Context. SE is a growing field in both academia and industry, online SE education becomes more and more prevalent recent years. Massive Open Online Courses, as an emerging type of open educational resource, provide SE courses a much wider development space. But on the other hand, MOOCs limit SE courses because its low completion rate. Game elements are used to address this issue, but the impact of game elements on completion rate of specific MOOCs and SE courses in MOOCs are not clear. It is necessary to find whether and how game elements could help students finish SE courses. Explore the method and idea of improving SE courses in MOOCs through game elements. Objectives. In this study authors investigate what game elements are applied in SE courses in MOOCs platforms, evaluate the impact of MOOCs game elements on SE courses completion situation. Based on the analysis and summary of the data and result, propose suggestion to improve SE courses. Methods. Authors conduct a systematic literature to find the game elements used in SE courses in MOOCs. Conducting the survey to get the data of the MOOCs game elements on completion situation in general and data of survey is analyzed by mathematical statistics. The interview is used to find how the game elements of MOOC and SE education simulation impact on learning SE courses on MOOCs by inductive content analysis. Results. In systematic literature review, 23 studies are selected from 358 papers of six databases. Forty-one responses of questionnaires are received and twenty interviewees take part in this study. Authors find that game elements have been applied in MOOCs in various ways and research results about effort of game elements are positive. In this study, the results of analyzing the received data in survey show that there is no significant impact of game elements on course completion rate. The interview shows that specific game element is necessary for students finishing their courses and some game elements are not well designed in students’ perspective. Two specific suggestions to improve SE courses are proposed according to survey and interview result. Conclusions. This research collects data through SLR, survey and interview, and evaluates the impact of game elements on SE course completion situation through analysis, comparison and summary. The result is helpful to people who design and develop the game elements in MOOCs platform. Focusing on the character of SE education and SE courses, some suggestion of designing and modifying the game elements are provided. This enables the game elements designer to target designing and arranging game elements better.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur några specifika spelelement kan användas för att öka användares engagemang för att lämna in förbättringsförslag relaterat till deras arbetsplats samt hur användningen av dessa spelelement påverkar användarupplevelsen inom denna kontext. Detta undersöktes kvalitativt utifrån två frågeställningar där undersökningsdeltagarna fick utföra användartester av en icke-spelifierad och tre spelifierade webbapplikationer för inlämning av förbättringsförslag relaterat till arbetsplatsen samt besvara frågor om användarupplevelsen och engagemanget vid fyra intervjutillfällen.   Av de tre spelelementen berättarröst, förloppsindikator och feedback som undersökts har samtliga påvisats öka användarnas engagemang för inlämningen av förbättringsförslag. I denna undersökning var spelelementet feedback mest engagerande, följt av spelelementet förloppsindikator och slutligen spelelementet berättarröst. Samtliga undersökta spelelement har överlag gett användarna en positiv användarupplevelse. Berättarrösten förmedlade vikten av uppgiften och fick användarna att uppleva att de var en del av någonting större. Förloppsindikatorn visade vad varje användare presterat och utmanade användarna till att lämna in fler förbättringsförslag och till att nå de uppsatta målen. Det upplevdes positivt att nå mål och användarna upplevde även att detta gav en känsla av avslut. Spelelementet feedback gav inspiration och fick användarna att känna sig sedda och som en del av en gemenskap. / The aim of the study is to examine how a few specific individual game elements could be used to increase users’ engagement to submit improvement suggestions related to their workplace as well as how the use of these game elements impacts the user experience within this context. This was examined qualitatively through two research questions where the research participants had to perform user testing on one non-gamified and three gamified web applications for submission of improvement suggestions related to the workplace as well as answer questions about the user experience and engagement at four interview occasions.   Out of the three game elements narrative, progress bar and feedback that have been examined have all proved to increase the users’ engagement for the submission of improvement suggestions. In this study was the game element feedback found to be most engaging, followed by the game element progress bar and lastly the game element narrative. All examined game elements have overall given the users a positive user experience. The narrative conveyed the importance of the task and made the users experience that they were a part of something bigger. The progress bar showed what each user performed and challenged the users to submit more improvement suggestions and to reach the defined goals. It was perceived positively to reach goals and the users experienced that it also gave a sense of completion. The game element feedback gave inspiration and made the users feel seen and as a part of a community.