Gamification: the example of the electronic file
Gamification: A Case Study of the E-File and the Development of Work Processes
The project investigates how gamification elements can be integrated into the fields of Public Management, AI training and operational work processes in order to boost motivation and efficiency. In doing so, it examines and applies psychological, technological and economic principles.
| Project leaders: | Prof. Stephan Jacob, Prof. Stefanie Winter (Faculty of Humanities) & Prof. Friedericke Edel (Faculty of Social Sciences) |
| Duration: | January 2025 to September 2027 |
| Funding body: | Concept: Internal funding; Implementation: Hessian Ministry for Digitalisation and Innovation |
| Participating institutions: |
Gamification refers to the deliberate use of game-like elements – such as experience points, badges, leaderboards or progress bars – in non-gaming contexts. The aim is to make learning and work processes more motivating, efficient and sustainable. Studies show that gamification can help to increase acceptance of complex topics and thereby significantly boost the effectiveness of training programmes or change processes. However, the key to success lies in ensuring a good fit between the gamification elements used, the target group and the context of application. A nuanced and context-sensitive design is therefore essential.
Project progress
Gamification is increasingly being integrated into knowledge management, the education sector and businesses to support motivation, engagement and learning processes, and to make training more effective. Against this background, the research project aims to conduct a systematic investigation of the underlying psychological, economic and technological principles. The aim is to contribute to the development of innovative, practical solutions for real-world applications.
Aim of the project
The aim of the project is to establish gamification as a research discipline at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. The focus is on interdisciplinary applications in the fields of Public Management, artificial intelligence, and organisational and learning environments. The central focus is on developing a theoretical framework for the use of gamification in complex organisational environments, such as the public sector or in businesses. Specific gamification mechanisms will also be investigated and validated with regard to their potential to increase staff motivation, support learning processes and bring about targeted behavioural change. Furthermore, the potential of gamified approaches in the training of artificial intelligence is being explored, particularly with regard to efficiency and adaptability. A further aim is to develop a differentiated taxonomy of player types, so that gamification methods can be tailored even more precisely to target groups and contexts in future.
