Browsing by Subject "Gamification"

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    Open Access
    The role of gamification in shaping the brand loyalty of Generation Z consumers
    (2025) Weits, Elkin; Ferreira, Caitlin
    The study investigated the role of gamification in shaping the brand loyalty of Generation Z consumers in the South African context. Generation Z is known to be a demographic that is digitally savvy and wants innovative brand interactions. The study examined different brands that adopted gamification and created brand loyalty, consumer engagement, and the extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors that drove brand interactions among South African Generation Z consumers. The study was guided by the self-determination theory by Ryan and Deci (2000) which looks at intrinsic motivation through the psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. The research employed a qualitative approach whereby 15 South African Generation Z participants were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The study also adopted a phenomenological design to capture the lived experiences of South African Generation Z with gamification in their brand interactions. The study used a thematic analysis to extract insights from the engagement, loyalty and motivational drivers of South African Generation Z from their lived experiences with gamification. The findings of the study revealed that gamification fosters emotional, behavioural and cognitive engagement with brands, which shapes brand loyalty. Extrinsic motivation through monetary value from gamification were primary drivers of motivation, while competence, relatedness and autonomy were drivers of intrinsic motivation. The study concluded that gamification strategies of brands can enhance both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of Generation Z. Brands therefore have to adopt tangible rewards with intrinsic motivators to sustain engagement with Generation Z consumers. The research contributes to the literature of gamification and brand loyalty, in an underexplored South African Generation Z market. The study offers practical insights for practitioners to leverage gamification to meet the unique consumer preferences of Generation Z, and serves as a foundation for future studies on gamification and marketing in South Africa.
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    Open Access
    Using game design elements in Moodle to enhance student engagement at a Mozambican University
    (2025) Tivane, Claudino Dias Luis; Ng'ambi, Dickson
    The modern educational technologies have brought significant positive changes but are also posing challenges for teachers and students within universities. The introduction of technologies such as Learning Management Systems (LMSs) and the entrance of digital natives into universities are contributing to the rapid integration of innovative educational practices, such as online learning. Online learning has gained traction in the new social reality, essentially after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced universities to adopt new means to deliver education during global isolation. However, despite its increasing popularity, to engage students in online learning remains one of the challenges faced by today's university teachers. Various teachers adopt online learning, whether compulsory or voluntary, without adequate preparation and indicative guidelines to support in designing online learning. This often leads to low student online engagement and suboptimal learning outcomes. The aim of this study is to propose ways of using game design elements in Moodle to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in higher education. Moodle is currently the most widely used open-source LMS for delivering online courses in numerous countries, including Mozambique. When Moodle is well implemented, it can effectively support the education process and lead to enhanced student learning outcomes. This platform allows teachers to incorporate elements, such as game mechanics and other attractive components, to promote student engagement. The integration of game mechanics into a non-game environment, referred to as gamification, is gaining popularity in the education sector. This study applies a Mixed Methods Case Study Research (MMCSR) approach to explore how to integrate gamification in the Moodle platform for supporting in enhancing student engagement and learning results. It begins with a contextual analysis and literature review for an in-depth understanding of the problem and designing the intervention at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), in Mozambique. The intervention consists of design principles informed by the Laurillard's Conversational Framework for applying gamification in the Moodle platform to motivate student engagement. Overall, three teachers and 112 students from UEM participated in the intervention conducted in this study. The study utilizes qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. The primary data sources were transcriptions of teacher interviews and a file containing responses of the students to the questionnaires. The open-ended questions responses data were coded based on the inductive approach. The QualCoder software is utilized in this study for helping in qualitative data analysis, while the SPSS program is applied in generating the graphical representation of the quantitative data. The findings suggest that the application of gamification elements increases student engagement and enhances learning outcomes. The gamification within the Moodle platform creates an enjoyable and meaningful online learning environment and motivate interactions in three of the five communication cycles in Conversational Framework. The gamification elements, such as points, levels, leaderboards, and immediate feedback stimulate students to engage in learning activities and are particularly support in facilitating the teacher communication cycle (TCC), teacher practice cycle (TPC), and teacher modelling practice (TMC), leading to enhanced learning outcomes. The study also shows that integrating gamification elements increase teachers and students' satisfaction towards the use of the Moodle platform, as well as their intention to continue using it.