Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

A Meta-review of Gamification Research

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Diversity, Divergence, Dialogue (iConference 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12646))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 2046 Accesses

Abstract

Gamification has gained significant attention from academia and industry in the recent decade. Correspondingly, there has been a prolific publication record on gamification research. This research aims to explore a landscape view of gamification research through a meta-review, a systematical assessment of a collection of gamification literature reviews. The meta-review addresses four research questions on (1) literature review scope, (2) application domains, (3) review types, and (4) review foci in 48 reviews published from January 2018 to June 2020. This research contributes to a high-level overview of the state of development in the gamification field. It also demonstrates a process of conducting meta-reviews.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., Nacke, L.: From game design elements to gamefulness: defining gamification. In: Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference on Envisioning Future Media Environments - MindTrek ’11, Tampere, Finland, pp. 9–15 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040

  2. Hamari, J.: Transforming homo economicus into homo ludens: a field experiment on gamification in a utilitarian peer-to-peer trading service. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 12(4), 236–245 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2013.01.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Deterding, S., Sicart, M., Nacke, L., O’Hara, K., Dixon, D.: Gamification: using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts, Vancouver, BC, Canada, pp. 2425–2428 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1145/1979482.1979575

  4. Kasurinen, J., Knutas, A.: Publication trends in gamification: a systematic mapping study. Comput. Sci. Rev. 27, 33–44 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosrev.2017.10.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Morschheuser, B., Hassan, L., Werder, K., Hamari, J.: How to design gamification? A method for engineering gamified software. Inf. Softw. Technol. 95, 219–237 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hamari, J., Koivisto, J.: ‘Working out for likes’: an empirical study on social influence in exercise gamification. Comput. Hum. Behav. 50, 333–347 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Suh, A., Cheung, C.M.K., Ahuja, M., Wagner, C.: Gamification in the workplace: the central role of the aesthetic experience. J. Manag. Inf. Syst. 34(1), 268–305 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2017.1297642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Buckley, P., Doyle, E.: Individualising gamification: an investigation of the impact of learning styles and personality traits on the efficacy of gamification using a prediction market. Comput. Educ. 106, 43–55 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.11.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Facey-Shaw, L., Specht, M., van Rosmalen, P., Borner, D., Bartley-Bryan, J.: Educational functions and design of badge systems: a conceptual literature review. IEEE Trans. Learn. Technol. 11(4), 536–544 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2017.2773508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Morschheuser, B., Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., Maedche, A.: Gamified crowdsourcing: conceptualization, literature review, and future agenda. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. 106, 26–43 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2017.04.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Paré, G., Trudel, M.-C., Jaana, M., Kitsiou, S.: Synthesizing information systems knowledge: a typology of literature reviews. Inf. Manag. 52(2), 183–199 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2014.08.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Closs, S.J., et al.: Towards improved decision support in the assessment and management of pain for people with dementia in hospital: a systematic meta-review and observational study. Health Serv. Deliv. Res. 4(30), 1–62 (2016). https://doi.org/10.3310/hsdr04300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Khan, A., Boroomand, F., Webster, J., Minocher, X.: From elements to structures: an agenda for organisational gamification. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 1–20 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1780963

  14. Rozman, T., Donath, L.: The current state of the gemification in e-learning: a literature review of literature reviews. J. Innov. Bus. Manag. 11, 5–19 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Albertarelli, S., et al.: A survey on the design of gamified systems for energy and water sustainability. Games 9(3), 38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/g9030038

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Chan, G., Arya, A., Orji, R., Zhao, Z.: Motivational strategies and approaches for single and multi-player exergames: a social perspective. PeerJ Comput. Sci. 5, e230 (2019). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., Sarsa, H.: Does gamification work? – a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. In: 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Waikoloa, HI, January 2014, pp. 3025–3034 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2014.377

  18. Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S.K.W., Shujahat, M., Perera, C.J.: The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: a systematic review of empirical evidence. Educ. Res. Rev. 30, 100326 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Antonaci, A., Klemke, R., Specht, M.: The effects of gamification in online learning environments: a systematic literature review. Informatics 6(3), 32 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics6030032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Alsawaier, R.S.: The effect of gamification on motivation and engagement. Int. J. Inf. Learn. Tech. 35(1), 56–79 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2017-0009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang, M., Ying, J., Song, G., Fung, D.S., Smith, H.: Attention and cognitive bias modification apps: review of the literature and of commercially available apps. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 6(5), e10034 (2018). https://doi.org/10.2196/10034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. van der Poll, A.E., van Zyl, I.J., Kroeze, J.H.: A systematic literature review of qualitative gamification studies in higher education. In: Rønningsbakk, L., Wu, T.-T., Sandnes, F.E., Huang, Y.-M. (eds.) ICITL 2019. LNCS, vol. 11937, pp. 486–497. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35343-8_52

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Appendix: 48 Reviews Included in the Study

