1Cademy allows users to contribute and curate content, in the form of nodes. While the system is open and easily changeable, would there be any benefits to require the user to curate first, then create (or vice versa), similar to the "time banking" system found in i2istudy?

Integration of a "virtual economy"

i2istudy allows users to spend and gain time by learning and teaching on the platform, respectively. The goal of this system is to (extrinsically) motivate users to contribute to the platform, in addition to using it.

"Time-banking" system

Users are given lesson plans with specific goals in teaching to help structure their sessions. These lessons plans are created and moderated by the i2istudy team, allowing the usage platform to be more directed, and less like other similar online language learning methods.

Guided Content Usage

Timely and/or immediate feedback in response to user input can motivate users to continue interacting with said material.

Immediacy of Response

Enabling self-expression through the customization of personal profile images / avatars, other descriptors/qualifications, or achievements.

Creating space for self-expression

Each user has their own goals when interacting with a platform. When incorporating gamified mechanics, we need to consider which subset of users we may be (inadvertently) catering/empowering to.
Bartle's Taxonomy provides us a graph of potential user interests:
- Emphasizing Acting vs Emphasizing Interacting
- Emphasizing Users vs Emphasizing Content

Bartle's Taxonomy

Sequential benefits, time-to-completion, or cascading information arranged in such a way that extrinsically shows user improvement over a period of time.

Progression Mechanics

Though design concepts from games and entertainment media are effective in their native medium, there are potential issues with incorporating them into education.

Gamification - Criticisms

Images, both still and moving, can be used to assist in learning and teaching. Compared to conventional lecturing / oral expository, visualizations can greatly improve the learning experience, but only if said visualization is well made, clear, and robust enough.

Dynamic / Static Visualizations

Dicheva, D., Dichev, C., Agre, G., Angelova, G. Gamification in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study. (2014). Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 75-88.


Gamification in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study

- Does gamification work?--a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. by Juho Hamari, Jonna Koivisto, Harri Sarsa in 2014

Gamification References

This is a paper that peer-reviewed research articles on gamification.

Does Gamification Work? — A Literature Review of Empirical Studies on
Gamification

An overview of the most used game elements in online learning (including MOOCs) and the current valid effects of gamification on user behavior.

The Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review

An overview of the factors for the rise of gamification since the beginning of the century and how to improve users’ learning motivation in games in the future. 

Gamification: Designing for motivation

Most Common Gamification Elements
- Badges and Rewards
- Leaderboards
- Points
- Behavior
- Levels
- Social Influences
- Goals

Gamification Elements' Effects

Gamification has been used in mobile applications to encourage users to modify their behavior. Gameification in mobile apps typically includes the use of game elements like points, levels, leaderboards, social interaction, and goal setting.

Gameification in Mobile Applications

Alsawaier, R.S. (2017). The effect of gamification on motivation and engagement, The International journal of Information and Learning Technology. 35(1), 55-79.

The effect of gamification on motivation and engagement

Gamified systems have been shown to increase engagement with the learning material, specifically within an educational setting, and retain motivation when given the ability to have autonomy in the gamification system

Gamification and Motivation

The application of engagement-based design ideas found in games, specifically focusing on how games can engage and motivate participants to return to the medium.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

New York University

- gamification systems
- social proof/influence
- social presence
- peer assessment
- goal setting
- comment/voting systems
- leadership type
- shared leadership

Ways to encourage contribution in online communities

Osipov I.V., Nikulchev E., Volinksy A.A., Prasikova A.Y.. Study of Gamification Effectiveness in Online e-Learning Systems (2015). International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 6(2), 71-77


A 6-month study on the online language learning platform "i2istudy", and how gamification principles were applied to it.

Study of Gamification Effectiveness in Online e-Learning Systems

Dominguez A., Saenz-de-Navarrete J, de-Marcos L., Fernandez-Sanz L., Pages C., Martinez-Herraiz J.. Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes (2012). Computers and Education, 63, 380-392

Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes

People will believe an action or outcome is valuable when they are led to believe that other people are doing it (or believe so)

Social proof

Gamification

When members self-set or are assigned highly challenging goals their contribution increases (DC 13 CH2)
Although many people use self-imposed goals as a source of self-regulation, research has shown that the goals people develop for themselves are not necessarily more powerful than goals assigned to them by an outside agent

Goal setting and contribution in online communities

Integrating assessment into learning by having not just the instructor, but the students' peers evaluate their work. This incorporates and fosters several key learning behaviors, such as self-assessment, collaboration, and peer honesty.

Peer Assessment

When leadership is shared amongst the community and authoritative demands are feasible for any member, contribution tends to increase when leadership-like messages are sent by non-administrators/leaders. Allowing non-admin to send leadership-based messages may increase contribution from other members of the community through increased motivation.

Encouraging Contribution in Online Communities through Shared Leadership

Implementing transactional and person-based rather than aversive leadership styles is beneficial to the contributions of other non-leaders. When they feel a sense of support, connection positive encouragement from their leader, they are more likely to contribute than with negative, punishment-based leadership styles.

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