The Impact of Gamification on Student Engagement in Online Learning Platforms: The Moderating Role of Learning Motivation

Abstract

The rapid development of online learning systems has made learner engagement a top priority. While the effectiveness of online education continues to be stifled by low engagement and high rates of dropout, gamification has gained traction as a solution. This work assesses the use of gamification in online learning systems and the correlating roles of learning motivation and student engagement. A quantitative, descriptive-analytical methodology was employed to capture primary data from 250 people, determined through purposive sampling, and who were active users of various online learning systems (i.e., Coursera, Udemy, Unacademy, BYJU’S, and upGrad). The analysis was performed via IBM SPSS Statistics and JASP and was comprised of Reliability Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Pearson Correlation Analysis, and Simple Linear Regression. The analysis indicated high reliability for the three constructs (Cronbach's Alpha > 0.90), and the CFA indicated satisfactory construct validity for Gamification, Student Engagement, and Learning Motivation. Strong, positive, and statistically significant relationships among the three variables were confirmed (p < 0.001) and were reinforced by Learning Motivation and Student Engagement (r = 0.804). Gamification was positively and significantly (p < 0.001) associated with Student Engagement (β = 0.807, R² = 0.652). The results of the analysis indicated that Student Engagement is positively and significantly influenced by gamified features of online learning systems. This study provides practical recommendations for instructional designers and online learning system providers.