Running Head: EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

The Effect of Gamification in Self-Paced e-Learning

Nadia Laubach
University of Massachusetts Boston
INSDSG 604 - Communications

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

Abstract
This paper first examines the meaning of gamification then goes on to explore the effect of
gamification in self-paced e-Learning. While explanations of gamification are abundant and
clear, it was quickly determined that more empirical studies need to be performed on its effect.
While some studies have been performed at various universities, they have acknowledged
various shortcomings (Hamari, Koivisto, and Sarsa, 2015). Therefore, to obtain significant
quantitative and qualitative information on the effects of gamification in e-Learning, this paper
reviews reported results of a vendor organization in a corporate setting. This organization,
Axonify Inc., has collected information from hundreds of thousands of users over the past four
years. Quantitative usage data is reviewed along with qualitative information in the form of
client testimonials.

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

The Effect of Gamification in Self-Paced e-Learning

My current role as a training project manager in an HR training department is coming to a
close after three years. Thus, I'm starting to look for new project opportunities. My clients
typically engage my consulting services in training project management, instructional design,
and\or e-Learning development. As such, I need to stay current in all three areas. Over the past
few years, I've peripherally observed that gamification has been slowly making its way into selfpaced online learning. I've recently realized that gamification in e-Learning is progressing at a
much faster rate. Gamification in self-paced online learning has not only emerged, but it is here
to stay.
As I began to examine gamification I wanted be able to answer the following simple but
important questions:
1. What is gamification?
2. Is it effective in e-Learning?
While gamification has been a trending topic, it is still relatively young in terms of application
and embryonic in terms of published empirical studies. In this paper, I've narrowed the focus to
the effects of gamification on the learner in self-paced online courses. It is widely recognized
that more empirical studies must be conducted in both the corporate and educational setting.
According to Hamari, Koivisto, and Sarsa (2015) studies currently available have recognized
shortcomings such as small sample sizes and the lack of validated measurements to survey
aptitude and ability (called psychometric measurement). Additionally, game affordances (such as
awarding points\badges, providing feedback, achieving levels) were not analyzed separately;
instead, they were studied as a whole. The fact remains that the information obtained from these
studies provide useful guidance to instructional designers who want to implement gamification in
self-paced online courses. The following causal loop depicts these findings:

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

Great loop!
1. Gamification was added to 50% of self-paced online courses in ABC Company.
2. The perception of self-paced online learning is improving and, as a result, interest is
growing.
3. Engagement of the self-paced online learning with gamification increased.
4. The number of these self-paced online courses completed at this organization has
increased by 20% since last year and evaluation results showed high levels of
satisfaction, retention and application.
The result is that we will continue to add gamification to new and existing learning experiences
in self-paced online learning. However, before adding gamification to our courses, we should
consider the context of the information and the audience.

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

What is Gamification?
Karl Kapp obtained his Doctorate of Education in the Instructional Design program at the
University of Pittsburgh and has written several books on gamification. He has also facilitated
workshops and online lessons about this topic. The following is an excerpt of his book,
"Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for corporate
training and education:"
On its surface, gamification is simply the use of game mechanics to make learning and
instruction more fun. It seems fake, artificial or like a shortcut. Its not. Underneath the
surface is the idea of engagement, story, autonomy, and meaning. Games give
experiences meaning, they provide a set of boundaries within a safe environment to
explore, think and try things out. Games provide motivation to succeed and reduce the
sting of failure. (Kapp, 2012, p. 23)
Kapp (2012) further goes on to say that we need to use games in e-Learning instead of presenting
only text, multiple-choice questions with little feedback, and no assessments of acquired
knowledge.
Gaming methods, also called "motivational affordances" (Hamari et al., 2015), include
the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Points
Leaderboards
Achievements\Badges
Levels
Story\Theme
Rewards
Challenge

Hamari et al. also listed "Clear Goals, Feedback, and Progress" as gaming categories. However, I
have found that most of these components are intrinsically included in the seven categories listed

