Online Gamified Learning Platforms (OGLPs) for Participatory Learning

Abstract

Nowadays, students, especially whose majors are practical subjects such as tourism and hospitality in tertiary education, are not interested in ways of learning knowledge through classroom learning. Online Gamified Learning Platforms (OGLPs) are helpful for tertiary education and adult learning, especially for courses involves practical skills. This research aims to identify factors that have significant impacts on tourism and hospitality students to choose OGLPs as their learning tool. This research is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. According to the conditions of OGLPs, a new variable ‘perceived playfulness’ is added and also combined with other theory with variables ‘knowledge improvement’, ‘engagement’, and ‘immersion’. 272 valid data were collected through questionnaires survey. Data analysis was performed by adopting SmartPLS. The results of the research implied that knowledge improvement, engagement, and immersion influence expectancy of performance and effort. The study has verified the applicability of UTAUT with concepts of fun and learning on studying the tools for gamified learning and participatory learning approaches. It also offers some recommendations for developers of OGLPs to optimize the design of OGLPs as well as a new model for studying the gamified learning and participatory learning approaches.