Effectiveness of Gamification in Open and Distance Learning in Nigeria

The effectiveness of gamification in open and distance learning (ODL) in Nigeria was investigated in this study, with particular attention paid to effectiveness of gamification in enhancing ODL institutions and influence of gamification on learners ’ motiva tion. The study was guided by two research questions. ODL undergraduate enrolled at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) as of January 2025 made up the study's population. Through a multi stage selection process that involved four randomly sele cted study centers from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, 800 respondents in total were selected. The Gamification Effectiveness in Distance Learning Questionnaire (GEDLQ), which was used to gather data, was deemed reliable by experts and has a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.86. Google Forms was used to gather data from the respondents. Mean and standard deviation of the descriptive statistic and multiple regression of inferential statistic at 0.05 level of significance were used to address the research ques tions. Gamification is a potent teaching technique that boosts student motivation, promotes engagement, and cultivates contentment with online courses , according to the findings. A moderately good link between gamification aspects and learners' motivation was shown by the overall high mean scores and a R value of.465. According to the study's findings, gamification can significantly enhance learning results, engagement, and student happiness at Nigeria's ODL institutions when it is skilfully included into instructional design and in line with institutional quality frameworks