Overview[edit | edit source]
Studying is challenging in itself. The demands on students are high and a continuous effort is required to fulfil academic obligations. If additional obligations arise, such as care work, bringing up children, caring for relatives or employment, these multiple burdens often lead to excessive demands. The additional tasks not only require a significant investment of time but also demand considerable emotional and physical resources, thereby intensifying the stress experienced.
As part of the course Engineering for Equity Think Tank at Technische Universität Berlin, an app concept is to be developed that uses gamification to help students to complete their studies in a structured way without neglecting their mental health. The implementation of a points system is an effective method of encouraging users to engage with and actively develop their understanding of the learning material.
Gamification refers to the use of game elements in non-game situations. (Deterding et al., 2011)
In 2011, Zicherman and Cunningham named points, level rankings, badges, challenges/ quests, onboarding and engagement as the seven basic elements of gamification. These elements serve as rewards and are intended to fostering user loyalty to the application and help users pursue their tasks more consistently.
As there was little previous knowledge of programming and the commissioning of a professionally created app would exceed the available budget, it was decided to create the prototype of the concept as a spreadsheet. This spreadsheet was intended to visualise and test the basic functions and data structures of the planned app.
An Excel file containing the basic elements of the mobile application to be developed was created as a prototype. This makes it possible to test the functionality and usability. The data sheets were protected for the use case so that only the authorised cells can be interacted with. This is intended to prevent formulae from being changed inadvertently.
Functions of Campus🌟Champ[edit | edit source]
The timetable[edit | edit source]
The timetable is a central element. In addition to courses at the university, it should be possible to enter additional blocks for private appointments, work and learning units. This enables students to see briefly how much time they have available for their studies.
Course view[edit | edit source]
The individual courses each have their own view. In addition to the basic data such as venue and time, examination date and type, the "learning content" section is another central element of Campus Champ. Here, students can record the individual learning units of the courses and enter their learning progress in self-assessment. Points can be collected in this way.
The points system[edit | edit source]
Points are a fundamental element of gamification, as they represent a key motivation for users and bind them to the app. To ensure a comparison within a learning group that can be considered fair and comparable a maximum number of ten points per course was introduced, which are calculated as a percentage of the overall progress in the course. In addition, points were introduced for special university commitment and weekly activity points, which can be achieved through a conscious lifestyle.
Achievements (badges)[edit | edit source]
Achievements or badges are symbolic rewards for achieving certain requirements, which are awarded to users. In addition to a motivational element, they also function as a social element, as users have the opportunity to compare and share their badges.
Competition[edit | edit source]
The identified competitors can be divided into two categories. On the one hand, there are applications that deal with the organisation of studies. Another field of application in the study and general learning context is the creation and exchange of learning content. Although all competitors demonstrated satisfactory functionality, none met the established criteria for designation as Campus Champ. Consequently, despite the wide range on offer, the concept of Campus Champ remains a viable proposition, and further development is warranted.
Implementation[edit | edit source]
You can find the template for Campus Champ here: https://tubcloud.tu-berlin.de/s/cfDmGzopW7dkxrR.
To view and read further documentation please see the attached German paper.
Learnings[edit | edit source]
Although no app was programmed, creating the prototype was a challenge. Although previous knowledge of the spreadsheet applications used was available, it was not sufficient to realise all the desired functions.
Particularly at the beginning, many ideas were worked on in parallel, which sometimes led to excessive demands. A project plan could have helped to work in a more structured way.
Changing the spreadsheet programme used and the associated adjustments also led to avoidable additional work.
Working as an individual on a project in an area with little prior knowledge was challenging. An exchange with team members would have been helpful here. The exchange with other participants in the module took place and brought new perspectives. The prototype should have been made available at an earlier stage. This meant that little feedback could be taken into consideration.
Outlook[edit | edit source]
At the moment, I have no personal ambitions to continue the project beyond the duration of the course. However, I am available if there are any interested groups who would like to implement or utilise the concept.
References[edit | edit source]
Deterding, S. et al. (2011). Gamification. In CHI 2011 Workshop Gamification: Using Game Design Elements in Non-Game Contexts.
Zichermann, G. und Cunningham, C. (2011): Gamification by Design. Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps. Sebastopol: O’Reilly Press.
