IJIET 2025 Vol.15(10): 2072-2085
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.10.2406
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.10.2406
Towards Gamified Acceptance in eLearning Systems: Students’ Perspective at Iraqi Higher Education Institutions
Rasha T. A. Alnaqeeb*, Nor A. Abdullah, and Nasuha L. Abdullah
Department of Information Systems, School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,11800 USM, Pulau Penang, Malaysia
Email: rashaalnaqeeb@student.usm.my (R.T.A.A.); athiyah@usm.my (N.A.A.); nasuha@usm.my (N.L.A.)
*Corresponding author
Email: rashaalnaqeeb@student.usm.my (R.T.A.A.); athiyah@usm.my (N.A.A.); nasuha@usm.my (N.L.A.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received March 3, 2025; revised March 24, 2025; accepted May 13, 2025; published October 14, 2025
Abstract—The study investigates the factors influencing students’ continuance intention to use gamified eLearning applications in higher education institutions in Iraq by using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) integrated with constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). The study identifies key determinants, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions, and design quality, and analyzes their impact on student engagement. This study adopts a quantitative approach using a survey conducted among a diverse group of 163 students from various academic disciplines. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is employed to test the proposed framework. The findings reveal that perceived ease of use, facilitating conditions, and design quality significantly influence continuance intention, reflecting students’ growing self-reliance in managing technology. Perceived usefulness and hedonic motivation showed no substantial impact. This study advances theoretical understanding by extending TAM and integrating UTAUT2 into a gamified context and highlights practical implications for developers and educators. It recommends prioritizing usability, design quality, and institutional support to enhance gamified eLearning applications, fostering sustained student engagement in Iraq’s eLearning system.
Keywords—continuance use intention, design quality, gamified e-learning, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2)
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—continuance use intention, design quality, gamified e-learning, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2)
Cite: Rasha T. A. Alnaqeeb, Nor A. Abdullah, and Nasuha L. Abdullah, "Towards Gamified Acceptance in eLearning Systems: Students’ Perspective at Iraqi Higher Education Institutions," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 15, no. 10, pp. 2072-2085, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).