Development of a Gamification Application for Computational Thinking With Gameful Experience Featur

This research aims to develop and evaluate a gamified learning application designed to enhance students’ computational thinking skills through Gameful Experience features such as EXP, levels, and challenge-based progression. The system was assessed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and a Gameful Experience Questionnaire to evaluate user perceptions and engagement. Findings indicate that students and lecturers perceived the system as both easy to use and useful. Perceived Ease of Use significantly influenced Perceived Usefulness (path coefficient: 0.43), which in turn positively affected Behavioral Intention (0.71). However, Actual Use showed weak reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.231) and a low path coefficient (0.25), revealing a gap between user intention and real usage. The Gameful Experience results highlight strong approval for elements like Accomplishment (84.44%), Playfulness (84.17%), and Competition (80.28%), with high reliability (e.g., Competition α = 0.859). In contrast, Guided Experience (78.06%) and Immersion (71.67%) scored lower due to incomplete instructions or missing content. In conclusion, the application successfully engaged users and supported learning motivation through gamification. While technical and instructional refinements are needed to improve actual usage consistency, the system demonstrated strong potential for supporting computational thinking education.