Analysis of the relationship between student profiles and the results obtained in a university course gamification study

The objective of this study was to understand the ways that different personality traits of students affect their gamification experiences within the university educational context. The effectiveness of implemented gamification within the aforementioned context was also measured. A required class in the industrial engineering course was gamified in order to conduct this research. The effectiveness average of the gamification in engaging students was 83% and increased motivation among students in the classroom was also observed in the results. Cluster analysis verified that students with the best performance in the gamified course were those who exhibited medium high levels of personality traits linked with conscientiousness, extroversion, and openness to experiences. The results highlight the value of gamification and the need to move from the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to more personalised applications. This study provides guidelines to designers who might seek to employ a personalised gamification approach to improve individual performance.