skillfully employing machine learning to personalize the learning journey for each individual. By tracking users’ progress and adjusting the difficulty of lessons and exercises based on their performance, this algorithm ensures a tailored and optimized learning experience, preventing learners from feeling overwhelmed or disinterested.

Emphasizing the sense of community, Duolingo fosters interaction among its users through social features . Facilitating friendly competition, the platform enables users to exchange tips and advice and even engage in language practice with native speakers through its language exchange program.

Duolingo’s strategic implementation of gamification, backed by adaptive learning and a vibrant user community, has made language courses more accessible, enjoyable, and rewarding for learners across the globe.

Duolingo’s Gamification Principle

Duolingo, the vanguard language-learning platform, is an illuminating Duolingo case study for its groundbreaking strategy of infusing gamification principles into language education . The essence of gamification lies in ingeniously integrating game-like elements into non-game contexts, elevating customer engagement and motivation to unprecedented heights. Duolingo’s gamification strategy, deeply rooted in the Octalysis framework , artfully dissects the driving forces of resonation, culminating in captivating and gratifying user experiences.

The foundation of Duolingo’s gamification lies in a triumvirate of core elements: points, levels, and rewards . Earning points becomes rewarding as learners conquer lessons and exercises, effectively tracking their progress and fueling friendly competition among users. Indicative language proficiency levels deliver a sense of accomplishment and advancement, inspiring learners to strive for linguistic mastery. The allure of rewards, ranging from virtual badges to tangible prizes, is a compelling incentive for learners to complete tasks and attain noteworthy milestones.

Ingeniously enveloping the platform with game-like flair, Duolingo’s gamification principle extends its allure through captivating features like leaderboards , streaks, and daily goals. The thrill of competition flourishes as users vie for positions on leaderboards, showcasing their prowess in points and levels. The captivating concept of streaks motivates learners to maintain their dedication by rewarding consecutive days of practice, instilling a rewarding daily learning habit. Moreover, establishing daily goals creates tangible targets, fostering a sense of accomplishment with each achievement unlocked.

Duolingo’s strategic implementation of gamification redefines language learning and showcases the immense potential of leveraging human motivation to craft enriching and rewarding educational experiences.

Duolingo’s Strategy

Duolingo has revolutionized language learning by incorporating gamification into its platform. The company’s approach to language learning is unique and effective, making it one of the most popular language-learning apps in the world.

Approach to Language Learning

As a remarkable Duolingo case study, Duolingo’s groundbreaking strategy hinges on the premise that language learning apps should captivate and engross learners. Firmly believing that enjoyment fuels linguistic progress, the company deftly orchestrates its platform to encompass interactivity and entertainment, fostering an immersive and gratifying language-learning voyage.

Duolingo’s ingenious approach to language acquisition seamlessly incorporates the concept of spaced repetition, where novel word aspects are presented at precise intervals, reinforcing learning and bolstering retention. The platform further harnesses the power of adaptive learning algorithms, deftly tailoring the learning journey to suit the preferences and aptitudes of each user, thereby personalizing the language-learning experience like never before.

User Engagement Techniques

Duolingo’s gamification strategy is centered around user engagement. The company uses a variety of techniques to keep users motivated and engaged, including:

• Streaks : Users are rewarded for logging in and completing lessons daily with a streak counter. This encourages users to make language learning a daily habit.
• Badges: Users earn badges for completing certain milestones, such as finishing a course or reaching a certain level. This provides a sense of accomplishment and motivates users to continue learning.
• Leaderboards: Users can compete with friends and other users on leaderboards to see who has the highest score. This creates a sense of community and encourages healthy competition.
• Bonus Skills: Duolingo offers bonus skills that users can unlock by completing specific tasks. This provides an extra incentive to keep learning and mastering new skills.

Duolingo’s strategy is effective because it focuses on making language learning fun and engaging. By incorporating gamification and customer engagement techniques, the platform has created a loyal user base motivated to continue learning and improving their language skills.

Case Study of Duolingo’s Success

Duolingo has transformed language learning by utilizing gamification techniques to make the process more engaging and effective. The app has gained immense popularity since its launch in 2011 and has become a case study in education technology.

User Growth Analysis

Duolingo’s success can be attributed to its exponential user growth. The app has over 500 million registered users worldwide and is available in over 40 languages. According to a Bloomberg article, the app’s user base grew from 25 million in 2015 to 300 million in 2020. This growth can be attributed to the app’s gamification techniques, which make language learning fun and addictive.

Duolingo’s user growth can also be attributed to its accessibility. The app is free; users can access it on their smartphones or computers. This accessibility has made language learning more accessible to people from all walks of life, regardless of their economic status or educational background.

Impact on Language Learning

Duolingo’s gamification techniques have had a significant impact on language learning. According to a systematic review of Duolingo literature, the app effectively improves language proficiency . The review found that Duolingo effectively improved learners’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Duolingo’s gamification techniques have also improved learners’ motivation and engagement. The app’s rewards, such as badges and points, encourage learners to continue practicing and progressing through the app’s levels . This motivation and attention are critical factors in successful language learning.

In conclusion, Duolingo’s success can be attributed to its use of gamification techniques to make language learning more engaging and effective. The app’s exponential user growth and impact on language learning make it a case study in education technology.

Ogamify vs Duolingo Mechanics

Ogamify and Duolingo are two applications with distinct purposes: Ogamiify serves as an employee productivity platform, while Duolingo focuses on language learning. Both apps use gamification elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to encourage users to engage in activities regularly. These mechanisms are employed differently in each app.

Ogamiify uses them to boost productivity and motivation in the workplace, promoting healthy competition and collaboration among employees. On the other hand, Duolingo employs gamification to make language learning more enjoyable and effective, rewarding users for their progress and effort.

How does Ogamify work?

Ogamiify taps into the intrinsic human desire for accomplishment and recognition by integrating points, badges, and leaderboards, instilling a sense of healthy competition and collaboration among employees. The core of Ogamiify’s offering lies in its comprehensive set of features designed to boost productivity and motivation. One of its central components is the “Tasks & Challenges” system, wherein employees can earn points by completing assigned tasks and challenges . This incentivizes performance and fosters a sense of achievement as individuals witness their progress and accomplishments accumulating over time.

Furthermore, Ogamiify introduces the “ Value Feed ,” a unique feature that encourages knowledge-sharing and mutual appreciation within the workplace. Employees can exchange insights, best practices, and valuable information, creating a supportive environment where learning becomes a collective endeavor. The act of acknowledging and appreciating each other’s contributions to the Value Feed further reinforces a positive and nurturing work culture.

To enhance employee engagement, Ogamify introduces the “ Store ” section. Employees can materialize their hard-earned points by exchanging them for rewards, reinforcing that dedication and effort are duly recognized and valued within the organization.

To ignite a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition, Ogamiify boasts the “Leaderboard” feature. This dynamic platform allows employees to participate in enjoyable monthly competitions, with the potential to claim the coveted top position on the leaderboard. Such friendly contests inspire individuals to push their boundaries and strive for excellence in their daily tasks, all while building a stronger sense of unity and shared purpose among team members.

Additionally, Ogamiify extends its influence beyond task management, offering a range of gamified areas that companies can customize to suit their unique objectives. From promoting distractable focus to encouraging knowledge-sharing and growth-oriented activities, Ogamiify empowers businesses to nurture holistic employee development.

The setup process for Ogamiify is seamless and efficient, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Creating a gamespace for the team is as simple as sending out invite links, and integration with existing team chat channels ensures that even those not initially inclined to participate can benefit from the platform’s value.

Duolingo’s pioneering Duolingo strategy of gamification has revolutionized the landscape of language learning apps, rendering it a captivating, enjoyable, and irresistible journey. The masterful amalgamation of game-based elements like mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking within non-game contexts has yielded astounding results, motivating users to take decisive action, amplifying their learning prowess, and honing their problem-solving abilities.

This Duolingo case study exemplifies how Duolingo’s innovative gamified approach has attracted a massive global user base. With a discerning and strategic implementation of gamification techniques, the app seamlessly transforms the pursuit of learning a new language into an enthralling and gratifying endeavor.

The efficacy of Duolingo’s gamification lies in its deft application of programming techniques and tools, forging an unparalleled experience that captivates users and propels them toward new language mastery.

What is Duolingo?

Duolingo is a renowned language-learning application that offers an enjoyable and immersive way to learn new languages.

How does Duolingo incorporate gamification to help language learning?

Duolingo uses gamification elements such as incentives, accolades, and leaderboards to motivate and encourage users in their language journey.

What can I do with Duolingo?

Duolingo allows you to learn and sharpen any new language of your choice through interactive activities like lessons, quizzes, and practice exercises.

Is Duolingo free to use?

Yes, Duolingo is free to use, with various options for premium content.

Is Duolingo effective for language learning?

Yes, Duolingo is an incredibly effective solution for language learning due to its dynamic features and exciting gamified approach.

Hi there! My name is Kaja, and I'm a Marketing Executive at TDSOFT. I absolutely love gamification and have a real passion for building company culture and leadership.

