Using game elements to increase students’ motivation for providing peer assistance

Abstract

Abstract Peer assistance is a support system where people of equal status help each other solve problems. It is also a recognized method within education where students support each other with their assignments. The positive effect of peer assistance is well known, and it would be favorable if more students participated and took on the role as peer-teachers. To increase the activity of peer assistance, several incentives can be used, including game elements. In “Using game elements to increase peer assistance among university students”, (Nordengen & Brinch, 2016, p. 1) tried to predict which game elements would provide the best solution in a peer assistance application. By introducing game elements in a mobile application designed to facilitate peer assistance, and measuring the changes in peer assistance frequency, this thesis has made an attempt to validate this prediction. In the course of this study, there was a significant increase in peer assistance among the participants, but the only probable cause found for this increase is the added focus this study has put on peer assistance itself. To uncover other causal relationships, further studies are required. Keywords peer assistance, game elements, gamification, motivation, mobile application, 21st century skills