Design and Evaluation of an Engagement Framework for e-Learning Gamification

Recently, gamification in education software development to improve student engagement and performance has become prevalent. Gamification is used to counter attrition and dropout issues in e-learning. A handful of methods are presented for the gamification of e-learning systems in the literature. However, the e-learning gamification methods proposed in the literature lacked consistency. The number and types of game elements used in the methods are varied. In addition, there is a lack of an engagement framework that can be used in applying game elements to e-learning systems. Therefore, this paper provides insights into gamification and how it is used in e-learning systems. Then, the study proposes and evaluates an engagement framework that can be used to guide developers on how to add game elements to e-learning to improve student engagement and performance. The framework consists of three components: game elements, learning activities, and engagement factors components. Two experts evaluate the engagement framework via a semi-structured interview. The evaluation results indicate that developers can efficiently and effectively use the framework to gamify e-learning systems for improved student engagement and performance.