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Let’s play! Gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience

• Open access
• Published: 17 January 2022
• Volume 23 , pages 2135–2152, ( 2023 )

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• Matilde Milanesi 1 ,
• Simone Guercini   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7542-6984 1 &
• Andrea Runfola 2  

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This paper aims to investigate the features of gamification as a digital marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience. The paper employs the qualitative methodology of case study and presents a case of a multi-brand luxury company adopting gamification through the development of a game app. Four features of the gaming luxury experience are discussed: individual and collective gaming experiences, exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming, social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms, and cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce. The paper expands the knowledge on gamification by highlighting its main features as a digital marketing tool for luxury companies and the benefits it can bring in terms of consumer experience, engagement, and sales. It also contributes to studies on luxury companies by discussing gamification as a means to create digital luxury experiences, particularly suitable for the new generations of consumers, such as Generation Z.

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1 Introduction

The COVID-19 crisis has heavily affected the luxury goods industry in 2020. The findings from the 19th edition of the Bain & Company Luxury Study, released in collaboration with Fondazione Altagamma, the Italian luxury goods manufacturers' industry foundation, show that the personal luxury goods market experienced a large drop in 2020, with a loss in sales of 23% compared to the previous year. The overall luxury market contracted at a similar pace, and it is expected to recover by 2022–2023 [ 1 ]. The turmoil of COVID-19 has been the trigger for change for the luxury industry, both for companies and consumers. For luxury companies, the COVID-19 crisis accelerated the online sales that nearly doubled from 12% in 2019 to 23% in 2020, and the online is expected to become the leading channel for luxury purchases by 2025, especially for younger generations (Millennials and Generation Z) [ 1 ]. Thus, a suggestion is to put digital, besides internationalization [ 2 ], at the center of a company's business model. In the case of luxury, since luxury consumers are used to high standards in-store services, a personalized and engaging digital experience should be created [ 3 ].

These last months have led to identifying new ways to engage consumers for many luxury fashion brands. In a year, 2020, made up of digital catwalks, live shows on social networks, and new e-commerce mechanisms, such as Shop Streaming, a phenomenon that has undergone a significant acceleration in luxury fashion is gamification that consists of turning customers' everyday interactions into games for business purposes [ 4 ]. Gamification makes it possible to provide an immersive experience by developing innovative and customized customer journeys and high levels of engagement [ 5 , 6 ]. However, most research investigates the general effects of gamification on branding e.g. [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] but there is a lack of studies that consider gamification as a strategic digital marketing tool and investigate the features to deliver digital experiences. Additionally, while conceptual papers have been recently developed e.g., [ 12 , 13 ], this issue requires additional empirical evidence to better understand the implications of the adoption of gamification for companies.

In the luxury fashion domain, numerous Maisons have chosen gamification as a tool to express their values interactively, especially with younger generations. According to the data published by Fashionnetwork, Footnote 1 people between the ages of 18 and 34 will represent 50% of the luxury market in 2025, up from 32% today. Therefore, it is a target on which fashion luxury companies should invest through new and original tools to deliver a luxury digital experience. During the Paris Fashion Week in 2020, Christian Louboutin created a virtual presentation with Zepeto, an app designed in South Korea with which people can interact on a social network, but with a three-dimensional avatar created from a selfie. In March 2020, Valentino created, together with Nintendo and photographer Kara Chung, an idyllic reality populated by deserted islands on which to build houses and shops, engage in gardening or go virtual shopping. Hermes created the Saut Hermès game, a virtual version of the annual show jumping competition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Burberry has entered the world of video games by including the 'B-Bounce' game on the website's homepage, where it is possible to accumulate points and even win items from the collection. Gucci has launched, within its app, the 'Gucci Arcade' platform. It is a section dedicated to video games in the style of the 70 s and 80 s. Game apps were also created, such as Drest and Covet Fashion. They have entered into agreements with the leading global luxury brands and online luxury fashion multi-brand retailers, such as Farfetch.

Thus, despite the numerous examples of the integration of gamification into luxury companies' marketing strategies, the academic research on gamification and luxury is limited and mainly focused on branding e.g., [ 7 ], but there is a dearth of empirical evidence supporting the features and implications of gamification for luxury companies, especially in terms of delivering a digital luxury experience. Additionally, while there are many studies on online shopping, how online experiences are created and managed by companies, especially those in the luxury industry, is an under-investigated issue Homqvist et al. [ 14 ]. To fill the abovementioned gaps, this paper aims to investigate gamification by adopting the perspective of a luxury company integrating gamification tools in its marketing strategy. Thus, the paper answers the following research question: what are the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience?

To this aim, the paper employs the qualitative methodology of case study and presents a case of a multi-brand luxury retailer based in Italy. The company has recently launched a game app for international customers, representing a unique case in the current luxury panorama. The paper provides a twofold contribution. First, it expands the knowledge on gamification by highlighting the features that gamification, as a marketing tool, should have in the context of luxury. In doing this, the paper answers the request of providing empirical investigation on gamification aimed at understanding the tangible benefits it can bring to companies in terms of consumer experience, engagement, and, to a later extent, conversions into sales, which are particularly relevant for luxury companies with an e-commerce website. Second, it contributes to studies on digital luxury experiences particularly suitable for the online world and the new generations of consumers, such as Generation Z. The next section of the paper analyzes the marketing content emerging from the literature on gamification to understand what is known so far about the adoption of game design elements in a non-game context such as the marketing one. Section  3 concerns the methodology of the case study. Section  4 presents the case analysis. Finally, the paper discusses findings and concludes with theoretical, managerial implications, and future research directions.

2 Theoretical background

2.1 the application of gamification to marketing contexts.

Gamification uses game design elements in non-game contexts to make an application, product, or service funnier, motivating and engaging [ 15 ]. Zichermann and Linder [ 4 ] defined it as the art and science of turning your customer's everyday interactions into games that serve your business purposes [ 4 ], p. 20). Some scholars describe gamification as several design principles, processes, and systems that can be used to influence, engage and motivate individuals, groups, and communities, drive their behaviors, or generate the desired effect [ 16 , 17 ]. The dynamics, gaming techniques, and game-style rewards have been transferred from the gaming software origins to business contexts [ 6 ], with the initial aim of increasing customer engagement [ 11 ]. Thus, gamification implies the development of applications with games features and has become a fast-emerging trend in non-gaming contexts, especially marketing [ 18 ].

Most marketing studies on gamification have focused on branding and outlined other benefits of applying gaming mechanisms. Gamification seems to be positively associated not only with brand engagement [ 19 ] but also with brand attitude [ 11 ], brand awareness [ 18 ], brand co-creation experiences [ 9 ], and brand love [ 7 ]. It has also been shown that the application of game dynamics in marketing contexts allows to achieve greater customer loyalty [ 20 ] and to increase sales [ 21 , 22 ]. Thus, gamification tools can be used on e-commerce websites to create content, generate conversion, and promote loyalty [ 23 ].

In addition to the benefits of gamification related to branding, a relevant issue related to gamification concerns game mechanics and game design-related gaming motivations: immersion-related, achievement-related, and social interaction-related dimensions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. The immersion-related features concern the player's immersion in self-directed, inquisitive activity through game mechanics such as roleplay, avatars, narrative structures, etc. The achievement-related features enhance the players' sense of accomplishment through game mechanics such as challenges, missions, goals, badges, progression metrics, etc. Finally, the social interaction-related features attempt to enable the players' social interaction through game mechanisms such as teams, communities, groups, and competition [ 25 , 28 ]. In the marketing context, Xi and Hamari [ 10 ] show that achievement and social interaction-related gamification features are positively associated with emotional, cognitive, and social brand engagement, with a positive effect also on brand equity. Thus, the authors conclude that gamification appears to be an effective technique for brand management.

Research on gamification suggests that motivational and emotional involvement during playing can reach very high levels [ 29 ]. Concerning motivation, a distinction is between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation [ 30 ]. Intrinsic motivation concerns internal achievement related to positive feelings and enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation is more related to external rewards like money or other tangibles (Denny 2014). Yang et al. [ 11 ] observe that as gamification marketing process is normally committed to instill products or brands information to users, it is a drive for participants to learn the information and further join or continue an action—in our case, engaging with gamification—because of the effects it has. Therefore, when people are intrinsically motivated, they have a genuine desire for the activity itself and enjoy it tremendously [ 11 ], p. 460). The role of intrinsic motivation is connected to loyalty. In particular, it has been observed that many marketing attempts to engage consumers, including loyalty programs, membership systems, and point-based management, which are based on monetary and tangible awards, are less efficient in generating loyalty in the long term compared to marketing strategies based on intrinsic motivation, such as gamification [ 31 , 32 ].

2.2 Gamification and digital experiences

With consumers surrounded by new and fast-evolving technologies, more and more selective, and ponder how to spend their time and money, companies are put under pressure to adopt marketing tools capable of attracting consumers' attention and engaging them [ 11 ]. As outlined in the previous section, consumers are willing to adopt gamified systems in search of fun, rewards, competition, social interaction, and a sense of membership in a community. Nobre and Ferreira [ 9 ] also suggest that gamification can be used as an innovative branding tool to promote consumer participation and interaction in brand experiences.

