Date of Award

Fall 2024

Language

English

Embargo Period

12-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Education Theory and Practice

Program

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Peter Shea

Committee Members

Jianwei Zhang, Reza Feyzi Behnagh

Keywords

online learning, gamification, graduate education, teacher education, self-determination theory, instructional technology

Subject Categories

Educational Technology

Abstract

Gamification has emerged over the past ~10-12 years as a popular design approach to problems of motivation in online or blended learning, with a particular emphasis on distinguishing between extrinsic motivation driven by points, grades, class rank, etc, vs. intrinsic motivation driven by personal values and interest in the curriculum. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) forms the theoretical basis of much of this literature, yet the mediating constructs of learner self-regulation and autonomous vs. controlled regulatory styles, which describe the processes by which extrinsic motivators like game rewards or curriculum requirements are integrated with intrinsic goals, are under-addressed. This has led to a disconnect between extrinsic design interventions proposed by teacher/researchers and motivational outcomes for learners.

This case study describes the development of a gamified course designed to support autonomous self-regulation for online students. Introduction to Games for Learning was an elective topic survey offered through a fully online graduate education program. IGL was gamified to emulate a choose-your-own-path style adventure game, with students choosing between multiple alternative assessments within each topic area and earning recognition and game rewards for completing extra work within a preferred assessment ‘guild(s)’ or content ‘level(s).’ Game mechanics were designed to embody a mix of autonomy-supportive and controlling teaching practices that have been identified in prior SDT research.

Students were surveyed to measure individual regulatory styles and relative preference for autonomous or controlled choices, then those results were compared against final ‘player profiles’ which described individual goals and choices that emerged through interacting with the gamified course mechanics. Although no significant relationship was found between regulatory style and course outcomes, clearly distinct patterns of engagement did appear in the player profiles. Feedback surveys and follow-up interviews with participants indicated a strong perception of autonomy-support, which facilitates the integration of extrinsic course requirements with intrinsic learning goals and leads to improved learning motivation and self-regulation.

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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