Gamifying Teacher Students’ Learning Platform : Information and Communication Technology in Teacher Education courses

Abstract

This paper presents initial results from a study exploring teacher students’ experiences related to the gamification of an online learning platform in higher education. The aim was to get an understanding of the participants’ views regarding the use of game elements and to examine the user type profile of this group in order to explore the potential of applying user types in planning gamification solutions for teacher students. The participants’ overall experience of having game elements as part of their course platform was principally positive. User types students presented were investigated using the Hexad scale adapted from game design: in this user group, Socialiser and Philanthropist were the predominant types while Disruptor was by far the least common one. In terms of learning tasks, the participants expressed being motivated particularly by tasks with a strong creative focus. The findings inform us about the directions to take in the development of suitable solutions for supporting teacher students’ motivation in online and blended learning.