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

above. Furthermore, these additional components have been incorporated in instructional design
for decades, and, in my experience, these components are a critical part of training and
education. Thus, I don't believe that they are categories of gamification. I recognize, however,
that this argument is best left for another discussion. The focus question here is, "are these
gaming methods effective in e-Learning?"
Is Gamification Effective?
While empirical studies of effective gamification in education are limited, there are
proven uses and results in a corporate setting. Axonify Inc., which offers an e-Learning platform
for self-paced online learning to its clients was founded in 2011. Since then, they have provided
e-Learning services to some of the largest organizations in the corporate world. Carol Leaman,
CEO of Axonify Inc., discusses the application of gamification in self-paced online learning in
the article Report card: gamification in learning (what works?). In this article, Leaman (2014)
stated that Axonify "accumulated the largest body of data related to which game mechanics
actually work in the real world of corporate learning." Based on research and experimentation,
Lee & Hammer (2011) indicated that game-like rule systems, player experiences and cultural
roles shape learners behavior, and, therefore, cognitive, social, and emotional impact on learners
must be considered when implementing games in e-Learning.
1. Cognitive - the learner's cognitive abilities are challenged when they are presented with a
set of rules and challenges to navigate, explore, experiment, and discover. As described
by Lee & Hammer (2011), in the video game Angry Birds, players knock down towers by
launching birds out of a slingshot. They experiment to figure out a variety of
characteristics such as the physical properties of materials, the ballistics of the slingshot,
and the structural weaknesses of the towers. When launching birds, they observe the

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

results, then plan and execute their next moves. Basically, they go through the essential
phases of an experiment.
2. Emotional - we know that games invoke fun. Why else do kids want to play games? In
addition to fun, games invoke competitiveness, frustration, and the joy of achievement.
Children don't have to do research or perform studies to know that playing a game can
provide a rewarding and positive experience. Many studies confirm positive impact of
games on a learner's emotion. Reward systems that induce positive emotions include
scoring, points, instant feedback, and achievements (Wang & Sun, 2011). There is a fine
balance, however, in implementing these reward systems. The difficulty of tasks must be
appropriate at each level. It should trigger challenge without too much frustration and
produce rewards at the right times in order to promote motivation to work toward the
next level.
3. Social - Dominguez et al. have identified student interaction as cooperative, competitive,
and social. Due to the nature of self-paced online learning, social and cooperative
interaction with other students is not available; therefore, self-paced online courses
typically include elements such as leaderboards and ranking to promote social
connectedness. This motivates learners to obtain a higher ranking by completing more
tasks. Additionally, learners can view a comparison of their achievement list, and that of
other classmates. Finally, learners can view an overall list of achievements and the
percentage of users tied to them.
In the next section, I have applied these three elements in parenthesis at the end of each
paragraph, to the findings described by Leaman. In her article she stated:
Every day, hundreds of thousands of employees from world-class organizations like
Walmart, Toys R Us, and J&J interact with our gamification elements, resulting in more

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

than 50 million discrete interactions per year! From these interactions, we are able to
extract important information about gamification and its impact on learning. (Leaman,
2014, "Report card: gamification in learning (what works?)," para. 4)
Leaman offers the following lessons learned along with feedback and various metrics from their
user community:
1. Lesson one: Game popularity is a formula. Bryan Hoppe, VP Operations at Pep Boys,
said, The most surprising benefit of Axonify was how well it was received and continues
to be received by our employees. We get well over 95 percent participation in our
Axonify learning, and the game approach is a big part of why employees are sticking
with it (as cited in Leaman, 2014).
a. Game popularity = multi-level (cognitive) + challenge (cognitive) + fun
(Emotional)
2. Lesson two: Game-play variety is critical. Axonify users choose the type of game they
want incorporated in their learning. For example, usage results indicated that "a
Millennial retail associate may prefer Angry Birds-style games, while a Baby Boomer
may be more drawn to Color Fill, a game that combines luck and skill" (as cited in
Leaman, 2014). (Cognitive)
3. Lesson three: Leaderboards drive competition and community. Leaman (2014) indicated
that 100 percent of Axonify users check their leaderboard weekly, and 37 percent check
every single day!
a. Team leaderboards drive competitiveness and social connectedness, creating a
strong sense of community. (Social)

