Table 3 Gamification approaches

General approaches

1. Deterding et al. (2011a, 2011b)

This research study founded the MDA model which based on elements of mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics

2. Zichermann and Cunningham (2011)

Zichermann and Cunningham (2011) complemented the MDA model with other game elements such as: challenge, imagination, curiosity and control

3. Werbach and Hunter (2012)

A gamification model for gamified system development called the 6D model refering to its six interrelated steps beginning with the letter D: define business objectives, delineate target behaviors, describe your players, devise activity loops, don't forget the fun, deploy appropriate tools

4. Nicholson (2012)

A user-Centered Theoretical Framework for designing Gamification

5. Chou (2015)

A gamification framework called Octalysis which is based on eight motivational drivers arranged in an octagonal shape. The elements of the Octalysis model that are in the right part represent are related to intrinsic motivation, as opposed to the elements on the left side, which relate to extrinsic motivation (Bernik, 2021). The elements at the top of the system are considered to be positive motivators that encourage the improvement of knowledge and skills through meaning and various incentives, whereas the elements at the bottom of the system are considered negative motivators that encourage bad emotion and should be minimized when planning and implementing the system (Bernik, 2021)

6. Andrade et al. (2016)

A framework for intelligent gamification (FIG) structured in three layers: gamification layer, tutor layer and data layer.

 It is important to note that this model is not approaching the content side of gamification. In this sense the gamification in this framework is a layer independent of the pedagogical objectives proposed by the tutor. This model is based on the following steps: information gathering, operation, assessment and adaptation

7. Morschheuser et al. (2017)

A method for designing gamification was developed which is the antecedent version of the one proposed in Morschheuser, Hassan et al. (2018)

8. Morschheuser et al. (2018)

A comprehensive detailed method for developing gamified software with a set of design principles

9. van Roy and Zaman (2017)

This paper forms a guide for researchers, educators, designers, and software developers in fostering a promising future generation of gamified systems

10. Ryan and Deci (2000)

This paper provides a framework called SDT (self-determination theory) for examining human motivation through its focus on innate psychological needs (competence, autonomy and relatedness) and the environments fostering or undermining motivation

11. Hunicke et al. (2004)

This paper presents the MDA framework (standing for Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics) a formal approach developed and taught as part of the Game Design and Tuning Workshop at the Game Developers Conference, San Jose 2001–2004

12. Alcivar and Abad (2016)

A method for gamifying ERPs (enterprise resource planning systems) was suggested

13. Cechetti et al. (2019)

A gamification method for promoting engagement in user’s treatment with the use of health-related systems

14. Aparicio et al. (2012)

A method for analysis and application of gamification as a tool to assist the participation and motivation of people in carrying out various tasks and activities

15. Enders (2013)

Guidelines for the design of gamified eLearning (can be also applied for training employees in companies so it remains general) systems, using gaming elements like points, achievements, badges, leaderboards, levels and challenge

16. García et al. (2017)

The paper proposed a framework for gamification in software engineering. This framework is composed of the ontology, a methodology for guiding the process and a support gamification engine. In a case study a company used the framework to gamify the areas of project management, requirements, management and testing

Gamification approaches for general learning systems

1. Simões et al. (2013)

A social gamification framework for K-6 learning platform which applies to students from 6 up to 12 years old (K-6). This framework allows teachers to create challenges tailored to students’ level of knowledge; set up different ways to achieve an objective by creating multiple intermediate goals; provide feedback or immediate feedback that allows progress to a new task; to the proper game mechanics to the activities; consider failure as a part of the learning process; enable students to assume different identities and roles; enable recognition of the students’ progress by peers, teachers and parents; and use competition to promote valuable behaviours

2. Kim and Lee (2015)

This study proposed a Dynamical Model for structural and content Gamification of Learning (DMGL) after reviewing and comparing different models: Game Design Features (GDF), Key Characteristics of a Learning Game (KCLG), ACRS Model and MDA Framework to define four main factors of the proposed model, namely, challenge, fantasy, control and curiosity. In the DGML model, control is considered as the core characteristic. The relation between other factors is defined by authors: curiosity needs to be higher than the challenge. With time, motivation will be reduced, therefore, the ratio of the Challenge and the fantasy has efficient range and the proportion between them must be maintained in order to take the advantage of the educational effectiveness

3. Kapp (2012)

A book that provides broad guidelines for effective gamifying of learning and instruction

4. Llorens-Largo et al. (2016)

This paper provides lessons learned from a broad experience in using games and gamification in learning, and after several years of continuous feedback from students, on how to approach the task of gamification

