The Role of Perceived Usefulness and Ease of Use in Online Gamification: A Conceptual Study Using Gamification Acceptance Model (GAM) in Higher Education

To examine the effectiveness of gamification techniques in improving student engagement using the Gamification Acceptance Model (GAM) and to address the lack of awareness and uncertainty among educators regarding students’ acceptance of online gamification. A probability sampling method with proportionate stratified sampling is used to select participants. A quantitative approach is adopted, using a survey to collect data, which will be analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (Partial Least Squares). The study is expected to provide insights into students’ attitudes toward online gamification and demonstrate that gamification can be an effective tool for enhancing learning through play. Specifically, Gamification Perceived Usefulness (GPU), influenced by Gamification Ease of Use (GEOU), is anticipated to be significant in shaping students’ acceptance of gamified learning. The findings could serve as a metric for evaluating students’ acceptance of gamification and guide educators in creating effective game-based learning strategies. However, the study is limited to students from a single course and campus, which may limit the generalizability of the results. This study contributes to the growing body of research on gamification in higher education by applying the Gamification Acceptance Model (GAM) as a robust framework. It highlights the potential of online gamification to enhance student engagement and provides practical insights for educators to design more engaging and personalized learning environments.