Assessment and Modulation of Student Behavior through Persuasive Design

The education system has existed for centuries. However, despite the rapid change in our technology, lifestyle and needs in the workforce, it has failed to adapt accordingly. The current system relies heavily on industrial-age values where students are expected to follow instructions and are stripped of their agency rather than being encouraged to actively participate in their learning process. As a result, students end up lacking motivation and engagement. Persuasive design focuses on influencing human behavior to improve long-term engagement through various mechanisms. Here, we have embedded the design in the form of gamification elements into the classroom mechanic to aid in the assessment and modulation of student behavior. "ExP", a points-based incentive system tied to all aspects of the classroom mechanics was designed to work in tandem with existing student behavior. Accurate balancing of the system effectively grants students agency and allows more clarity in their classroom interactions and stratagem. The study assesses the effectiveness of the system in improving the academic performance of Diploma-level students. A group of 21 repeating students was observed for an entire semester. A paired sample t-test using SPSS was performed to draw the results. The final exam scores indicates a significant difference in the scores before (M=42.52, SD= 3.82) and after (M=50.14, SD=11.23) the implementation the gamification system with p=0.004. It can be concluded that the incorporation of persuasive design in the form of gamification has potential to significantly improve students' academic performance.