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Overcoming the novelty effect in online gamified learning systems: an empirical evaluation of student engagement and performance

Overcoming the novelty effect in online gamified learning systems: an empirical evaluation of student engagement and performance

Tsay, Crystal Han-Huei ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4959-0411, Kofinas, Alexander K., Trivedi, Smita K. and Yang, Yang (2019) Overcoming the novelty effect in online gamified learning systems: an empirical evaluation of student engagement and performance. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 36 (2). pp. 128-146. ISSN 0266-4909 (Print), 1365-2729 (Online) (doi:10.1111/jcal.12385)

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Abstract

Learners in the Higher Education context who engage with computer-based gamified learning systems often experience the novelty effect: a pattern of high activity during the gamified system’s introduction followed by a drop in activity a few weeks later, once its novelty has worn off. We applied a two-tiered motivational, online gamified learning system over two years to a total number of 333 students. In a mixed methods research design, we used three-years’ worth of longitudinal data (333 students for the treatment group and 175 in the control group) to assess students’ engagement and performance in that period. Quantitative results established that students engaged and performed better in the gamified condition vis-à-vis the non- gamified. Furthermore, students exhibited higher levels of engagement in the second year compared to the first year of the gamified condition. Our qualitative data suggests that students in the second year of the gamified delivery exhibited sustained engagement, overcoming the novelty effect. Thus, our main contribution is in suggesting ways of making the engagement meaningful and useful for the students thus sustaining their engagement with computer-based gamified learning systems and overcoming the novelty effect.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: novelty effect, gamification, student engagement, student performance, computer-based learning system, meaningful
Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Greenwich Research into Innovative Pedagogies (GRIP)
Last Modified: 04 Dec 2021 01:38
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/25375

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