5. Wendy Hsin-Yuan Huang (2013)

This paper is a report that represents a practitioner’s guide to gamification of learning programs

6. Wongso et al. (2014)

Proposed a conceptual framework design, based on Web 2.0 technology and gamification. The authors offered a guideline for implementing gamification and Web 2.0 technology in e-learning systems. Their framework includes the phases of analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation

7. Böckle et al. (2018)

A design framework for developing adaptive gamification applications

8. Knutas et al. (2019)

A design process was proposed which is based on machine learning algorithm and personalized content selection.The process is based on Deterding’s framework for gameful design. The paper states that their novel contribution is demonstrating how both a personalization strategy and an algorithm creation process can be used to augment existing design processes, with the algorithm allowing automating the choice of personalization strategies and tasks. In this framework, there are seven design steps:

1. Define gamification strategy

2. Research

3. Select personalization strategies

4. Synthesis

5. Ideation

6. Distill rules into an algorithm

7. Rapid prototyping

9. Bennani et al. (2021)

An approach was proposed which is a personalized gamification model based on ontologies. Focusing on the online process of the approach, three activities are included in the process, namely, data collection (to capture explicit data that consists of students’ information and implicit data by proposing tests to students: player type test, intelligence type test, level test), data exploration (this sub-process is composed of Knowledge representation, Student profiling and Adaptation Recommender) and data reasoning

10. Rivera and Garden (2021)

A new Gamification Framework for Student Engagement was created and implemented allowing practitioners to systematically apply game attribute(s) to a learning experience to implement gamification for purposeful impact on student engagement outcomes in higher education

11. Duggal et al. (2021)

An intelligent open-ended (irrespective of course and the program being studied) gamified framework based on machine learning

12. Zhao et al. (2022)

An innovative gamification framework, called the NEWTON-enhanced gamification model (N-EGM), which was designed as part of the European Horizon 2020 project NEWTON

13. Lavoué et al. (2019)

A design process for adapting gaming features to learners’ player types based on a player model inspired from existing player typologies (this study used the BrainHex typology) and types of gamification elements. The model functions using the principle of recommender systems, by estimating the preference for a feature by a weighted sum of personality traits. Concretely, The model is based on matrix factorization of the matrix representing users’ profiles and the one representing the way in which gaming features match given player types

14. Park et al. (2019)

A design science framework which includes five iterative stages:

1. Problem definition,

2. Identification of desired outcomes,

3. Gamification design,

4. System development,

5. Evaluation.

This model relies on Malone's theory of intrinsically motivating instruction and defines three categories of motivational drivers that are relevant to learning: challenge, curiosity and fantasy. This framework was implemented in practice to create the GAMESIT environment, a gamified system for information technology training

15. Zaric et al. (2020)

A framework for the design of a gamified personalized learning environment called PeGam for: Personalized Gamification Design Model. This framework is based on user-centered gamification (Nicholson, 2012), and suggests five conceptual elements to be considered: the purpose of personalization, personalization criteria, personalized game elements, personalized gamified intervention, intervention evaluation

16. Toda et al. (2020)

A design method for gamifying learning systems using the Design Sprint method and by instantiating the taxonomy proposed by (Toda, Oliveira et al. 2019)

17. Towongpaichayont (2021)

A guideline for designing classroom gamification is proposed which includes:

1. identify the pillar roles of the classroom

2. identify expected pain points in the classroom,

3. identify expected overall aesthetics and the purposes of including gamification into the classroom,

4. design mechanics in the class,

5. pick the right elements and tools for the classroom, and

6. Iterative monitoring and adjustments

18. Rodríguez et al. (2022)

A dynamic adaptive gamification method which takes players’ profiles as initial information and also considers how these profiles change over time based on users’ interactions and opinions

Gamification approaches for e-learning systems in higher education

1. Urh et al. (2015)

A model for introduction of gamification into e-learning environments in higher education that consists of the following main elements: management of e-learning, important factors in e-learning, elements of user experience, phases of development (analysis, planning, development, implementation, and evaluation), game mechanics, game dynamics, gamification elements in e-learning and their effects on students.

This study considers the management of e-learning as an important part of the model. The proposed model considers multiple elements for user experience: project management, user research, usability evaluation, information architecture, user interface design, visual design, interaction design, content strategy, accessibility and web analytics.