  1. Osatuyi, B., Osatuyi, T., de la Rosa, R.: Systematic review of gamification research in IS education: a multi-method approach. Commun. Assoc. Inform. Syst. 42, 95–124 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kasurinen, J., Knutas, A.: Publication trends in gamification: a systematic mapping study. Comput. Sci. Rev. 27, 33–44 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosrev.2017.10.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Subhash, S., Cudney, E.A.: Gamified learning in higher education: a systematic review of the literature. Comput. Hum. Behav. 87, 192–206 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. de Freitas, S.: Are games effective learning tools? A review of educational games. Educ. Technol. Soc. 21(2), 74–84 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Albertarelli, S., et al.: A survey on the design of gamified systems for energy and water sustainability. Games 9(3), 38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/g9030038

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Facey-Shaw, L., Specht, M., van Rosmalen, P., Borner, D., Bartley-Bryan, J.: Educational functions and design of badge systems: a conceptual literature review. IEEE Trans. Learn. Technol. 11(4), 536–544 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1109/TLT.2017.2773508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. de A Souza, M.R., Veado, L., Moreira, R.T., Figueiredo, E., Costa, H.: A systematic mapping study on game-related methods for software engineering education. Inf. Softw. Technol. 95, 201–218 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2017.09.014

  8. Bozkurt, A., Durak, G.: A systematic review of gamification research. In Pursuit of homo ludens. Int. J. Game Based Learn. 8(3), 15–33 (2018). https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGBL.2018070102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. González-González, C., Río, N.G., Navarro-Adelantado, V.: Exploring the benefits of using gamification and videogames for physical exercise: a review of state of art. Int. J. Interact. Multimedia Artif. Intell. 5(2), 46–52 (2018). https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2018.03.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Magista, M., Dorra, B.L., Pean, T.Y.: A review of the applicability of gamification and game-based learning to improve household-level waste management practices among schoolchildren. IJTech 9(7), 1439–1449 (2018). https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v9i7.2644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhang, M., Ying, J., Song, G., Fung, D.S., Smith, H.: Gamified cognitive bias modification interventions for psychiatric disorders: review. JMIR Ment Health 5(4), e11640 (2018). https://doi.org/10.2196/11640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang, M., Ying, J., Song, G., Fung, D.S., Smith, H.: Attention and cognitive bias modification apps: review of the literature and of commercially available apps. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 6(5), e10034 (2018). https://doi.org/10.2196/10034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Gorbanev, I., et al.: A systematic review of serious games in medical education: quality of evidence and pedagogical strategy. Med. Educ. Online 23(1), 1438718 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2018.1438718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Garett, R., Young, S.D.: Health care gamification: a study of game mechanics and elements. Technol. Knowl. Learn. 24(3), 341–353 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9353-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Dias, L.P.S., Barbosa, J.L.V., Vianna, H.D.: Gamification and serious games in depression care: a systematic mapping study. Telematics Inform. 35(1), 213–224 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.11.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Alsawaier, R.S.: The effect of gamification on motivation and engagement. Int. J. Inf. Learn. Tech. 35(1), 56–79 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2017-0009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Alhammad, M.M., Moreno, A.M.: Gamification in software engineering education: a systematic mapping. J. Syst. Softw. 141, 131–150 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2018.03.065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Treiblmaier, H., Putz, L.-M.: University of Applied Sciences, Upper Austria, P. B. Lowry, and Virginia Tech, “Setting a Definition, Context, and Theory-Based Research Agenda for the Gamification of Non-Gaming Applications. AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction, pp. 129–163 (2018). https://doi.org/10.17705/1thci.00107

  19. Tondello, G., Premsukh, H., Nacke, L.: A theory of gamification principles through goal-setting theory. In: The 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2018). https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2018.140

  20. Tamayo-Serrano, P., Garbaya, S., Blazevic, P.: Gamified in-home rehabilitation for stroke survivors: analytical review. Int. J. Serious Games 5(1), 1–26 (2018). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v5i1.224

  21. Stepanovic, S., Mettler, T.: Gamification applied for health promotion: Does it really foster long-term engagement? A scoping review. In: Twenty-Sixth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS2018), Portsmouth, UK (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Hinton, S., Wood, L.C., Singh, H., Reiners, T.: Enterprise gamification systems and employment legislation: a systematic literature review. Australas. J. Inf. Syst. 23, 1–24 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v23i0.2037

  23. Baptista, G., Oliveira, T.: Gamification and serious games: a literature meta-analysis and integrative model. Comput. Hum. Behav. 92, 306–315 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Rodrigues, L.F., Oliveira, A., Rodrigues, H.: Main gamification concepts: a systematic mapping study. Heliyon 5(7), e01993 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01993

