Visual indicators for progress and task completion can help users keep track of their current work, and potentially motivate them to finish tasks if they are receptive / acclimated to such a visual aid.

Progress Bars

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

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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.

Gamification

Muntean, C.I (2011) Raising engagement in e-learning through gamification. 6th Interantional Converence on Virtual Learning. (6) 323-329.

Raising engagement in e-learning through gamification

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

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

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