2. Mi et al. (2018)

A systematic incentive model was proposed for motivating students to learn code readability in software engineering, with the combination of both intrinsic (crowdsourcing) and extrinsic (GDEs: points, badges, leaderboards) motivators. This method was implemented as an online platform GamiCRS for students to learn code readability

3. Huang and Hew (2018)

A gamification design model was proposed based on aspects derived from five motivation theories, namely, flow theory, goal-setting theory, social comparison theory, self-determination theory and behavior reinforcement theory. This model is called the GAFCC design model to goal-access-feedback-challenge-collaboration. In order to implement the model in practice, the paper recommends following the five-stage gamification design procedure of examine, decide, match, launch, and evaluate.

4. Carreño (2018)

A framework for the design of personalized gamification services. The framework, called FRAGGLE (FRamework for AGile Gamification of personalized Learning Experiences) is based on the use of the Agile methodologies to obtain a fast design ready for testing and being able to iterate. This framework is structured in four phases:

1. Declaration,

2. Creation,

3. Execution,

4. Learning.

In the declaration phase which serves mainly for information gathering, four main key concepts must be sequentially declared: problems, causes (of the previously identified problems; it can be carried out by the “Five Why” technique), user stories (description of the desired outcomes which consist of objectives) and acceptance tests (expected concrete behaviors in the form of when…, then…).

At the creation stage, the appropriate design components are defined: players, game mechanics, stages (discovery, on-boarding, mid-game, and endgame), actions (description of desired and undesired performances) and triggers (to give response to user actions).

In the execution phase, the learner interacts with the developed system. Information about behavior and user’ interactions must be tracked in order to promote the developed system in the future versions. The learning phase serves to test the effectiveness of the developed activities

5. Kamunya et al. (2020)

An adaptive gamification model was developed to guide and implement adaptivity within e-learning platforms. Its key elements are: The Adaptive gamification engine, Management of the E-learning platform, Adaptive game elements techniques and dynamics and adapted gamified course. This work is based on a previous proposed model in the literature (Urh, Vukovic et al. 2015), with a focus on learner individuality

6. Legaki et al. (2020)

A gamification approach was developed, called: Horses for Courses based on guidelines offered by prior studies. The study is scenario-based, and four gamification affordances were identified from the literature to be implemented in the Horses for Courses application namely, points, levels, leaderboards, and challenges

7. Alsubhi and Sahari (2020)

A conceptual gamification framework to guide developers in the process of incorporating game elements into LMS systems; The framework consists of three components: game elements or gamification components; learning activities; and student engagement components. Game elements, which influence learning activities, are thus grouped and subsequently mapped to the corresponding activities

8. Winanti et al. (2020)

A gamification framework for higher education, especially for programming language courses. The proposed framework contains the main activities:

1. Participant identification.

2. Objective identification.

3. Implementation.

4. Learning evaluation;

9. Bencsik et al. (2021)

A gamification model was proposed based on literature review, containing two main phases:

 Phase 1: planning the process: The logical process of this model contained 4 main steps: Familiarization, Acclimatization, Immersion, and testing.

 Phase 2: ‘persona generation’: describe participant motivation

10. Fajri et al. (2021)

A gamification model was proposed to be used in blended learning in higher education, using 2 mechanisms: feedback mechanism (points, badges, rewards) and presentation mechanism (Progress bar, Leaderboard)

11. Alsubhi et al. (2021)

An engagement framework for guiding developers when gamifying e-learning systems within the higher education context. This work is based on the previous version (Alsubhi & Sahari, 2020)

12. Yamani (2021)

A conceptual framework for gamification integration in eLearning systems based on the instructional design (ID) model. The stages of this framework are managerial process, analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation

13. Al Ghawail et al. (2021)

A gamification model in the e-learning environment in the Libyan higher education context, presented in terms of ADDIE, these five key elements of the ADDIE model include: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

14. Sofiadin and Azuddin (2021)

A gamification framework for higher education to assist institutions in designing a gamified e-learning that supports and enables a sustainable education. The key elements of this framework are teaching and learning principles, technology, applications and security & ethics

15. Júnior and Farias (2021)

A Quality Model for Gamified Software Modeling Learning (example: UML modeling), called ModelGame. It serves as a reference framework intended for higher education institutions teaching software modeling

16. Bernik (2021)

A conceptual model called eRIOOS intended to higher education for gamifying educational e-courses at higher education institutions. The aim of this research was to standardize the gamification elements that can be used in educational e-courses at higher education institutions

17. de la Peña et al. (2021)

A gamification model for university-level distance learning, where game choice is based on skill type and the learning objectives to be attained. The proposed model is composed of the following steps:

1. Choice of the course to be gamified in the subject

2. Set the parameters of the course

3. Choice of gamification technique

4. Development of the course

5. Roll out

6. Results and validation

7. Lessons learned