Evolution of Research on Adaptive Gamification: A Bibliometric Study

This study explores the evolving landscape of adaptive gamification-related research from 2014 to 2022. A comprehensive analysis of 1110 documents from journals and books was conducted to investigate publication trends, prominent countries, authors, and the development of knowledge in the field. The findings reveal a consistent growth in publications, with an annual growth rate of 26.89%. Gamification emerges as a dominant cluster, consistently exhibiting high centrality and density scores, indicating its strong interconnectedness and influence within the research network. The country-wise analysis demonstrates a diverse global research landscape, with the United States contributing the highest number of publications, followed by Spain and Germany. Prominent authors from universities and institutions worldwide have made significant contributions to the field. The thematic evolution demonstrates a shift from collaborative learning to gamification and online learning, followed by a focus on technology-driven themes and the emergence of machine learning as a prominent area of research. The increasing relevance of machine learning indicates its growing significance in the domain of adaptive gamification. These findings contribute to the knowledge base of adaptive gamification and offer insights for researchers in shaping the future of gamified learning environments.