The creation of experiences is a compelling issue and a relevant factor of success for all companies, especially when such experiences must be translated into a digital context with a proper shopping atmosphere [ 33 , 34 ]. This aspect is particularly true for luxury companies, for which digitalization and online sales are still a challenge for exclusivity and identity [ 35 ]. Batat [ 36 ] agrees that gamification is one of the possible digital marketing tools for luxury companies to deliver luxury experiences. Desmichel and Kocher [ 37 ] suggest that multi-brand luxury stores should take more significant effort to promote offline and online hedonic shopping experiences to make consumers less price-sensitive and improve profitability. Insley and Nunan [ 38 ] observed in their study on online retailers that the transfer of customer experience from an offline to an online context creates challenges, as many of the factors that create a successful physical shopping experience are lost when moved to the online world. However, gamification can make up for this issue by creating gameful experiences [ 13 ], as retailers—Amazon and ASOS are two examples—are increasingly applying game techniques in their online store to create reward mechanisms and turn online shopping into an entertainment experience [ 38 ]. Mobile technologies can enhance such an experience [ 12 ]. Online retailers often apply basic game mechanisms, such as reward mechanisms for completing specific tasks [ 39 ]. It appears that the application of gamification in an online retail context is not about gaming, but it concerns the addition of game elements, such as reward mechanisms, to enrich the existing shopping process. A step forward could be the development of brand-related game apps to deliver brand-related online experiences that make use of mobile technologies and apply more complex game mechanisms [ 40 ].

3 Methodology

To investigate the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience, case study methodology was selected. Since there is a dearth of empirical studies on this topic, especially in the luxury domain, the case study was deemed the appropriate methodology to gather in-depth data to reveal the features of gamification developed by luxury companies. Hence, the nature of the research question and the novelty of the subject called for the choice of an explorative methodology [ 41 ]. The choice of the case study method also relies on the interest in reconstructing the dynamics of a process (the origins of the idea, the design, and of a game app in the case under study), which is an objective for which the case study method appears particularly suitable [ 42 ]. The paper proposes a single case study to reconstruct the features of a game app developed by an Italian company—MZQ from here on for confidentiality reasons—to deliver a digital luxury experience to its customers.

The MZQ case was purposely selected for two reasons. First, the company is one of the most relevant Italian multi-brand luxury retailers with a strong international profile; it represents an emblematic case for the development of its game app, called VER5 (a fictitious name), which develops a gaming universe centered on luxury products and closely connected with the company's e-commerce website. Thus, the case has been selected for its revelatory potential.

Data collection started in 2013, in the context of a broader research process initiated before the introduction of the game app, aimed at monitoring a company—MZQ—the presented characteristics of particular interest for the success and rapid growth achieved in the luxury fashion e-commerce, starting from a traditional luxury clothing retail business. The first in-depth semi-structured interviews were initiated by one of the authors in November 2013. They continued over the years, with the involvement of the other authors, according to the scheme indicated in Table 1 . The initial interviews concerned the international development of the company, its business model, and its marketing strategies. For this study, such content has been employed to depict the company profile described at the beginning of the next section.

Starting from 2017, when the company began to think about the development of a game app, the interviews focused on gamification. Interviews involved different informants (entrepreneur, general director, marketing manager, web designer) to ensure multiple perspectives. All interviews, conducted face-to-face, by telephone or videoconference, were recorded and transcribed and supplemented with the exchange of emails. However, a hallmark of rigorous case study research is the use of multiple data sources that enhance data credibility and allow triangulation [ 43 , 44 , 45 ], with each data source as one piece of the puzzle that contributes to the researcher's understanding of the whole phenomenon (Yin 1994). Thus, in addition to the interviews, data collection included: annual reports, internal documents provided by the company, participation in MZQ events, company website, and other online documents such as articles in the specialized press and published interviews. The participation to the company's events represented a social activity that allowed interactions with the entrepreneur and other managers in a less formal way that, in the following steps of the research, simplified the establishment of channels of communication and the researcher–manager interface [ 46 , 47 ].

Furthermore, to better understand the functioning mechanisms of the game app, we downloaded it and played it for nine months. This active participation made it possible to fully understand the functioning mechanisms (creation of the avatar, challenges, levels, awards, community interaction). It would not have been possible to grasp such details from the interviews and secondary material only.

Data from the abovementioned sources were the object of systematization by developing a complete chronology of events involving the company, its growth as a luxury multi-brand retailer, and the development of the game app. This analysis has been translated into the company profile and the origins of the idea of VER5. We then proceeded with an in-depth analysis of the process of design and development of the game app. In this phase, data were analyzed through a coding procedure into common themes and pattern matching [ 48 ]. We analyzed the material individually to bring out some themes corresponding to the main features of the game app, then discussed them to converge on common themes with full agreement. The structure of the next section is based on the following themes: individual and collective gaming experiences, exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming, social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms, cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce. Thus, in this paper, the case study emerged from a research process and interaction path with the company, based on two levels: the first level concerns the company within which the process of generation and dissemination of the game app is developed,the second level relates to the game app project, with attention to its features and outcomes. The study of the company represents the context in which the gamification process develops.

4 The case of MZQ and VER5

4.1 mzq and the launch of ver5.

MZQ is a luxury multi-brand retailer with one boutique in an Italian city and an e-commerce website. The company's origin dates to the 1920s with the opening of the boutique. In 1999, the company made the pioneering decision to invest in the digital channel through the development of an e-commerce website to sell luxury items, which today generates about 90% of the company's overall turnover. Over time, MZQ has become one of the leading players in international luxury fashion retailing. The e-commerce website is developed in 9 languages and sells in 130 countries. In 2020, it recorded over 100 million hits from all over the world. The total turnover of MZQ stood at around 145 million euros in 2019, with a preponderant weight of sales on foreign markets and a lower incidence of the domestic market. The company's decision to invest in gamification dates to four years ago, when in 2017 MZQ decided to develop a mobile fashion game application through an agreement with a specialized gaming company. MZQ launched VER5 at the end of 2020 after a testing period. The app initially included womenswear in the game, menswear was added a few months later. It is currently available in two languages (Italian and English). As underlined by the company, it was the first app based on an innovative ecosystem that offers users the opportunity to combine the gaming, social and shopping experiences (source: company's internal report). As one of the informants points out, the game app represents an element of absolute novelty in fashion and luxury . Through their avatar, the app users take part in the challenges, collect, socialize and buy favorite items by creating virtual wardrobes , continues the interviewee, who emphasizes that the intention was not to create a fashion game app exclusively for branding purposes, but a new channel to generate sales in the e-commerce website .

4.2 Some results of VER5: engagement, retention, and revenues

VER5 has reached some relevant results. They can be considered both in terms of users' engagement in the game app and contribution to turnover. Concerning user engagement, the objectives were to create a community of players and offer a new digital experience to consumers. The company succeeded in creating a community of players. After a few months from the launch, the app reached a community of approximately 50,000 players. While managers estimated to reach 200,000 players at the end of the year, in October 2021 the app already reached 350,000 users. Currently, the primary users of the app are in the age group 18–24 years (40% of the total), followed by users in the age group 25–34 (30% of the total), users in the age group 35–44 (17% of the total), users in the age group 45–54 (10%), and over 55 (3%). Before the extension to the menswear collections, which happened during 2021, one informant pointed out, although the gaming platform currently includes only the female world of the company retail assortment, about 20% of users are men, which confirms the extreme interest in luxury and gaming also among this target . After an initial launch phase in the national market, data shows an increasing share of international users (30% of current app users). The key performance indicators (KPIs) show a significant positioning of the app. There is a noteworthy engagement performance with percentage rates of daily active users above 20% and weekly stickiness of more than 50%, which is a high engagement compared to the average rate of free-to-play games (source: company’s internal report).

The one-day retention rate (the retention of players after the first day of gaming) is nearly 32%, which is above the average of free-to-play games (source: company’s internal report). In addition, the average time spent on the app by users is ten times compared to that spent per session on the e-commerce website. The company classifies users into three prevailing segments: those who use the app as a source of inspiration for their fashion style; those who use the app to become popular through the game; those interested in both fashion and gaming that later purchase through the app.

The app represents a means to generate additional sales for the e-commerce website. It also represents a new channel for generating direct revenues. Regarding additional sales in the online store, conversions from the app to the e-commerce website have already generated a turnover exceeding one million euros. It is also interesting to note that, on average, those who are already MZQ customers tend to double their orders since they start playing with the app. Hence, additional sales refer to both new sales from new app users and upselling from existing customers. Furthermore, the app generates direct revenues, as users can have in-app purchases. For example, they can buy virtual currencies to play the game. Users can spend virtual currencies to buy fashion items (even from other players) and regenerate (for reusing) digital items already collected, as the number of uses within the app of any item is limited. The company also aims to create new revenue sources through the app, such as those generated by collaboration with potential partners (fashion brands) or advertising in the game. Four main features enable the company to pursue these results, as discussed in the following sections.

4.3 Individual and collective gaming experiences

The game design developed by the company includes different levels of players' involvement and, consequently, different luxury gaming experiences. Users can jointly go through individual and collective gaming experiences. At the individual level, the app allows players to create customized virtual avatars and outfits. Players can create outfits by collecting virtual replicas of real products from more than 600 designers and fashion brands sold on MZQ e-commerce. As noted by one of the interviewees, this lets the consumers experience an individual sense of luxury, by personalizing the avatar and expressing personal fashion styles through the selection of the luxury fashion items proposed in the app . This essential app feature represents the first dimension of emotional engagement. The game then can be experienced individually, with users that can play customizing both the avatar and the outfits. At the collective level, the app proposes missions and periodic challenges where users can compete. During challenges, for example, users can participate and interact, creating ad-hoc outfits. Participating in the challenges contributes to the users' ranking in the app. Some challenges are free-to-play and concern various topics (such as competitions about favorite total-look for a gala dinner). Challenges end with winners selected by users that positively or negatively evaluate the outfits of other players. In this way, the game, from an individual level (personal avatar), becomes collective (avatars that interact and compete in challenges). The gaming experience, therefore, mixes individual and collective experiences.

4.4 Exclusiveness through rarity in luxury gaming

The concept of exclusivity is crucial as a mechanism capable of generating a luxury gaming experience. Exclusivity is achieved in the game through the rarity of the collectible items. This aspect of fundamental importance differentiates the app from other gaming experiences since it allows the company to maintain a luster even in the mobile platform. In other words, exclusivity permeates the gaming experience and feeds the interaction mechanism between users and the app usage. As an interviewee notes, we implemented different rarity levels of the products in the game . The game is free-to-play, but the use of virtual currencies makes it possible to buy fashion boxes with rare items. Rare items can let players differentiate their outfits and give bonuses to win challenges. Hence, the way in which exclusivity permeates the game is twofold. First, users can pursue hedonic goals by collecting more rare items as possible to create exclusive outfits. At the same time, exclusivity feeds players' competitive goals by using rare items during challenges. Furthermore, players can use virtual currency to buy (and sell) items through a market-based mechanism. In this sense, the rarity concept evolves through the interactions among players, as they can buy items from other users.

Exclusivity is then a key driver of app usage. The app measures the exclusiveness of players' virtual wardrobe by assigning a rarity score that shows the percentage of rare items collected by the player compared to all those available in the game app . In addition, the company releases new fashion items in the game app every week, constantly feeding the players' search for rare products. One of the main strengths is the exclusive fine selections of fashion items of luxury brands that the company proposes in the game app. One interviewee observes that the fact that MZQ is a multi-brand retailer allows fueling the rarity by entering a broad set of alternatives into the game .

4.5 Social networking and virtual influencing marketing mechanisms

Social networking and virtual influencing enrich the luxury experience offered by the game app. The interviewees stress the intention to exploit social networking mechanisms to strengthen players' engagement. Beyond the individual gaming experience, MZQ conceived VER5 as a social network. Consequently, it has implemented mechanisms to stimulate the creation of a community of users who interact with each other and discuss fashion issues.

The app includes a social network section. The company feeds this section several times a week with posts about information and updates on the world of fashion or game news. In this way, it stimulates comments and reactions from users. Additionally, in this section of the app users can post their avatar with different outfits to share them with the community. Therefore, in addition to company-generated content, the social section of the app is enriched by user-generated content, thus representing a hybrid social network that combines company posts and user posts.

Hence, there is the possibility of leveraging the community to become fashion influencers through avatars. The outfits created can be judged by other users. In this sense, each user can potentially increase popularity within the community by showing outfits and moodboards of the items collected, meaning that each virtual avatar can have a base of followers and receive reactions and comments from other users. Interestingly, there is a mix between virtuality and reality, namely between a virtual entity (the avatar) and the real person (the user). In essence, as an informant points out, the user can combine gaming with social networking and virtual influencing by using the virtual avatar. It is a peculiar aspect that takes its cue from very recent fashion trends, as one informant explains, think for example that Lil Miquela, a virtual influencer created via computer graphics, reached 3 million followers in three years .

4.6 Cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce

The gaming experience allows players to visit the e-commerce website to make purchases. Hence, the gaming experience integrates luxury shopping experiences. The app offers a close connection with the e-commerce website in all the sections of the game. Users can buy real versions of virtual items collected in their virtual wardrobe. Simply by clicking on the item, they can buy it on the MZQ e-commerce website. Hence, the luxury shopping experience is a fundamental component of the app. As an informant points out, users spend on average 30 minutes a day to play on VER5, which is about ten times more than the average time spent per session on the MZQ e-commerce website. The longer the user spends time on the app, the more are the conversions to the e-commerce . Hence, while the company conceived the app as a channel capable of generating autonomous revenues, at the same time it represents a new channel to promote the e-commerce website and generate sales. For example, users can collect points that are part of the loyalty programs of the e-commerce website. However, the connection between the e-commerce and the app is two-way, as the app benefits from the e-commerce website too in terms of promotion and new items for the game.

5 Discussion

5.1 digital luxury experience through gamification: three co-existing levels.

The MZQ case with the development of the VER5 game app allows us to advance some reflections on the relationship between gamification and the digital luxury experience. Our study shows three levels of players' involvement that bring to a satisfying experience. These levels co-exist as the users can move from one to another while playing. At each level, gamification feeds the digital luxury experience with a different mechanism. Figure  1 shows the three levels and how gamification shapes the digital luxury experience.

The levels of luxury gaming experience

At the first level, players can create their virtual avatar to start their immersion in the game. The avatar represents a virtual transposition of oneself and, therefore, allows a greater immersion and involvement in the game from the beginning. Creating a customized avatar is consistent with a playing mechanism that allows pursuing aesthetic and hedonic goals. Players can experience their interpretation of luxury styles by creating virtual outfits and enhance this experience by continuously using new items. Hence, the luxury digital experience is connected to virtual interpretations of oneself and personal gratification.

The second level of involvement refers to the possibility of competing in fashion challenges. Players can test their styles, challenging other players. Thus, gaming is not only an individual experience, but it also implies participation with others while playing. Therefore, this second level contributes to players' engagement through competition, providing interaction and rewards for future challenges. The mechanism that guides competition is the items' rarity. Thus, exclusivity—a typical feature of luxury positioning—represents a pillar of the competition between players. The luxury digital experience is then competing and interacting with others by taking the lever of exclusiveness.

Finally, there is a third level of involvement. Players can aspire to be virtual influencers. They can become fashion trendsetters of a community of players. Playing the game with others lets players' popularity increase through the proposed outfits and styles. As for any social network, users can post their virtual avatars and generate followers in the community. The engagement and the collective dimension in this level reach the top and the luxury digital experience is expressed as the player's ambition to lead a community of followers.

The three levels described are consistent with the literature on gamification that distinguishes three categories of game mechanics and game design-related gaming motivations: immersion-related, achievement-related, and social interaction-related dimensions [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. In the case study, we found all these three dimensions. First, VER5 users can pursue immersion-related motivations by customizing avatars and outfits. Second, they can pursue achievement-related motivation by participating in challenges. Finally, they can reach social interaction-related goals by posting, commenting, and becoming popular influencers in the community of players. In the case of VER5, these three experiential dimensions co-exist, as players can contemporaneously achieve all three dimensions. They are not mutually exclusive, but players can jointly achieve them in the game.

5.2 Designing gamification for a digital luxury experience

The case allows putting forward some considerations about the research question of this study: what are the features of gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience?

From the theoretical point of view, we propose four features that characterize gamification for a satisfying digital luxury experience. We argue that the interplay among these features allows understanding how to design gamification for luxury companies.

First, gamification provides different levels of digital experience . Luxury requires innovative experiences [ 49 ] and gamification represents a source to deliver new and playful customer experiences. While previous literature [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] has pointed out the importance of immersion-related, social interaction-related, and achievement-related features, our study emphasizes the need to treat them not as alternatives but as co-existing dimensions of the game. An innovative digital luxury experience implies the offering of a set of interconnected experiences. In other words, the co-existence of different dimensions drives the luxury gaming experience. Furthermore, considering the case of online multi-brand retailers that operate globally, this gamification feature represents a further dimension of the overall luxury retail strategy [ 33 ].

Second, gamification in the luxury context needs exclusivity as a gaming thread . The academic debate posits that one of the crucial aspects of luxury is the need to maintain the character of exclusivity, especially for retailers that target global markets and new luxury consumers as Generation Z and Millennials. Therefore, delivering exclusivity online is a real challenge for luxury companies [ 35 , 36 ]. The case study shows that the app has exclusiveness as its fundamental feature and the central dynamic of the game. The game design implements mechanisms and tools (such as the exchange of rare items among players) that allow consumers to explore and exploit the rarity of virtual items. For players, while exploring exclusivity calls for finding new items and outfits within the international retailer's assortment, exploiting exclusivity implies benefiting from it within the game. Therefore, like in any other offline and online activities of luxury companies, the gaming experience finds expression in the searching for exclusivity.

Third, gamification involves social networking and virtual influencing . Previous literature has emphasized the importance of intrinsic motivations related to gamification [ 11 ]. We argue that gamification in luxury goes a step forward along the motivation continuum. The academic debate widely accepts the strategic role of social networks and influencer marketing [ 50 , 51 ]. We argue that luxury gaming can exploit social networking and influencer marketing as additional motivations for consumer engagement and this is essential to target younger consumers. Considering that younger generations show great interest in social networks, social influencing, and mobile games, we argue that the interplay between gamification, social networking, and virtual influencing represents the keystone to reaching these consumer targets globally. Thus, gamification can ensure a connection with consumers who will drive luxury consumption in the future.

Fourth, gamification benefits from cross-fertilization between gaming and e-commerce . We argue that gamification represents a new channel to meet sales objectives. While previous literature has showed the role of gamification as a marketing tool for branding purposes [ 9 ], this study also considers gamification as a channel to renew and reinforce e-commerce strategies. Therefore, gamification can jointly achieve branding and online sales aims and it constitutes a driver for luxury companies' business model development, especially for online multi-brand retailers, as it allows expanding online sales on a global scale [ 23 ]. Gamification is an opportunity for the e-commerce website to benefit from a playful online shopping experience. At the same time, the e-commerce website may feed the game with new exclusive items and new content to support innovativeness and exclusivity. Thus, gaming and shopping experiences co-exist and co-evolve together in the interaction between game apps and e-commerce websites.

6 Conclusion, limits, and avenues for future research

The paper allows drawing some managerial implications. Gamification can be an appropriate digital marketing tool for all those companies that intend to involve their consumers and increase their level of engagement. Specifically, gamification can take on different characteristics and levels of complexity, from adding game elements in order to enrich the existing shopping process to developing ad-hoc brand-related game apps aimed at delivering brand-related online experiences through mobile technologies and more complex game mechanisms. Marketing managers must consider the need to develop specific skills in the field of mobile technologies and game design, the latter being so specific that they require partnerships with specialized companies such as game developers. Moreover, gamification as a digital marketing tool should be considered by online multi-brand retailers, especially in the luxury and fashion sectors as, in recent years and after the pandemic crisis, they have to face an increasingly harsh online competition at a global scale. The competition is not only between online multi-brand retailers but also between them and the global luxury brands that increasingly invest in e-commerce websites and marketing tools capable of engaging the consumer more and more. In this competitive scenario, gamification represents a digital marketing tool that strongly differentiates a company and creates value for its customers. To further differentiate and create a unique experience, luxury companies may consider developing and integrating a game app with the e-commerce website, to the point that the e-commerce website could evolve into a luxury gaming experience. This experience would take into account the current preferences of the new generation of luxury consumers, specifically Millennials and Generation Z. The evolution of the e-commerce website towards an engaging luxury gaming experience may include not only playful and personalization elements but new values that new generations are seeking in luxuries, such as inclusion and the enhancement of diversity. This latter issue, concerning the inclusion of in-game mechanisms of relevant values for the new generations, represents a possible avenue for future research.

Finally, this paper shows some limitations that can be the basis for further studies. An evident limitation of our study is that it builds on a single case study of an online multi-brand retailer in the luxury context. That means the external validity of our findings in other contexts, such as the non-luxury or non-retailing ones, needs to be verified. Furthermore, the development and adoption of gamification techniques and the features may be different beyond the boundaries of luxury and retailing. Additionally, the paper considered only one emblematic case of an innovative player in multi-brand retailing that succeeded in launching a game app. A multiple-case study approach might be helpful to build a comparison and allow generalization. Moreover, future research could study the role of gamification for analytics purposes. For example, it could be interesting to understand the player’s behavior in the game in terms of products selection and different combinations. Hence, how gamification can enhance the understanding of consumers’ digital behavior represents a valuable avenue for future research. Finally, this paper addressed the topic of gamification from an online multi-brand luxury retailer's perspective by highlighting the benefits and, more in general, the positive side of gamification as an effective digital marketing tool. However, future research should reverse this perspective by investigating gamification's 'dark side' regarding risks and difficulties for business purposes.

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Matilde Milanesi & Simone Guercini

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Milanesi, M., Guercini, S. & Runfola, A. Let’s play! Gamification as a marketing tool to deliver a digital luxury experience. Electron Commer Res 23 , 2135–2152 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-021-09529-1

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Home / Case Studies / GAMIFICATION+

Global leader in gamification consultancy and training turns to JFDI and Microsoft Teams to enable deeper sales pipeline collaboration

Published on July 24, 2019

GAMIFICATION+

Jfdi consulting ltd..

JFDI is an information systems consultancy, focused on improving business processes and is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. JFDI Consulting are experts in SharePoint Implementation, SharePoint Development and SharePoint Administration with a strong focus on integration, automation and gamification.

GAMIFICATION+ is an award winning and globally recognized leader in gamification consultancy and training. They help organisations achieve behavior change through game-like experiences. They also organize the annual Gamification Europe conference and the global Gamification Awards.

GAMIFICATION+ needed to replace an old web-hosted CRM system with a collaborative system within Microsoft Teams. To achieve this, opportunity data needed to be accessed and displayed within the Teams environment across the relevant: Teams (available products); Channels (vertical markets); and Tabs (competing sales teams).

The solution needed to offer a flexible collection of meaningful charts, while maintaining compatibility with the full Microsoft Office suite, including tools such as Power BI and offering extensibility through connected platforms such as Microsoft Flow.

Gamification+ had moved to using Teams for managing projects, products and events collaboratively. Ongoing work was managed very well in Teams. However, usage of the existing external hosted CRM system dropped substantially. Management no longer had visibility on the sales pipeline as no data was being entered into the CRM.

Working with their trusted Microsoft partner JFDI, GAMIFICATION+ found that staff wanted to access their day to day work within the one environment that they were now using every day: Teams. If the system wasn’t usable in Teams then it wasn’t going to get used at all.

The immediate challenge was to add CRM functionality into the Teams environment and enable users to enter sales data again.  This would enable the organisation to surface the state of the sales pipeline, then direct resources at  key sales opportunities to close immediately.

Gamification+ also wanted to use this move to encourage a more collaborative approach to sales. They needed a solution that fit in with how Teams works and, importantly improved the relevance of leads generated and quality of sales won. The new CRM needed to motivate different members of the sales team to work together to win best fit sales for the company.

Sales opportunity data needed to be accessed and displayed within the Microsoft Teams environment across the relevant Teams – available products, Channels – vertical markets, and Tabs – competing sales teams.

The system needed to be simple and intuitive to use without requiring user training. It needed to work very much the same way as the host environment of Microsoft Teams. Because of the sensitive nature of sales opportunity data, the system needed to store all the customer’s data in their own corporate Office 365 tenancy.

To achieve these goals, JFDI implemented the Aardvark Sales for Teams application , which leverages Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Office Graph to connect Sales opportunities to Channels for managing related documents and conversations.

Aardvark Sales for Teams can be added to a Channel or Team many times, providing a familiar Kanban view of sales opportunities in a Teams Tab.  Drag and drop technology allows sales opportunities to be moved easily and intuitively between stages in the sales pipeline.  Each Tab can be configured to roll up data from the Channel or across the entire Team.

Sales opportunity data is maintained within Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online. The data format of a sales opportunity can be heavily customized by adding columns in the Aardvark SharePoint List. This List is independent of Aardvark, so the user will always have access to their data regardless of whether they still have a paid subscription to the Aardvark service.

The Aardvark user interface adapts to support custom fields that the Team administrator can add to the underlying SharePoint List. The ubiquity of SharePoint Lists means that users can use their data throughout the Microsoft Office suite and with tools such as Microsoft Flow and Power BI.

The technology stack used in this solution included Microsoft Teams, Office 365, SharePoint Online, Microsoft SharePoint Framework (SPFx), Microsoft Office Graph API, Microsoft Azure Function, Microsoft TypeScript, React, and Chart.JS.

We very quickly saw an uptick in sales, and in the quality of those sales, when we started using Aardvark Sales for Teams.

By enlisting the help of JFDI and implementing their Aardvark application that integrates with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, the GAMIFICATION+ team has seen the following results:

• Increase in data entered by sales staff
• Sales pipeline visibility to management
• Resources directed to key opportunities
• Increased number and quality of sales due to collaboration among sales teams
• Increase in team morale and motivation

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Starbucks: A successful gamification case study

Starbucks’ gamification wasn’t there from the beginning of its story but it made it a success. Starbucks’ first store was inaugurated in 1971 at the Seattle Pike Place Market. Entering the shop, you were able to find fresh coffee beans, tea, and spices from around the world. According to the company, this flavour journey and the coffee trade traditions are used during this flavour journey and the coffee trade traditions are, according to the company, at the origins of the name “Starbucks”. This Mobi-dick character name reflects perfectly the worldwide ongoing success. By 1987, Starbucks had become a coffeehouse and it expanded to Chicago, Vancouver, and other cities across north-America. Later on, It opened stores worldwide like in Japan, Europe, and China. Hence, nowadays, Starbucks is the meeting place for millions of customers each week. Let’s discover the marketing secrets of such success!

I. Engaging the Senses: Starbucks’ Gamification Strategy Unveiled

A. Gamification in Loyalty Programs

Gamification has emerged as a popular strategy to revitalize loyalty programs and make them more engaging for customers. Starbucks is one company that has successfully implemented elements. Such Elements are reward points for purchases, level-ups based activities, and challenges for customers to complete. As a result, Starbucks has seen a significant increase in customer retention. Their customer retention rate is of 44%, significantly higher than the industry average of 25%. The gamified loyalty program has also increased customer engagement. Customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and try new products. In fact, they are incentivized through the gamification elements to reach new levels and earn rewards. Businesses can benefit greatly from incorporating gamification elements into their loyalty programs. Gamification marketing keeps customers engaged, happy, and coming back for more.

B. Star Dash and Starbucks for Life

Starbucks has introduced two popular loyalty programs to incentivize customers and increase customer engagement. The Star Dash program encourages customers to visit Starbucks more frequently. It offers bonus stars for a certain number of purchases made within a specific timeframe. While the Starbucks for Life program provides customers with the chance to win free coffee for a year, a month, or a week by completing challenges and earning game plays. So, by incorporating gamification elements and offering unique rewards, Starbucks has created an immersive and entertaining experience for their customers, keeping them engaged and coming back for more. These innovative programs have increased customer retention, engagement, and satisfaction, establishing Starbucks as a leader in the coffee industry.

C. Summer Game, Starland, and Roastery Challenge

Starbucks has created other even more innovative gamified loyalty programs to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. The Summer Game program incentivizes customers to win prizes by completing unique challenges, while Starland enables customers to collect stars and earn rewards by making purchases. Launched during the pandemic, Starland provided a fun and interactive way to connect with the brand during a difficult time. Finally, the Roastery Challenge is a VR and AR experience that encourages customers to explore Starbucks’ roasteries, enhancing their knowledge and interest in the company. These programs, alongside Star Dash and Starbucks for Life, have successfully established Starbucks as a leader in customer engagement and retention.

II. The Café Games: Starbucks’ Use of Gamification Inside Shops

A. Coffee Education

Starbucks uses gamification techniques to make the coffee education experience more interactive and enjoyable. In the Coffee Passport program, customers earn stamps for trying different coffee blends and receive a free coffee bag once they fill up their passports. Also, the Coffee Master program for baristas incorporates gamification by using badges to reward achievements in coffee knowledge, brewing techniques, and tasting skills. Baristas who complete the program earn a special black apron. Finally, in the Coffee with a Barista program, customers attend virtual or in-store sessions to learn about coffee brewing techniques and participate in a quiz to win a free drink.

B. Interactive Art

Starbucks uses gamification techniques to increase customer engagement and foster a sense of community within its stores. The “user-generated content” gamification element is used in the chalkboard mural where customers are encouraged to interact with the brand by drawing and writing messages. Similarly, the “social interaction” gamification technique is employed through the use of community tables to encourage customers to engage with each other through conversing and playing together. Finally, the “progression and rewards” gamification element is used in the digital flywheel program. It is a gamified loyalty program that rewards customers for their purchases with progress bars, rewards badges, and personalized offers. These techniques provide customers with a sense of achievement and reward, motivating them to keep engaging with the brand.

C. Digital Games

Starbucks has created several digital games that use gamification techniques to engage customers and increase loyalty. “Starbucks Pairs” is a memory game featuring Starbucks products that can be played on mobile devices. Players earn rewards for completing the game, such as discounts on their next Starbucks purchase. “Starbucks Bingo” is another popular game that encourages customers to make multiple purchases. Customers fill out their virtual bingo cards and earn rewards. Finally, the “Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew Game” incorporates a unique element. This game requires players to physically shake their phones to create a virtual Nitro Cold Brew. The game rewards players with discounts on their next purchase. All three games utilize gamification elements such as rewards, progress bars, and personalized offers. This strategy incentivizes customer engagement and increases brand loyalty.

III. Brewing Success: Starbucks’ Gamification & Partnerships

A. Pokemon Go Partnership

Starbucks partnered with Pokemon Go to transform their stores into PokeStops and Gyms, encouraging customers to visit, catch Pokemon, and battle other players. Accordingly, they added gamification elements like badges, rewards, and time-limited challenges to make the experience more engaging. Customers can earn rewards like free drinks or merchandise by completing certain tasks or winning challenges. Therefore, this innovative strategy successfully blends physical and digital worlds to create an immersive experience that keeps customers coming back for more.

(Discover Pokemon Go gamification techniques)

Starbucks and Spotify ‘s innovative partnership incorporates gamification elements to offer a unique customer experience. It offers a music trivia game that rewards customers with free music downloads. Indeed, Starbucks encourages customers to engage with the brand and showcase their knowledge and enthusiasm for music. The interactive game successfully promotes brand engagement and loyalty. Additionally, Starbucks could enhance the experience further with additional gamification elements like leaderboards and badges. Overall, Starbucks and Spotify’s partnership successfully blends brand engagement with a fun and interactive game, creating an exciting and memorable experience for customers.

C. Coca-cola

The Coca-Cola Arctic Home campaign is a successful partnership between Coca-Cola and Starbucks. It creatively incorporates gamification elements to promote environmental awareness and raise money for the World Wildlife Fund. By purchasing specially designed cups featuring polar bears, customers can donate to the WWF while enjoying their favourite drinks. Furthermore, customers can participate in a virtual polar bear hunt game on their mobile devices, earning points for prizes through the simple yet engaging technique of shaking their phones. This campaign is a prime example of how gamification can be utilized to promote positive causes while creating an interactive and memorable customer experience.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Starbucks’ success story is a result of its innovative marketing strategies. They are including gamification techniques to increase customer engagement, retention, and satisfaction. By incorporating gamification elements in loyalty programs, inside stores, and partnerships, Starbucks has created an immersive and entertaining experience for their customers. It resulted in making them one of the leading companies in the coffee industry. Basically, through the use of rewards, progress bars, and personalized offers, Starbucks has successfully motivated their customers to engage with the brand, fostering a sense of community and loyalty. Other businesses can learn from Starbucks’ gamification strategies and implement them into their marketing plans to increase customer engagement and retention.

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Computer Science > Software Engineering

Title: achievement unlocked: a case study on gamifying devops practices in industry.

Abstract: Gamification is the use of game elements such as points, leaderboards, and badges in a non-game context to encourage a desired behavior from individuals interacting with an environment. Recently, gamification has found its way into software engineering contexts as a means to promote certain activities to practitioners. Previous studies investigated the use of gamification to promote the adoption of a variety of tools and practices, however, these studies were either performed in an educational environment or in small to medium-sized teams of developers in the industry. We performed a large-scale mixed-methods study on the effects of badge-based gamification in promoting the adoption of DevOps practices in a very large company and evaluated how practice adoption is associated with changes in key delivery, quality, and throughput metrics of 333 software projects. We observed an accelerated adoption of some gamified DevOps practices by at least 60%, with increased adoption rates up to 6x. We found mixed results when associating badge adoption and metric changes: teams that earned testing badges showed an increase in bug fixing commits but output fewer commits and pull requests; teams that earned code review and quality tooling badges exhibited faster delivery metrics. Finally, our empirical study was supplemented by a survey with 45 developers where 73% of respondents found badges to be helpful for learning about and adopting new standardized practices. Our results contribute to the rich knowledge on gamification with a unique and important perspective from real industry practitioners.

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The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement and behavior based on their personality traits

• Rodrigo Smiderle 3 ,
• Sandro José Rigo 3 ,
• Leonardo B. Marques 1 ,
• Jorge Arthur Peçanha de Miranda Coelho 2 &
• Patricia A. Jaques   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2933-1052 3  

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The gamification of education can enhance levels of students’ engagement similar to what games can do, to improve their particular skills and optimize their learning. On the other hand, scientific studies have shown adverse outcomes based on the user’s preferences. The link among the user’s characteristics, executed actions, and the game elements is still an open question. Aiming to find some insights for this issue, we have investigated the effects of gamification on students’ learning, behavior, and engagement based on their personality traits in a web-based programming learning environment. We have conducted an experiment for four months with 40 undergraduate students of first-year courses on programming. Students were randomly assigned to one of the two versions of the programming learning environment: a gamified version composed of ranking, points, and badges and the original non-gamified version. We have found evidence that gamification affected users in distinct ways based on their personality traits. Our results indicate that the effect of gamification depends on the specific characteristics of users.

First part title: Studying the impact of gamification on learning and engagement based on the personality traits of students

Introduction

Gamification of education is a strategy for increasing engagement by incorporating game elements into an educational environment ( Dichev and Dicheva 2017 ). The goal is to generate levels of involvement equal to what games can usually produce ( Fardo 2014 ). The main goals of gamification are to enhance certain abilities, introduce objectives that give learning a purpose, engage students, optimize learning, support behavior change, and socialize ( Knutas et al. 2014 ; Krause et al. 2015 ; Dichev and Dicheva 2017 ; Borges et al. 2013 ).

Stimulated by the effects that game elements can produce, many researchers have looked into the influence of gamification in an educational context, getting favorable results, such as the increase of engagement, user retention, knowledge, and cooperation ( Hakulinen and Auvinen 2014 ; Tvarozek and Brza 2014 ). Despite that, some studies have shown uncertain or prejudicial results from gamification ( Christy and Fox 2014 ). They found that ranking affects women in various ways and may guide to unexpected opposite impact. Hanus and Fox ( 2015 ) informed that, in addition to not increase the results, gamification decreases pleasure and motivation. Haaranen et al. ( 2014 ) noticed that some users had adverse emotions about the badges.

