Balancing fun and function: How gamification designs and family communication shape continuous usage in online learning platforms

Online learning platforms are increasingly integral to K-12 education, but face persistent challenges with high dropout rates. While gamification is widely employed to boost engagement, there is limited research on the underlying mechanisms through which different gamification designs influence students' continuous usage intentions (CUI). This study addresses these gaps by investigating how achievement, social, and immersion gamification designs impact perceived hedonic (PHV) and utilitarian values (PUV), which in turn influence CUI. It also explores the moderating role of conversation-oriented family communication pattern (CFCP), a critical but understudied factor in K-12 education. Using a mixed-method approach that combines moderated mediation analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study surveys 212 users of online learning platforms in central China. Results show that achievement and immersion designs are positively related to CUI through PHV, while achievement and social designs are positively related to CUI via PUV. Moreover, high CFCP strengthens the positive relationship between achievement and immersion designs on CUI via PHV, but weakens the relationship between achievement and social designs on CUI via PUV. These findings provide valuable insights for online learning platform designers and educators, offering guidance on how to tailor gamification strategies to improve student engagement and retention.