From Grades to Gamified Progress: Engagement-Centered Design Iterations in ACATAR (WIP)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56198/gvj4fh93Keywords:
Gamification, Academic Avatars, Higher Education, Immersive Learning, Student EngagementAbstract
ACATAR is an ongoing project that explores how gamified design can support sustained student engagement in higher education without interfering with curricular autonomy or formal assessment. Centered around a persistent 3D academic avatar, the system translates study-related activities into visible progress, expressive customization, and optional playful interactions. Early iterations revealed that while initial novelty effects are strong, sustained engagement quickly declines, positioning engagement itself as the primary design challenge. This paper presents ACATAR as a work in progress and focuses on an engagement-centered redesign that treats motivation as a systems and game design problem rather than a learner deficit. It outlines the project’s core engagement loop and discusses the introduction of time-limited events, streaks, achievements, expressive avatar feedback, and instructor-aligned triggers as mechanisms to support return, continuity, and meaningful interaction.
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