Computer programming learning: how to apply gamification on online courses?

Abstract

Gamification has attracted the attention of researchers from different areas such as marketing, health, sports, and education. Gamification integrates elements of game design in non-game context, with the purpose of engaging a person in a particular activity. This integration should follow a formal and precise design process. However, these gamification design processes for specific contexts are not still defined. This article presents a proposal for a gamification framework for online distance courses to learn how to program. This framework is composed of the following dimensions: target audience, general goals, learning outcomes, topics, contents, gamification, cognitive absorption, flow, and personality. This article also presents a review of the existing literature on these dimensions. The theoretical framework is a contribution to guide teachers in the gamification of online programming learning courses.