Exploring Design Concepts to Enable Teachers to Monitor and Adapt Gamification in Adaptive Learning Systems: A Qualitative Research Approach

There is growing interest in applying gamification to adaptive learning systems to motivate and engage students during the learning process. However, previous studies have reported unexpected results about student outcomes in these systems. One of the causes of these unfavorable effects is the lack of monitoring and adaptation of gamification design when students do not achieve the expected objectives during the learning process. Based on this, this paper explores twenty design concepts to enable teachers to monitor and adapt the gamification design of adaptive learning systems. This research uses the speed dating method with fifteen teachers to validate these concepts in a consistent way with the “gamification analytics model for teachers.” According to this model, teachers can define interaction goals, monitor students’ interaction with learning resources and gamification elements, and adapt the gamification design by creating missions to help students achieve defined interaction goals. The results of this research indicate that teachers found it valuable and relevant to visualize students’ interaction with gamification elements, such as missions and levels, to help them understand their students’ status. In contrast, they poorly evaluated the visualization of students’ interaction with the trophies. Teachers also highly considered creating customized missions for a student or a specific group to help students engage and achieve the desired learning goals. The teachers’ opinions on the design concepts provide relevant insights to support them in the monitoring and adaptation phases of gamification in adaptive educational systems.