The Use of Gamification in Distance Education: A Web-Based Gamified Quiz Application

Öz

One of the basic challenges in distance education is motivational issues that distance learners encounter because of the factors such as separation in time and space from teachers, other learners, and learning sources. In an effort to minimize this drawback and increase learners’ participation into learning processes by motivating distant learners, new approaches such as gamification have been integrated in distance education. Gamification is one of the motivational approaches to meet this need.  Gamification is defined as the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game situations to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. Within this perspective, this study intends to explain the use of gamification by examining, SoruKüp, a gamified web-based quiz application designed for the use of distant learners. Within this context, the research used holistic multiple-case design which is one of the qualitative research model. The research data was collected through interviews with participants who used SoruKüp application and the data was analyzed using content analysis technique. Within the perspectives of the research, it has been argued that gamification in distance education enhances the learners’ motivation, contributes to the sustainability of the learning process, and makes the learning process more fun.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Gamification,gamification design in e-learning,gamified web-based applications,motivation,open and distance learning

Uzaktan Eğitimde Oyunlaştırma Kullanımı: Oyunlaştırılmış Web Tabanlı Bir Alıştırma Uygulaması

Öz

Uzaktan eğitimdeki temel zorluklardan birisi, öğrenenlerin zaman ve mekân bağlamında öğretenlerden, diğer öğrenenlerden ve öğrenme kaynaklarından ayrılması gibi faktörlerden dolayı karşılaşılan motivasyonel durumlardır. Öğrenenlerin motivasyonunu artırarak bu engeli en aza indirmek ve öğrenenlerin öğrenme süreçlerine katılımını artırmak çabasıyla, oyunlaştırma gibi yeni yaklaşımlar uzaktan eğitime entegre edilmiştir. Oyunlaştırma bu ihtiyacı karşılamak için kullanılan motivasyon yaklaşımlarından birisidir. Oyunlaştırma oyun unsurlarının ve dijital oyun tasarım tekniklerinin insanları motive etmek ve sürece dahil etmek için oyun dışı durumlara uygulanması olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Bu bakış açısıyla ele alındığında, bu çalışma uzaktan öğrenenlerin kullanımı için tasarlanmış web tabanlı bir eğitsel uygulama olan SoruKüp'ü inceleyerek oyunlaştırmanın kullanımını açıklamaktır. Bu bağlamda çalışma nitel araştırma modellerinden bütüncül çoklu durum çalışması kullanılarak desenlenmiştir. Araştırma verileri SoruKüp uygulamasını deneyimlemiş kullanıcılarla görüşme yapılarak toplanmış ve veriler içerik analizi yöntemi ile çözümlenmiştir. Araştırma bağlamda uzaktan eğitim süreçlerinde oyunlaştırmanın öğrenen motivasyonunu arttırdığı, öğrenme sürecinin sürdürülebilir olmasına katkı sağladığı ve öğrenme sürecini daha eğlenceli hale getirdiği görüşü ortaya çıkmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Açık ve uzaktan öğrenme,e-öğrenmede oyunlaştırma tasarımı,motivasyon,oyunlaştırma,oyunlaştırılmış web tabanlı uygulamalar

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