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Hassan, L., Hamari, J.: Gamification of e-participation: a literature review. In: 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, pp. 3077–3086 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  26. van der Poll, A.E., van Zyl, I.J., Kroeze, J.H.: A systematic literature review of qualitative gamification studies in higher education. In: Rønningsbakk, L., Wu, T.-T., Sandnes, F.E., Huang, Y.-M. (eds.) ICITL 2019. LNCS, vol. 11937, pp. 486–497. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35343-8_52

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  27. Antonaci, A., Klemke, R., Specht, M.: The effects of gamification in online learning environments: a systematic literature review. Informatics 6(3), 32 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics6030032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Koivisto, J., Hamari, J.: The rise of motivational information systems: a review of gamification research. Int. J. Inf. Manage. 45, 191–210 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.10.013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Helmefalk, M.: An interdisciplinary perspective on gamification: mechanics, psychological mediators and outcomes. IJSG 6(1), 3–26 (2019). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v6i1.262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Wanick, V., Bui, H.: Gamification in management: a systematic review and research directions. Int. J. Serious Games 6(2), 57–74 (2019). https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v6i2.282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Cheng, V.W.S., Davenport, T., Johnson, D., Vella, K., Hickie, I.B.: Gamification in apps and technologies for improving mental health and well-being: systematic review. JMIR Ment Health 6(6), e13717 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2196/13717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Rozman, T., Donath, L.: The current state of the gemification in e-learning: a literature review of literature reviews. J. Innov. Bus. Manag. 11, 5–19 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Chan, G., Arya, A., Orji, R., Zhao, Z.: Motivational strategies and approaches for single and multi-player exergames: a social perspective. PeerJ Comput. Sci. 5, e230 (2019). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj-cs.230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Albertazzi, D., Ferreira, M.G.G., Forcellini, F.A.: A wide view on gamification. Technol. Knowl. Learn. 24(2), 191–202 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9374-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Aubert, A.H., Medema, W., Wals, A.E.J.: Towards a framework for designing and assessing game-based approaches for sustainable water governance. Water 11(4), 869 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/w11040869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Muangsrinoon, S., Boonbrahm, P.: Game elements from literature review of gamification in healthcare context. J. Technol. Sci. Educ. 9(1), 20–31 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3926/jotse.556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Alomari, I., Al-Samarraie, H., Yousef, R.: The role of gamification techniques in promoting student learning: a review and synthesis. J. Inf. Technol. Educ. Res. 18, 395–417 (2019). https://doi.org/10.28945/4417

  38. Martinho, D., Carneiro, J., Corchado, J.M., Marreiros, G.: A systematic review of gamification techniques applied to elderly care. Artif. Intell. Rev. 53(7), 4863–4901 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-020-09809-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Wang, A.I., Tahir, R.: The effect of using Kahoot! for learning – a literature review. Comput. Educ. 149, 103818 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Tobon, S., Ruiz-Alba, J.L., García-Madariaga, J.: Gamification and online consumer decisions: is the game over? Decis. Support Syst. 128, 113167 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2019.113167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S.K.W., Shujahat, M., Perera, C.J.: The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: a systematic review of empirical evidence. Educ. Res. Rev. 30, 100326 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Alabdulakareem, E., Jamjoom, M.: Computer-assisted learning for improving ADHD individuals’ executive functions through gamified interventions: a review. Entertain. Comput. 33, 100341 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2020.100341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Chow, C.Y., Riantiningtyas, R.R., Kanstrup, M.B., Papavasileiou, M., Liem, G.D., Olsen, A.: Can games change children’s eating behaviour? A review of gamification and serious games. Food Qual. Prefer. 80, 103823 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.103823

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Warmelink, H., Koivisto, J., Mayer, I., Vesa, M., Hamari, J.: Gamification of production and logistics operations: status quo and future directions. J. Bus. Res. 106, 331–340 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.09.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Larson, K.: Serious games and gamification in the corporate training environment: a literature review. TechTrends 64(2), 319–328 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00446-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Khan, A., Boroomand, F., Webster, J., Minocher, X.: From elements to structures: an agenda for organisational gamification. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 1–20 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1780963

  47. Sailer, M., Homner, L.: The gamification of learning: a meta-analysis. Educ. Psychol. Rev. 32(1), 77–112 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Howard, M.C., Gutworth, M.B.: A meta-analysis of virtual reality training programs for social skill development. Comput. Educ. 144, 103707 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103707

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71904215) and the Ministry of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences Council in China (18YJCZH160).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA

    Ping Zhang & Eunmi (Ellie) Jeong

  2. Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, 100081, China

    Jian Tang

Authors
  1. Ping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jian Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eunmi (Ellie) Jeong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Tang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Katharina Toeppe

  2. Renmin University of China, Beijing, China

    Hui Yan

  3. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Samuel Kai Wah Chu

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Zhang, P., Tang, J., Jeong, E.(. (2021). A Meta-review of Gamification Research. In: Toeppe, K., Yan, H., Chu, S.K.W. (eds) Diversity, Divergence, Dialogue. iConference 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12646. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71305-8_30

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71305-8_30

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-71304-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-71305-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics