Analysis of the college underachievers’ transformation via gamified learning experience

Abstract

Underachievers - students have poor academic performance, are lazy in behaviour, and hold negative learning attitudes in class. Many studies have shown that the lack of interest in learning is a fundamental reason students become underachievers. With the rapid development of information technology, games have gradually integrated into our lives. Gamification has been applied to stimulate students learning interests and strengthen their motivation by incorporating game design elements in educational environments. This paper first elaborates on the current trends of gamified learning and the transformation of underachievers. Next, this research reviews the theoretical basis and defines the relevant concepts of gamified learning. Then, through questionnaires and interviews, the paper investigates the learning status of the underachievers with the gamified platform – GamiClass based on ADDIE instructional design model and Grasha Learning Styles. A total of 10 underachievers among 76 Raffles University Malaysia Innovation module students were selected for practical analysis. This experiment investigated gamification feasibility and effectiveness in the transformation of underachievers. This research found that gamification could effectively improve the underachievers' learning interest. Game elements such as meaning, onboard tutorial, social pressure and guild/teams are necessary for a gamified learning platform to motivate underachievers in online lesson participation.