The Effect of Gamification Design of Online Learning Platforms on User Learning Performance

The popularity of online learning platforms reflects a growing trend in meeting educational needs. While gamification design offers a novel approach to attract and retain learners on these platforms, its impact on learning performance remains unclear. Drawing on flow theory, we developed a model to study how the gamification design of learning platforms affects two types of learning performance: learning outcomes and cognitive engagement. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two online experiments (2 (competitive gamification design vs. noncompetitive gamification design) × 2 (cooperative gamification design vs. noncooperative gamification design)) with 205 valid participants. Our findings demonstrate that both competitive and cooperative gamification designs can positively affect users' perceptions of challenge and attention. In addition, we found that perceived challenge is positively related to learning outcomes, while perceived attention is positively related to cognitive engagement. Our analysis also indicates that perceived challenge mediates the relationship between gamified design and learning outcomes, while perceived attention mediates the relationship between gamified design and cognitive engagement. This study contributes to the growing body of research on the effect of gamification design on user learning performance and offers practical implications for incorporating gamification design into online learning platforms.