Would You Like to Share? The Influence of Gamification in the Virtual Learning Community

Virtual learning communities filled with rich gamification elements are convenient for learners. Exploring the impact of gamification in virtual learning communities has become an important topic. However, the impact of different types of gamification elements on users varies. The impact is not only positive but also negative. In addition to learning behavior, users’ sharing behavior is also important for improving learning efficiency and community activity and deserves to be investigated. Therefore, this study combines the technology acceptance model and privacy paradox theory to discuss the two-sided effects of three types of gamification elements (achievement, social, and immersion) on users’ perceived benefits (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and perceived risks (perceived privacy risks) in virtual learning communities, as well as the role of these effects in fostering users’ sharing intentions and behaviors. In this study, 483 respondents’ data were collected from 11 virtual learning communities for PLS-SEM analysis. The findings indicate that achievement and social elements positively influence perceived usefulness and ease of use, while immersion elements are related only to perceived ease of use. Social factors had a positive effect on perceived privacy risk. Furthermore, perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly influenced sharing intentions and behaviors, while perceived privacy risk had a negative impact. This study distinguishes between different gamification elements in virtual learning communities and constructs a model of the two-sided effect of gamification on user sharing, which complements previous studies and provides practical insights for community managers. Graphical Abstract