Gamification as a Tool for Enhancing University Students’ Campus Adaptation: the YUNIPEER Application

The concept of gamification, though practiced since the early 20th century, gained formal recognition as a field of study in the 2010s, with its potential extending to areas like marketing, sales, and education. Research highlights the effectiveness of gamification in enhancing university students’ adaptation to campus life, addressing challenges they face during their transition phase. Studies show that gamification strengthens social bonds, encourages exploration of campus resources, and positively impacts academic performance. For these reasons, the YUNIPEER mobile application was developed p by incorporating gamification elements to support students in their academic and social transitions. It provides a structured approach to campus orientation, offering insights into best practices within educational technology and student affairs, aiming for smoother social integration and enhanced academic involvement for new students. Furthermore, the usability score of the YUNIPEER has been calculated by applying the Turkish version of the System Usability Scale (SUS-TR) to 112 students. This paper introduces YUNIPEER and provides data about its usability.