Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Publication
    Engaging Minds – How Gamified Chatbots can Support and Motivate Learners in Digital Education
    ( 2024-01-06)
    Dennis Benner
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    Sofia Schöbel
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    Blended and online learning is growing, and self-regulated learning is becoming more relevant. Most often, students struggle with organizing their own learning processes, lose focus or procrastinate. Keeping learners motivated and engaged can be a real challenge. Therefore, we present gamified chatbots as a potential solution. On the one hand, chatbots can provide a more engaging learning experience. On the other hand, gamification can provide motivational incentives to keep learners engaged and motivated. So far, not many studies have elaborated on how gamification can be effectively used to make a chatbot interaction more engaging or improve the learning experience. This study uses an experimental approach to distinguish how a combination of badges and a progress bar can support and motivate learners to stay engaged with their learning activities. We elaborate on the effects of gamified chatbots and support practitioners with guidance on how to design gamified chatbots in education.
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    Gamification of Online Training and its Relation to Engagement and Problem-solving Outcomes
    ( 2019-08-09)
    Schöbel, Sofia
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    Hopp, Jennifer Christin
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    Online training to teach students problem-solving skills is becoming increasingly important. However, due to the complexity of such training, it is challenging to keep learners motivated and engaged in the learning process. One concept that can be used to motivate and engage learners is gamification. Gamification is about using game elements in non-game contexts. Research is lack-ing on which determinants of gamification promote engagement and improve problem-solving out-comes in learning. Therefore, the goal of our study is to analyze how gamification can impact engagement, problem solving outcomes and their related constructs such as motivation in IT-based training. To achieve our goal, we conducted a randomized experiment by creating a gamified online training program to teach students how to construct and develop value proposition canvases. The results of our study indicate that engagement is a central construct for explaining the effects of gamification on problem-solving outcomes. Our results contribute to theory by explaining the meaning and role of motivation, engagement, and their influence on the problem-solving skills learned by the students. We contribute to practice by offering suggestions regarding the design of online training programs and how to make them more motivating and engaging to learners.
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    A Configurational View on Avatar Design – The Role of Emotional Attachment, Satisfaction, and Cognitive Load in Digital Learning
    ( 2019-12-14)
    Schöbel, Sofia
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    Mishra, Abhay Nath
    In online learning settings interactive and meaningful feedback is becoming increasingly important. However, feedback from teachers is oftentimes missing in online learning settings. To overcome challenges that arise from the missing representation of teachers, our study analyzes the relevance of avatar designs in learning settings. We therefore rely on avatars as game design elements and analyze how their design can influence emotional attachment, learning process satisfaction, and extraneous cognitive load in learning. To achieve our goal, we conduct a qualitative comparative analysis with 998 datasets that were collected in a 2x2x2 pre-post online experiment that was developed to train participants in learning functions in Excel. Our results indicate that interaction, familiarity, motivation, and aesthetic experiences are important configurations for avatars that are used in learning. We contribute to different streams of theory such as self-expansion and guide practitioners by providing implications about how to create meaningful avatar designs for learning applications.
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    Avatar Designs are in the Eye of the Beholder – About Identifying Preferred Avatar Designs in Digital Learning
    ( 2018)
    Schöbel, Sofia
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    Gamification focuses on using game-like elements in non-entertainment-based contexts. An example for a game element is an avatar. Although lots of research has focused on analyzing avatars in gamification, little is known about which kind of avatar design users prefer. Especially avatars in gamification that are used as tutors or mentors for learning purposes do not spark the interest of users. Thus, the goal of our paper is to analyze the kinds of avatar designs users of digital learning environments such as learning management systems would prefer. For that purpose, we use a best-worst scaling approach to analyze if the familiarity and shape of avatars determine user preferences in gamification. Our research will contribute to research and practice as it delivers implications about how to design avatars in gamified learning systems. We will enrich theory by getting a better understanding about the general meaning of user-centered avatar designs in gamification.
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    Is it all about Having Fun? - Developing a Taxonomy to Gamify Information Systems
    ( 2018)
    Schöbel, Sofia
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    Gamification is a well-known approach that refers to the use of game design elements in information systems to make monotonous and tedious tasks more enjoyable. However, research and practice show that game design elements are oftentimes chosen and integrated in information systems randomly, therefore impeding the outcomes of such systems. In this regard, taxonomies can guide system developers, i.e., in selecting and combining game design elements to gamify their information system. Nonetheless, existing taxonomies do not provide such guidance for gamifying information systems. Therefore, the goal of our research is to consolidate the state of the art of gamification research and rigorously develop a gamification taxonomy. To achieve our goal, we conducted a systematic literature review and developed a taxonomy based on a rigorous taxonomy development process. We evaluate our theory by providing evidence of its feasibility with two practical cases: First, we show how the taxonomy helps to analyze existing gamification approaches, and, second, how the taxonomy guides to gamify information systems. Overall, we enrich theory by introducing a new taxonomy to better explain the meaning and characteristics of game design elements. Likewise, practitioners will be guided in selecting and combining game design elements for their gamification approaches.
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    KoLeArn – Smarte und kontextsensitive Aus- und Weiterbildung für die chinesische Industrie
    ( 2018)
    Thiel de Gafenco, Marian
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    Schneider, Tim
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    Krömker, Detlef
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    Schroeder, Ulrik
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