Social Gamification in Online Accounting Courses and the Impact on Course Engagement

ABSTRACT Online courses have increased in popularity due to the flexibility they allow, especially during the disruption caused by COVID-19. However, they can lack the interaction and engagement that occurs naturally in face-to-face courses. This study examines the impact of social gamification on fostering engagement in online accounting classes. Social gamification is created by allowing students to award points to their peers for making contributions in Slack or MS Teams. We compare engagement metrics in courses with and without social gamification, including posting participation, connections with classmates, and whether courses with greater enrollments experience greater benefits from social gamification. Survey data were also obtained to compare student perceptions of connectedness in online courses with social gamification in face-to-face classes. The study finds that social gamification increases engagement and students’ perception of connectedness. This study provides insight into how technology can combat the isolation and disconnectedness students often feel in online classes.