Affective Gamification: Understanding Student Behaviors and Tones in Online Discussions Using Award Badges

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Learning and Communities in Online Education

Abstract

The gamification of learning by using game design elements, such as badges, has gained popularity in recent years. In the current study, we apply gamification strategies to asynchronous online discussion environments as a means of stimulating discursive activity. Two types of data were gathered: i) measures of learner activity; and ii) measures of the linguistic and emotional tone of online discourse. The findings revealed significant increases in student activity levels after the introduction of badges, and an associated change in the tone of students’ written text. Results from this study contribute to a growing body of knowledge regarding the effective application of gamification supports in online courses.

Authors

• Preeti Raman, University of Toronto

• Jim Hewitt, OISE/University of Toronto

• Paul C. Alexander, University of Toronto

• Lesley Wilton, York University