The Effects of Gamification on Learners’ Engagement According to Their Gamification User Types

Personalization of gameful environments, such as game-based and gamified learning environments, has garnered significant attention in contemporary discourse. However, the outcomes remain inconsistent, with positive, negative, or no effects. At the same time, most research has been limited to using traditional gamification strategies (e.g., those involving points, badges, and leaderboards). To tackle this issue, we examined how ecological gamification (i.e., a gamification design strategy based on the gamification elements chance, imposed choice, economy, rarity, and time pressure) influences students’ sense of engagement (i.e., focused attention, perceived usability, aesthetic appeal, and reward), according to their gamification profiles (i.e., Philanthropist, Socializer, Free-spirit, Achiever, Player, and Disruptor). A quasi-experimental investigation was conducted with 104 participants interacting with a gamified learning management system. Data were examined via partial least squares structural equation modeling. Our findings were twofold, revealing that (1) ecological gamification had a significant impact on Disruptors’ perception of usability and (2) on the Players’ feelings of being rewarded. The study highlights the importance of aligning gamification design with user types to maximize its effectiveness, providing insights into how ecologically designed gamification can personalize gamified educational platforms, optimizing usability and engagement.