Supporting Student Engagement Through the Gamification of Learning Activities: A Design-Based Research Approach

The application of gamification for educational purposes has been widely reported with mixed results. Successful application, in most cases, is subjective and failures or mistakes are often downplayed when in reality, there is much to be learnt from these (failed) attempts. Despite the unique nature of each context and target audience, transferable principles that guide implementation are present and should be reported. This study applied a design-based research approach which offers a contextually sensitive, theoretically driven approach to the design and refinement of educational interventions. Through iterative implementations and qualitative data collection, over a 2-year period, we report on the process and outcome of gamifying the learning activities in an Industrial Psychology module to facilitate student engagement. The primary contribution of the study are proposed design principles for practitioners and researchers based on the lessons learned in this process. These highlight key considerations for applying gamification to support student engagement.