DISTRIBUTION OF HEXAD GAMIFICATION USER TYPES AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEMS D. Şenocak, K. Büyük, A. Bozkurt Anadolu University (TURKEY) Abstract The advent of online technologies resulted in a capacity increase in open and distance learning (ODL) and enabled learning at scale; however, this increase has been followed by a decrease in learner motivation and high dropout rates within the system. In order to increase learner motivation and decrease the side effects of learning at scale, gamification, using gameful designs in non-game settings, is offered as a solution. To this end, the aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of the Hexad gamification user types and their relations with intrinsic motivation within the context of ODL. The study applied a correlational research design using quantitative research methodology, and the study sample included 2292 distance learners. The findings showed that the most common user types are Philanthropists, Achievers, and Free Spirits, followed by Socializers and Players, with Disruptors being the least common user types. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between intrinsic motivation and five of the user types (Socializers, Achievers, Free Spirits, Philanthropists and Players), whereas there was a negative relationship between intrinsic motivation and Disruptors. Keywords: open and distance learning, distance education, gamification, gameful design, gamification user types, intrinsic motivation. 1 INTRODUCTION Open and distance learning (ODL) emerged from the idea of providing accessible education for everyone, regardless of social and economic status and geographic location (Chakravarty, 2017). Furthermore, the rapid change in information and communication technologies (ICT) has led to an increasing interest in ODL worldwide (Fırat, 2016). ODL removes the barriers of access to higher education by offering flexible opportunities, a wide variety of programs (North, Richardson, & North, 2014), low costs, and easy access to large amounts of information (Subramanian, 2016). Owing to the ongoing growth of ODL, a remarkable number of student enrollments has been seen in the first quarter of the 21st century. However, studies have shown that only a very small proportion of learners (less than 10%) complete the courses offered in the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) learning system (Hone & Said, 2016; Stracke & Tan, 2018). Due to the autonomous and flexible learning structure of ODL environments, distance learners are expected to organize their time and tasks strategically and to have self-regulated learning skills (Kocdar, Karadeniz, Bozkurt, & Büyük, 2018). Moreover, it has been observed that higher learning motivation in ODL plays a key role for learners in terms of boosting their academic performance and maintaining their interest (Fırat, Kılınç, & Yüzer, 2018). It is here that gamification can be considered as the best approach to fostering learner motivation and engagement (Pilkington, 2018), motivating self-regulated learning (Garcia, Falkner, & Vivian, 2018) and enhancing learner achievement (Wilson, 2015). Gamification, through the use of game design elements in non-game environments (Deterding et al., 2011; Werbach & Hunter, 2012) has become a buzzword in many fields, including education, where its use has helped to promote the learners’ engagement and sustainable learning (Taspinar et al., 2016; Barna & Fodor, 2017). Although many studies in the field of education have emphasized that gamification can foster learners’ motivation and engagement, lead to positive behavior changes and affect their academic performance in a positive way (Jo, Jun, & Lim, 2018; Huang & Hew, 2018; Kim, Rothrock, & Freivalds, 2018), it may not work for every system (Werbach & Hunter, 2012). Its effects differ according to context and the users on whom it is applied (Hamari, Koivisto, & Sarsa, 2014). Therefore, it is important to examine different users’ motivations to ensure that the most effective gamified systems, ones that are compatible with users’ personal traits, aims and behaviors, are designed. Proceedings of ICERI2019 Conference 11th-13th November 2019, Seville, Spain ISBN: 978-84-09-14755-7 1011 Şenocak D., Büyük, K., & Bozkurt, A. (2019). Distribution of HEXAD gamification user types and their association with intrinsic motivation in open and distance learning systems. In Proceedings of 12th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI2019) (pp. 1011-1017), 11th-13th November. Seville, Spain.