How game elements are connected to motivational design in gamified geogebra learning environments: identifying design principles using ARCS theory

The overall positive effects of gamification (i.e., the integration of game elements in learning environments) on student motivation are backed by various meta-studies on the matter. However, most gamification studies fail to take the design of the gamification environment into consideration. Not considering the specific gamification design results in a lack of understanding of how specific gamification design strategies should be employed and how these affect the environment’s motivational design in particular. We aim to facilitate a better understanding of how game elements are connected to the motivational design of digital mathematics learning environments and how these game elements should be implemented. To this end, five different gamification variations of a digital learning environment for mathematics were created using the dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra. Afterwards, interviews focusing on the motivational design of these variations were conducted with experts in the field of educational material development (n = 7) and gameful learning research (n = 6). Thematic analysis was conducted using deductive and inductive coding. The deductive coding process was grounded in the framework for design and research of gamified systems, as well as the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) theory of motivational design. Our findings show how different game elements are connected to the motivational design (ARCS) in a gamified mathematics learning environment. Additionally, we present design principles of gamification in digital mathematics learning environments. These insights facilitate a better understanding of the motivational effects of gamification in education and provide expert-derived design recommendations for designing gamified mathematics learning environments using GeoGebra.