Abstract:
In the modern era, education plays a critical role in shaping the younger generation, and the evolution of e-learning platforms has transformed how students acquire knowledge. Despite significant advancements, many e-learning systems struggle to maintain student engagement due to their lack of interactive and motivating features. This is especially the case for learners in the elementary school level since they require learning activities that they find enjoyable. This thesis is concerned with the development of a gamified e-learning system that seeks to address some of the major problems facing students. Thus, the concept of gamification was introduced in the system by including such features as points, levels, challenges, leaderboards, and interactivity to enhance learner’s motivation and performance. The development process included the analysis of other e-learning platforms, the application of gameful design heuristics, and feedback from the experts. The research methodology was designed with these major components: First, the analysis of elementary students learning achievements and activity after the creation of a gamified e learning system. For comparison, the students were first grouped into a controlled group and an experimental group. Secondly, the students were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire that would estimate their understanding of the game mechanics, Engagement and overall satisfaction. It was identified that the effectiveness of gamification in improving the learning experience was positive. Findings revealed that the gamified e-learning system significantly improved student engagement, satisfaction, and learning performance when compared to traditional methods. This study provides valuable insights into the application of gamification in e-learning, emphasizing its potential to enrich elementary education.
