Gamification Gamification User Types and Preferred Game Characteristics Amongst Student Teachers

Abstract

The teaching community has been struggling to engage learners, whether it be a traditional classroom setting, a completely online platform or a blended learning

environment. One innovation that has shown to increase motivation and gener- ate situational interest in individuals is gamification of learning. ‘Gamification’

is defined as the “use of game elements in non-game contexts” for the purpose of making a service or product more enjoyable and engaging as online games have demonstrated intense user-motivation for sustained durations. This study targets student teachers in Finland to identify the predominant gamification user types amongst them as well as their preferred game elements. It analyses and presents results from two different pilots carried out under the ADeAPTIVE project. The study involved a total of 130 student teachers at the

University of Jyväskylä. The ADeAPTIVE team carried out both pilots with stu- dent teachers in the context of a university course on ICT in education, which

was offered on Moodle platform. Data from questionnaires was analysed using SPSS 27 and quantitative content analysis. The results show Philanthropist and Socializer to be the predominant user

types amongst student teachers. In addition, most student teachers reported chal- lenge, achievement and audio-visuals of the game to be the preferred characteristics

that make gamification experiences worthwhile, leading to sustained interest and hence improvement in learning. The results of this study can potentially be used to create personalized gamified experiences, and in-turn improve engagement and motivation of learners in teacher education programmes to facilitate better achievement of learning outcomes.