Gamification in higher education : factors influencing the usage intensity of a gamified E-learning application

By applying typical game design elements to non-game settings, gamification aims to improve the user experience in terms of fun and engagement. Derived from a growing interest for this phenomenon in the educational area, this study aims to investigate the influence of Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, and Perceived Enjoyment on the Usage Intensity of a gamified e-learning application. In an attempt to do so, an application called InStaQuest was designed using gamification principles and then implemented into a university statistics course for a duration of eight weeks. Data was gathered by means of an online survey as well as through the application itself. Results from a multiple linear regression analysis indicate that the aforementioned constructs together were not capable of explaining the Usage Intensity construct. Effort Expectancy, representing the ease of using the application, did show a significant association with Usage Intensity. This study then seeks to find an explanation for these results, followed by several recommendations for future studies.