Thesis project · UX/UI
User experience of gamified learning apps
My bachelor thesis: a UX study of how beginner and experienced programmers experience two gamified apps for learning programming, and a gamified prototype that responds to what they said.
The robot mascot in the prototype was generated with AI.
- Context
- Bachelor thesis, Creative Computing, FH St. Pölten
- Year
- 2024
Goal
The research question: how does the user experience of gamified learning apps differ between beginner and experienced programmers? I was especially interested in how the game elements themselves are experienced.
Process
A qualitative, comparative case study with exploratory elements, grounded in gamification and motivation theory such as self-determination theory and flow theory.
- Two apps with many game elements and programming content were chosen: Mimo and Brilliant.
- Ten participants: five beginners (less than six months of experience) and five experienced programmers (more than a year and several projects).
- For three to four weeks they used both apps on mobile and desktop, without rewards for taking part.
- A four-part questionnaire with closed and open questions, followed by semi-structured interviews.
- Analysis of the answers and interviews, and a click dummy designed from the findings.
Result
Beginners found points, badges, leaderboards and daily streaks motivating, but some felt Mimo was too simple and would not let them skip lessons they already knew, while Brilliant became too hard at times: the difficulty did not match their level. Experienced programmers valued the interaction and the structure but found the content too basic; they preferred learning through projects, though some saw game elements as a way to revisit forgotten topics. The conclusion: gamified apps work well to motivate beginners, but as a complement to deeper learning. They need adaptable learning paths, a balance between game mechanics and depth, premium content that does not break the flow, and a bridge to real tools such as Visual Studio Code.
The click dummy
Each feature answers something the participants raised:
- A short questionnaire to calibrate the starting level, because the tested apps did not adapt to it.
- Learning through small projects, which many participants preferred.
- A choice of programming languages.
- A learning path that can be customised, with themes.
- A less gamified template for people who prefer fewer game elements.
- Different playgrounds and ways of answering the questions.