Applying gamifications to asynchronous online discussions: A mixed methods study

Engaging students in online discussions is challenging. This paper presents a mixed methods study using a gamification approach to promote student engagement in online discussions. A total of 70 students were enrolled in this study from an asynchronous online undergraduate level political science course. The study findings suggested that the gamification approach only had positive effects on the students' number of comments and performance in online discussions who were more aware of the gamification approach. However, it appears that the gamification approach failed in promoting students' sense of community. Additionally, students' responses to the interviews and open-ended questions revealed similar results, although more students in the gamified group indicated that the online discussions forced them to think hard. The limited influence of the gamification approach in the current study may be attributed to several factors that related to the facilitation of the gamification approach, the types of badges, and technical issues. Implications and suggestions for future research have been discussed.