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

4. Lesson four: Tangible rewards are a key to participation and can include everything from
gift cards to compensation time. Results show that Axonify clients using tangible prizes
achieve at least 15 percent more participation than those who dont. Most stunning were
results from the Kaplan Higher Education Group, who utilize the Axonify platform. J.D.
Dillon of the Kaplan Higher Education Group stated, In our Axonify implementation,
were experiencing over 90 percent voluntary participation for those pockets of learners
with achievable, tangible rewards. That contrasts to 40 percent voluntary participation
when learners do not yet have tangible rewards in place (as cited in Leaman, 2014).
(Emotional)
5. Lesson five: Learners appreciate having a coach. Out of hundreds of thousands of people
using Axonify, over 80 percent of them take the time to select a Coach (Leaman, 2014).
The majority selected the term "coach" (someone other than themselves) over "avatar" (a
virtual representation of themselves). The selection of realistic versus cartoony looking
coaches was mixed. (Emotional)
6. Lesson six: Employees like to see their progress. Providing a dashboard that allows users
to chart their progress and self-correct has been utilized by 9 percent of Axonify users
(Leaman, 2014). This population of self-directed learners is most often made up of
emerging leaders making this element of gamification an important component in
corporate e-Learning. (Cognitive and emotional)
7. Lesson seven: Another aspect of social connectivity is a system that provides an online
forum for sharing content. Think "Wikis," "Blogs," or applications like Adobe Connect,
and SharePoint. Most of the learning environments I've worked in over the past 5 years
have been experimenting with online social forums to provide cohorts an environment for

EFFECTS OF GAMIFICATION IN e-LEARNING

10

sharing learned content and discussing experiences. Likewise, Axonify is seeing over 15
percent of users engage socially every day in an online forum, and have stated that they
continue to see an uptick in the number of users daily (Leaman, 2014). (Social)
I selected to do a review of Axonify Inc. results primarily because the data collected more than
exceeds statistical significance in the area of self-paced online learning. Since they started their
business in 2011, they have collected overwhelmingly positive results through usage metrics and
verbal feedback. These findings suggest that implementing gamification in self-paced online
learning has increased learner interest and, more importantly, their engagement.
Conclusion
Several questions were posted on the Learning Solutions Magazine website regarding
Leaman's article regarding how engaging learning experiences impact learning results. Leaman's
response stated "...we actually do correlate participation and individual learning success with
behavior in the workplace that drives financial outcomes. I'd be happy to share more specific
data involving several applications like growth in sales and reduction of OSHA reportable
incidents if you'd like to connect with me directly" (Leaman, 2014, "Report card: gamification in
learning (what works?)," Comments section, para. 18). She went on to say that clients are
naturally reluctant to disclose proprietary company information. However, Leaman referenced
Kim Souza's article, Gaming software helps Walmart logistics improve safety education, culture,
which discusses a significant and specific measurable outcome at Walmart that is a result of
direct knowledge acquisition through gamified e-Learning on the Axonify platform (as cited in
Leaman, 2014).
As with any instructional design, the audience must be taken into account and examined
with respect to the variety\type of games, challenge\levels, and community of learners. When

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games are aligned to the instructional goal and objective, gamification in e-Learning has the
potential to produce successful training outcomes. As previously mentioned, more empirical
studies must be performed, and I'm certain that there are many more ancillary organizations
currently obtaining valuable results on gamifying e-Learning. However, the results examined in
this paper are a clear indication that gamification increase engagement and interest in learning.
Increased participation suggests an enhanced learning experience. This, in turn, increases
knowledge retention and positively affects job performance creating a workforce aligned with
the intended vision of the business.

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References
Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014, January). Does gamification work? --a literature
review of empirical studies on gamification. In System Sciences (HICSS), 2014 47th
Hawaii International Conference on (pp. 3025-3034). IEEE.
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: game-based methods and
strategies for training and education. Publisher Location Info; i.e., Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons.
Leaman, C. (2014, June 23). Report Card: Gamification in Learning (What Works?) by Carol
Leaman: Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
Lee, J. J. and Hammer, J. (2011). "Gamification in education: What, how, why bother?"
Academic Exchange Quarterly 15(2), 146.
Souza, K. (2014, March 18). Gaming software helps Walmart logistics improve safety education,
culture. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
Wang, H. and C.T. Sun. (2011). "Game reward systems: gaming experiences and social
meanings." Proceedings of the 5th Digital Games Research Association, 14-17.