Enhancement of Student User Experience with Online Assessment Systems in Sri Lankan Universities through Gamification Techniques

Abstract

Online assessment tools are considered an essential component in the currently digitized education and teaching environment during the twentieth century and the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Moving beyond traditional response formats, many students who have used online assessment tools in recent years have become demotivated and uninterested in continuing their education. Hence, it has been a challenge in applying the latest online tools towards this strategy to make teaching and education much more appealing for the students. Although studies have highlighted the engagement of students in regard to online learning systems, it is still yet to evaluate the assessment features of the systems, for motivating and engaging students and their learning experiences. The strategy of “gamification” is the process of taking existing software and using gaming techniques to motivate user participation. Gamification in education,which is a newborn concept, provides significant benefits in terms of motivation, user interaction, and social effects. The research employs the primary data collected via surveys and interviews gathered from a sample of local university students at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura who utilized the online assessment user interface within the past three years as undergraduates. The study examines how user experience could enhance with gamified online learning environments. Furthermore, the study provides detailed details on how gamification techniques can be used in an academic environment in order to increase the student’s motivation and predict a higher level of achievement and engagement in them. Moreover, the research provides a thorough discussion of recommendations and a framework for future designers to use when designing a system in the Sri Lankan context with gamification to address the lack of student engagement and increase their motivation.