The mix of controversial results related to the effects of gamification in learning environments yield doubts concerning the advantages of its utilization in an educational setting. Moreover, research about the effects of gamification elements on students’ learning, participation, and other effects, is a broad goal. The objective should be delimited to what elements of games are efficient for a particular type of student, involved in a given activity ( Dichev and Dicheva 2017 ). Different layouts of elements of games, used to add gamification to diverse activities, produces different effects, hampering the process of determining which elements or collection of these elements are efficient to promote the engagement and learning for a group or type of user, doing a specific action ( Dichev and Dicheva 2017 ). The motivation ( Pedro 2016 ; Hakulinen and Auvinen 2014 ; Mekler et al. 2017 ), player profile ( Barata et al. 2014 ; O’Donovan et al. 2013 ) and personality ( Codish and Ravid 2014 ; Jia et al. 2016 ) are the characteristics and preferences that have been most investigated in gamified learning environments.

The user’s personality is the set of characteristics and psychological factors that are used to understand how individuals think and interact ( Goldberg 1992 ). Personality traits refer to an individual’s reactions to different situations, and little is known about how different elements of gamification affect engagement based on the user’s traits ( Codish and Ravid 2014 ). Empirical studies are needed to verify whether the effect of gamification may differ depending on users’ personality traits.

Codish and Ravid ( 2014 ) researched, through preference surveys, how extroverts and introverts received the gamification and discovered an adverse effect of the ranking on extroverted students and favorable but not substantial on introverted students; extroverts chose the badges. On the other hand, Jia et al. ( 2016 ) found different results, in which, also through preference surveys, identified that extroverted people are driven by points, levels, and ranking. Jang, Park, and Yi ( 2015 ) found that users with low agreeableness who used a non-gamified version of a system had lower learning rates than those who used the gamified one.

The previously found results were crucial for the conceptual comprehension of the effect of gamification on personality, but they were only based on users’ opinions, obtained through questionnaires and in a short time. It is essential to conduct experiments to verify the real effects of gamification in learning environments and over a long duration.

In this study, we aimed to study whether the gamification affects students differently depending on their personality traits. More specifically, we aimed to investigate whether distinct components of gamification affect students’ learning, their programming attitudes (trial and error behavior in the programming tasks submission for correction), and engagement depending on their personality traits (extroversion, openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness) in the context of programming learning. Personality traits were selected because there is a lack of empirical studies in real environments that target this topic, and the results of the formal works are an open question. In our work, the effects of gamification for different personality traits were investigated with an empirical experiment in a real learning environment over a longer interval of time (four months). We examined participants’ engagement and behavior by their activities logs on the educational system and their learning by knowledge tests.

This work is an extended version of our paper published on ICALT 2019 ( Smiderle et al. 2019 ). Differently from ICALT paper, in which we have focused only on the extroversion trait, in the present article, we also explore how the other personality traits (openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness) interfere in the impact of gamification elements on students’ learning, engagement, and programming behavior.

Participants

The participants were universities student from two first-semester classes in a Computing course at a private university in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In total, 48 students aged between 17 and 34 years old (M =21, DP =3.74), 38 boys, and ten girls, were invited at the beginning of the semester for participation. Consent forms were delivered for all students, who agreed to join in the experiment, to sign. Only the information of the students who fulfilled the personality trait questionnaire (43 students) and agreed to participate by returning the content form (41 students) was considered at the end of the experiment, totalizing 40 students (7 girls and 33 boys). At the beginning of the experiment, the teachers explained to the students that their participation in the experiment was voluntary; they could quit at any moment, and this would not change their final grade in the class.

We verified the change in engagement by the number of logins, badges, points, and also the number of visualizations of the gamification elements. The grades in the course exams served to evaluate learning. The programming behavior was measured by the accuracy of the solutions submitted by students for programming exercises. Accuracy is the result of the total number of correct solutions divided by the total number of solutions sent. It represents the student care before submitting a solution, being the opposite of trial and error behavior, in which the student sends different solutions repeatedly until success, without seriously reflecting on them, only to get the system feedback.

Personality questionnaire - iGFP-5

To determine students’ personalities, we have used the IGFP-5. IGFP-5 is a self-reported measure composed of 44 items and designed to evaluate the personality dimensions based on the Big Five Personality Factors model (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) ( de Andrade 2008 ). It was validated for Brazil through a sample of 5,089 respondents from the five Brazilian regions, 66.9% female, and 79.0% higher education. According to Andrade ( 2008 ), individuals with high scores in Openness are generally outspoken, imaginative, witty, original, and artistic. Conscientious individuals are generally cautious, trustworthy, organized, and responsible. Extroverted individuals tend to be active, enthusiastic, sociable, and eloquent or talkative. People with high scores in agreeableness are pleasant, lovely, cooperative, and affectionate. Neurotic individuals are usually nervous, highly sensitive, tense, and concerned.

BlueJ and feeper

Feeper Footnote 1 is a web-based system designed to assist students and teachers in programming classes. In the environment, the teacher can provide programming exercises, which can be solved by students, and automatically corrected by an Online Judge integrated on the platform. It matches the output of the learners’ program with the output of an ideal solution provided by the teacher for a given input. It uses rules previously registered by the teacher also to give some feedback for the students based on the output of their code. A significant advantage of this type of environment is that it reduces the teacher’s burden because it corrects the exercises automatically, allowing the teacher to concentrate their efforts on students who are struggling with the tasks.

BlueJ is a free Java Development Environment designed for beginners to learn the basics of programming ( Bluej 2019 ).

In our work, the teacher recommended students to write their code at BlueJ, which has a more straightforward interface for beginners. After solving the task on BlueJ, students should submit the final solution to Feeper to get the correction and error-feedback. Only Feeper was gamified in this study, and it was used by students to verify their progress.

System logs and grades

The information extracted from Feeper through the use of the environment consisted of the number of: logins, correct and wrong exercises, badges and points obtained, and challenges completed. We also analysed the number of users’ views of the elements ranking, badges, and points. The number of badges view is different from the number of badges obtained. When we counted the number of views, we were analyzing how interested the student was in this element. A student can get many badges because she accomplished the activities successfully due to her interest in the topic, even if she is not interested in getting badges. The same is true for the Points and Ranking.

During the semester, students accomplished three exams as part of their formal evaluation process of the class. Grade A was delivered in the middle of the semester; it was comprised of problems related to topics seen until it. Grade B was the last exam, delivered at the end of the semester. When students were not able to achieve the minimum score, they could improve their grade with Grade C, which was delivered two weeks after Grade B. In this work, grade A contributed to check students’ performance in programming before gamification switching on in the experimental group. The participants completed the IGFP-5 personality questionnaire and were randomly distributed into two groups, the control and the gamified. At the end of the semester, they took the final exam.

Gamification in feeper

The gamification elements implemented on Feeper for this study are points, badges, and ranking, described below. The only difference between the gamified and non-gamified versions of Feeper is that participants in the non-gamified version cannot see the gamification elements, but internally the system still scores points and badges. This score allows us to compare whether students be able to see the gamification elements engage them.

Points appear to participants in two different parts of the system. When students are completing a programming task, they can see how many points they could earn if they solve it successfully. When the solution is incorrect, the score is decreased by five points for each submission (the students can lose a maximum of 70 points for each task). Students can also view their score histories for the solved exercises and the points previously earned. Students were warned that the scores obtained in the exercises would not affect their final grade on the course.

Nine distinct badges were granted to users by obtaining specific objectives, with three degrees (gold, silver, bronze), totalizing 27 badges. Badges were granted for students who have achieved a specific sum of logins, correct assignment, submitted assignments, submitted assignments with no errors, daily activity, and for whom have concluded challenges and were top of the class and the platform.

The ranking is the sum of all points earned by students for all assignments solved. There are two distinct rankings available. The ranking of the class shows the participants with the best scores in the class; its goal is to promote local objectives for students. The second one is the general ranking, which contrasts the scores of all students of the platform who have used Feeper.

Experimental design

This experiment followed an experimental design consisting of two groups, control (21 participants) and experimental groups (19 participants), for which the students were randomly assigned with the only restriction of having the same number of participants initially in both groups. Table  1 shows the number of participants for each personality trait in each group (gamified and non-gamified).

Students in the control group used the original non-gamified version of Feeper, while learners in the experimental group used a gamified version of Feeper with points, badges, and ranking. All students started using the non-gamified variant of Feeper, and only in the second half of the semester (after the first exam, grade GA), students in the experimental group began to use the gamified version.

This type of design allows us to examine the effects of gamification on personality traits using both controlling conditions: the participant with himself (a within-subject design, by comparing the performance and engagement of students of the experimental group before and after Grade GA) and by comparing control and experimental groups after Grade GA. At the end of the semester, students completed the final exam (Grade B), involving all the content of the course. Figure  1 illustrates the phases of the experiment.

The experiment design

Some students have reported that they noticed their version of Feeper was different from the one used by a nearby colleague (they were able to notice the presence of points and ranking). When this occurred, teachers only reported that some new features were being tested in Feeper and were only available to some participants.

