Gamification Journey Framework

In developing the Narrative Gamification Framework for Education, we employed the Design Science Research model to create a comprehensive solution for professionals in the field. The goal was to design an artifact that would enable educators to incorporate interactive narratives in gamification for a more engaging learning experience.

We followed six steps to develop and evaluate the framework:

Problem identification and motivation: We identified the need for a systematic model to create interactive narratives for gamification in education.

Objectives of a solution: Our aim was to develop, test, and validate a narrative-based content gamification framework for higher education students.

Design and development: We conducted exploratory research and brainstorming sessions to create the framework, iterating through multiple versions and refining its design based on feedback from other researchers.

Demonstration: We created a case study and provided documentation in accessible language for domain experts to evaluate the framework’s efficacy.

Evaluation: To evaluate the framework’s general sense, ease of use, and effectiveness, we recruited participants from various backgrounds, including teachers, instructors, game designers, and psychologists. These experts were provided with the framework documentation to read and use if they wished, before participating in a semi-structured interview, consisting of three parts: demographics, quantitative validation (where participants were asked to evaluate, from their perspective, whether the framework addressed each of the 19 game design elements outlined in Mora’s Framework Scale Validation (Mora, 2015), and open-ended questions, aiming to gather the participants’ opinions on the framework’s clarity, usability, and effectiveness. Through this evaluation process, we were able to gather valuable insights from domain experts to ensure the Narrative Gamification Framework for Education is practical, user-friendly, and effective in achieving its goals.

Communication: The research findings and the framework’s utility and novelty are being communicated through a full paper.For this particular project, I worked alone and assumed all the roles in the design process, following the full design cycle (empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test).