Examining How Gamification Shapes Engagement in Online Learning from Instructors’ Perspectives

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session One
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT067 (Wednesday)

Abstract

This study presents findings from a qualitative perspective on how instructors strategically adopt gamification components (Points and Digital badges) to influence student engagement in an online context, and what psychological rationales underlie their instructional design decisions. Anchored in theories of motivation and optimal experience based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates instructors’ pedagogical thinking and emotional investments when implementing gamification mechanisms into their course design to engage students. By highlighting instructors' real-life experiences, this study provides a more human-centered understanding of educational innovation. It challenges the idea that technology alone determines outcomes; instead, it views gamification as an ongoing process of professional and psychological adjustment that functions dynamically based on diverse instructional goals, learning requirements, and cultural contexts.

Author

• Chen Meng, Indiana University