The experiment was realized in the second part of 2018 and had a period of four months. The participants had class once a week, and each class had two hours and 38 minutes of duration. Students used Feeper in all classes, except for the first class, the three classes in which the teacher delivered the exams (Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C), and one class of topic review, totalizing 15 classes solving program tasks using BlueJ and Feeper.

In the first week of class, the teacher presented to the students the organization and some introductory notions of computer organization. In the second week, the teacher presented to students the Feeper and BlueJ environments (“ Materials ” section). Introductory tasks were given for the students to get used to both learning environments.

From the third week onward, students realized four exercises in each class: a worked example, two activities that were part of the final grade, and an optional exercise. The teacher began each class by solving a worked example step-by-step to teach the students how to solve a programming task involving the same concepts to be worked in the class.

Students then solved two other programming tasks with the same difficulty level as the example worked and using the same programming concepts. The students’ grade was composed of these two tasks accomplishments (20%) and the score on the exams (80%). In addition to being part of the grade, these tasks served to identify students’ difficulties. The optional task was an extra activity with greater difficulty and with the possibility of additional grade. The goal was to challenge the students and also verify their engagement as it was optional.

Results and analysis

This section presents the results found in this study. We conducted a Shapiro-Wilk test to verify the normality of the data. For the data that followed a normal distribution, we conducted a t-test to compare means. We also calculated the effect size for all tests, which is a simple way to quantify the difference between two groups, through the Cohen d effect. For data with non-normal distributions, we applied a Wilcoxon rank-sum test to compare means. The effect size of non-normal data was calculated by dividing the z value by the square root of the number of participants, as described by Mann-Whitney ( Pallant 2010 ).

Table  2 shows the results of the evaluation comparing the experimental and control groups. The level of significance was set at a <0.05 with 95% confidence interval. Only statistically significant results are shown.

Participants who used the gamified environment had a higher average of points, badges, and the number of logins than participants of the non-gamified group. However, no statistically significant results were found to show that the gamified group was more engaged than the non-gamified group. Regarding the grades, both groups had a reduction from grade GA to grade GB, which is usual in this class as grade GB has more content and is more difficult than GA.

The gamified system can change student behavior. Gamified group participants had a significant improvement in the quality of the submitted solutions, having obtained more accuracy (number of correct solutions sent, divided by the total number of solutions sent), when comparing Grade A and Grade B. In the literature, it is possible to find papers that reported improved performance of the gamified group by increasing the score, ( Krause et al. 2015 ) and decreasing unwanted behaviors ( Pedro 2016 ). Another work that studied the effects of gamification on the performance of users on tagging pictures ( Mekler et al. 2017 ) has found an increase in the number of tag annotations, but without resulting in improved tag quality.

Each personality trait was verified individually. Introverted participants (in both experimental and control groups) had a higher number of points, medals, and logins than extroverted. A statistically significant difference was found in the number of points and ranking visualization between the introvert and extrovert gamified groups, thus indicating a divergence on how users with different personality traits receive the gamification effect. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found in the accuracy gain of the introvert participants in the gamified group.

Regarding the personality trait neuroticism , no differences were observed between the gamified and non-gamified groups. However, it can be noted that in both groups, people with high neuroticism had a higher number of logins. About the personality trait conscientiousness , students of the non-gamified group with low conscientiousness obtained the lowest number of points when compared to the other groups.

The correlation of all personality traits and the variables was calculated and showed in Fig.  2 . They were used to identify the relationship between the dependent variables (engagement, learning, programming behavior) and personality traits. A correlation is considered strong when the Pearson coefficient is higher than 0.7, moderate when it is between 0.5 and 0.7, and weak when it is lower than 0.5.

Correlogram for the relationship between all variables of the experiment

Regarding the number of points obtained, a moderate negative correlation ( r =−0.52, p =0.01) was identified with the extroversion personality trait for the gamified group. For the nongamified group, a weak positive correlation between the points and the conscientiousness personality trait ( r =+0.41, p =0.01) was found.

Regarding the number of badges obtained, a moderate negative correlation was found with the extroversion personality trait ( r =−0.52, p =0.01).

Concerning the accuracy after the grade GA, for the gamified group, a moderate negat ive correlation was found with the extroversion trait ( r =−0.57, p <0.01) and a weak negative correlations with the openness trait ( r =−0.42, p =0.05). A positive weak correlation was found with the conscientiousness trait ( r =0.3, p =0.18). For the non-gamified group, a moderate positive correlation was identified between accuracy after GB and the conscientiousness personality trait ( r =0.5, p =0.02).

We also analyzed the correlation between the engagement of students in the gamified group with the different gamification elements (points, medals, and ranking). About the number of ranking views, we observed a strong negative correlation with the extroversion trait ( r =−0.79, p <0.01), and also a weak negative correlation with agreeableness trait ( r =−0.48, p =0.02).

Each trait was verified individually. Introverted participants in both control and experimental groups had a higher number of points, badges, and logins. A statistically significant difference was found in the number of points and ranking views between the introvert and extrovert students who used the gamified version, thus indicating that there is a difference between how different users with different personality traits receive the effect of gamification. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found in the accuracy gain of the introverted participants who used the gamified version.

This result partially matches with the results found in ( Codish and Ravid 2014 ), that detected a negative effect of the ranking on extroverted participants and positive and not significant in introverted participants; extroverts preferred badges. However, unlike our work ( Jia et al. 2016 ) found that extroverts tend to be more motivated by points, levels, and ranking.

Regarding neuroticism , no differences were observed between the gamified and non-gamified groups. Overall, in both groups, neurotic participants had more logins. People with high neuroticism tend to be more worried and insecure, which, possibly, makes them check the platform more often for new exercises.

Regarding the grades , the gamified group with high agreeableness had the lowest grade reduction (the difference between GB and GA), while the non-gamified group with low agreeableness had the lowest grade reduction. Related to this personality trait, ( Jang et al. 2015 ) found that users with low agreeableness in the non-gamified group had lower learning rates than those in the gamified group, thus being more useful to these users. Differently from the mentioned work, we have not found any evidence that gamification improves learning for the students with low agreeableness.

About the conscientiousness personality trait, in both gamified and non-gamified groups, the high conscious participants were more accurate in solving the exercises, and only the low conscious students who used the non-gamified system had accuracy decreased. This decrease was significant, and thus it is possible to observe that the loss of accuracy of the non-gamified group came from low conscientious participants. A possible explanation is that people with this personality trait are more careless and negligent.

Limitations of study

When the user fills out a personality trait questionnaire, it has a score (a value ranging from 5 to 25) across five different personality traits. For example, a score on the extroversion trait means that the person tends to be more extroverted or introverted. An important issue is which score to use to classify someone as extroverted or introverted. As our sample was relatively small (only 40 participants), we have classified the participants using the median. This procedure was a provisional measure, and we intend to use a more reliable method for classifying participants in the next works. A trustworthy possibility in a larger sample would be to check only the extremes individuals of each personality trait.

Another limitation to the validity of the results is the representativeness of the sample since all participants who joined the study are from the same university, most of them young males. Therefore, it is not reasonable to generalize the results for the whole student population. Statistically, it can be solved with the replication of this experiment in distinct samples of undergraduate students.

The results were obtained through an empirical experiment involving programming tasks. It is also necessary to replicate the study for other domains such as mathematics, physics, etc.

Conclusions

This article aimed to contribute to the understanding of how gamification affects participants differently depending on their characteristics. More specifically, we investigated the effects of points, ranking, and badges in the engagement, learning, and behavior programming of students based on their personality traits. To achieve this goal, we have conducted an empirical experiment with 40 undergraduate students enrolled in a programming class who used two different versions of a programming learning environment: a gamified one and a non-gamified.

The results showed a change in the behavior of the gamified group showing a significant improvement in the accuracy of students with personality traits with low agreeableness, low openness, and introverts who used the gamified version in the second half of the course. A reduction during the semester (GA/GB) for accuracy was also verified for students with low conscientious personality who used the non-gamified system, while, in the gamified group, this reduction has not occurred, indicating that gamification may help these groups. Introverted students who used the gamified version were more engaged than extroverted students for the same version. We have also found a strong negative correlation between the extroversion trait and the number of ranking views, indicating that gamification in general and, especially the ranking element, is more beneficial to introverts.

This work contributes to the understanding of how gamified environment systems affect users based on their characteristics. Specifically, it contributed to the comprehension of how gamification affects the engagement and learning behavior of university students based on their personality traits. Future research could study the effect of gamification in various disciplines over a more extended period. It could help to verify whether, over time, gamification loses its effectiveness, to identify possible saturation points and limitations in its application.

Availability of data and materials

The first and last authors store the datasets. However, the Informed Consent Form that was used does not allow the distribution of the data fully.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed in part by the CAPES (graduate student scholarship), FAPERGS (granting 17/2551-0001203-8), and CNPq (granting 309218/2017-9) from Brazil.

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Smiderle, R., Rigo, S.J., Marques, L.B. et al. The impact of gamification on students’ learning, engagement and behavior based on their personality traits. Smart Learn. Environ. 7 , 3 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-019-0098-x

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Received : 06 September 2019

Accepted : 15 November 2019

Published : 09 January 2020

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-019-0098-x

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• Gamification
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