Uses and Gratifications of Initiating Use of Gamifed Learning Platforms

Rob van Roy; Christoph Sebastian Deterding; Bieke Zaman

doi:10.1145/3170427.3188458

Uses and Gratifications of Initiating Use of Gamifed Learning Platforms

Rob van Roy, Christoph Sebastian Deterding, Bieke Zaman

Theatre, Film, TV and Interactive Media

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Research on gamified educational platforms has chiefly focused on game elements motivating continued engagement, neglecting whether and why people choose to use them in the first place. Grounded in Uses & Gratifications Theory, this study therefore combined use diaries with follow-up interviews to explore the situated reasons for use of 83 students who voluntarily used a gamified online learning platform. Partial data analysis suggested a motivational threshold of gamification: game design elements don’t motivate the initiation of new use sessions per se, but are able to prolong an already started session. Some other pre- existing sought uses and gratifications are required for gamification to work, although gamification may indirectly support these. Main reasons for initiating use of a gamified learning platform were learning, curiosity, fun, need for closure, and competence.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	CHI'18 Extended Abstracts
Place of Publication	New York
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-4503-5621-3/18/0
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3170427.3188458
Publication status	Published - 20 Apr 2018
Event	2018 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - https://chi2018.acm.org/, Montreal, Canada Duration: 21 Apr 2018 → 26 Apr 2018

Conference

Conference	2018 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Abbreviated title	CHI'18
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Montreal
Period	21/04/18 → 26/04/18

Keywords

gamification
education
uses and gratifications
reasons for use

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10.1145/3170427.3188458

Gamification_UG_CHI18EA
Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author. CHI'18 Extended Abstracts, April 21–26, 2018, Montreal, QC, Canada © 2018 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).
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Cowling, P. I. (Principal investigator), Austin, J. (Co-investigator), Cairns, P. A. (Co-investigator), Holliman, N. S. (Co-investigator), Hook, J. D. (Co-investigator), Marsden, E. (Co-investigator), Murphy, D. T. (Co-investigator), Petrie, H. (Co-investigator), Reed, D. J. (Co-investigator), Richards, J. D. (Co-investigator), Ursu, M. (Co-investigator), Wade, A. (Co-investigator), Baier, H. (Researcher), Beale, G. (Researcher), Block, F. O. (Researcher), Deterding, C. S. (Researcher), Devlin, S. (Researcher), Drachen, A. (Researcher), Kasprowicz, R. E. (Researcher), Smith, D. P. (Researcher) & Williams, D. A. H. (Researcher)
EPSRC
1/10/15 → 30/09/22
Project: Research project (funded) › Research

Cite this

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title = "Uses and Gratifications of Initiating Use of Gamifed Learning Platforms",

abstract = "Research on gamified educational platforms has chiefly focused on game elements motivating continued engagement, neglecting whether and why people choose to use them in the first place. Grounded in Uses & Gratifications Theory, this study therefore combined use diaries with follow-up interviews to explore the situated reasons for use of 83 students who voluntarily used a gamified online learning platform. Partial data analysis suggested a motivational threshold of gamification: game design elements don{\textquoteright}t motivate the initiation of new use sessions per se, but are able to prolong an already started session. Some other pre- existing sought uses and gratifications are required for gamification to work, although gamification may indirectly support these. Main reasons for initiating use of a gamified learning platform were learning, curiosity, fun, need for closure, and competence.",

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author = "{van Roy}, Rob and Deterding, {Christoph Sebastian} and Bieke Zaman",

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doi = "10.1145/3170427.3188458",

language = "English",

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note = "2018 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI'18 ; Conference date: 21-04-2018 Through 26-04-2018",

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AU - Deterding, Christoph Sebastian

AU - Zaman, Bieke

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N2 - Research on gamified educational platforms has chiefly focused on game elements motivating continued engagement, neglecting whether and why people choose to use them in the first place. Grounded in Uses & Gratifications Theory, this study therefore combined use diaries with follow-up interviews to explore the situated reasons for use of 83 students who voluntarily used a gamified online learning platform. Partial data analysis suggested a motivational threshold of gamification: game design elements don’t motivate the initiation of new use sessions per se, but are able to prolong an already started session. Some other pre- existing sought uses and gratifications are required for gamification to work, although gamification may indirectly support these. Main reasons for initiating use of a gamified learning platform were learning, curiosity, fun, need for closure, and competence.

AB - Research on gamified educational platforms has chiefly focused on game elements motivating continued engagement, neglecting whether and why people choose to use them in the first place. Grounded in Uses & Gratifications Theory, this study therefore combined use diaries with follow-up interviews to explore the situated reasons for use of 83 students who voluntarily used a gamified online learning platform. Partial data analysis suggested a motivational threshold of gamification: game design elements don’t motivate the initiation of new use sessions per se, but are able to prolong an already started session. Some other pre- existing sought uses and gratifications are required for gamification to work, although gamification may indirectly support these. Main reasons for initiating use of a gamified learning platform were learning, curiosity, fun, need for closure, and competence.

KW - gamification

KW - education

KW - uses and gratifications

KW - reasons for use

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DO - 10.1145/3170427.3188458

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - CHI'18 Extended Abstracts

CY - New York

T2 - 2018 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Y2 - 21 April 2018 through 26 April 2018

ER -

Uses and Gratifications of Initiating Use of Gamifed Learning Platforms

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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Cite this