User engagement has become a key part of discussions about the nature and purpose of social science research. In this book the authors provide an authoritative overview of working with users at different stages in the processes of research.
Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.
There are increasing calls for social science researchers to work more closely with research users. References to engaging users in and with research are now common in research funding requirements, national research strategies and large-scale research programmes. User engagement has therefore become part of the rhetoric of educational and social science research. But what is user engagement, how can it be achieved and what challenges and opportunities does it present for researchers and research users? The authors of this new book present an authoritative overview of recent theoretical debates, practical developments and empirical evidence on the role of user engagement in contemporary educational and social science research. The book focuses on the relationship between user engagement and research design, and emphasises how user engagement needs to be understood as an interplay between the different kinds of knowledge and expertise held by researchers and users. Drawing on evidence from studies involving different kinds of research users, there is detailed discussion of the dynamics and complexities of working with practitioners, service users and policy-makers. The authors make clear that user engagement has definite implications for the way in which research is designed, managed and commissioned, and the way in which researchers and research users are trained, supported and encouraged to interact. Written for the many professionals involved in funding, doing and using research within education and other social sciences, this book provides: conceptual guidance on different approaches and interpretations of user engagement examples and evidence of effective strategies for engaging practitioners, service users and policy-makers capacity building ideas and implications for researchers and research users specific suggestions as to how the conceptualization, management, scaling up and evidence base of user engagement could be improved. At the core of this forward-thinking text is a robust analysis of an important facet of modern social science research. The authors’ evidence-based, evaluative approach provides a useful, detailed analysis of an area of social science research methodology which is increasingly valued and emphasised by research councils and mediators.
Drawing on studies in environmental and sustainability education, this book brings together new work that has explored the research-policy interface in varied contexts and from diverse perspectives.It will be beneficial to those interested in understanding the interface between research and policy. The relationship between research and policy has become an increasing focus for theoretical inquiry, empirical investigation, and practical development across many different fields. This volume highlights new empirical insights, theoretical ideas, practical examples, and methodological approaches for understanding, navigating, and developing more productive research-policy relationships. This book will be beneficial to anyone who is interested in understanding the interface between research and policy. The chapters in this book were originally published in the journal Environmental Education Research.
Education has continued to grow in stature and significance as an academic discipline. In addition to world renowned research studies the growth of education has been seen in the methodology and methods underpinning its research. The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research provides a cutting edge account of the research and methodology that is creating new understandings for education research, policy and practice. Over two volumes, the handbook addresses educational research in six essential components: Section 1: Understanding Research Section 2: Planning Research Section 3: Approaches to Research Section 4: Acquiring Data Section 5: Analysing Data Section 6: Reporting, Disseminating and Evaluating Research Featuring contributions from more than 50 of the biggest names in the international field, The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research represents a very significant contribution to the development of education.
This book examines issues and implications of digital and social media marketing for emerging markets. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. The book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, while identifying new theoretical constructs and practical applications of digital marketing. It addresses topics such as electronic word of mouth (eWOM), demographic differences in digital marketing, mobile marketing, search engine advertising, among others. A radical increase in both temporal and geographical reach is empowering consumers to exert influence on brands, products, and services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and fulfil their socio-economic, emotional and material needs. These technologies are also being harnessed by businesses for various purposes including distribution and selling of goods, retailing of consumer services, customer relationship management, and influencing consumer behaviour by employing digital marketing practices. This book considers this, as it examines the practice and research related to digital and social media marketing.
This book explores the design process for user experience and engagement, which expands the traditional concept of usability and utility in design to include aesthetics, fun and excitement. User experience has evolved as a new area of Human Computer Interaction research, motivated by non-work oriented applications such as games, education and emerging interactive Web 2.0. The chapter starts by examining the phenomena of user engagement and experience and setting them in the perspective of cognitive psychology, in particular motivation, emotion and mood. The perspective of aesthetics is expanded towards interaction and engagement to propose design treatments, metaphors, and interactive techniques which can promote user interest, excitement and satisfying experiences. This is followed by reviewing the design process and design treatments which can promote aesthetic perception and engaging interaction. The final part of the chapter provides design guidelines and principles drawn from the interaction and graphical design literature which are cross-referenced to issues in the design process. Examples of designs and design treatments are given to illustrate principles and advice, accompanied by critical reflection. Table of Contents: Introduction / Psychology of User Engagement / UE Design Process / Design Principles and Guidelines / Perspectives and Conclusions
Games are the most engaging medium of all time: they harness storytelling and heuristics, drive emotion and push the evolution of technology in a way that no other platform has or can. It's no surprise, then, that games and gamification are revolutionizing the market research industry, offering opportunities to reinvigorate the notoriously sluggish engagement levels seen in traditional surveying methods. This not only improves data quality, but offers untapped insights unattainable through traditional methods. Games and Gamification in Market Research shows readers how to design ResearchGames and Gamified Surveys that will intrinsically engage participants and how best to use these methodologies to become, and stay, commercially competitive. In a world where brands and organizations are increasingly interested in the feelings and contexts that drive consumer choices, Games and Gamification in Market Research gives readers the skills to use the components in games to encourage play and observe consumer behaviours via simulations for predictive modelling. Written by Betty Adamou, the UK's leading research game designer and named as one of seven women shaping the future of market research, it explains the ways in which these methodologies will evolve with technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and how it will shape research careers. Alongside a companion website, this book provides a fully immersive and fascinating overview of game-based research.
Over the past several years, digital technologies have reestablished the ways in which corporations operate. On one hand, technology has allowed companies to build a stronger knowledge of its customer base, contributing to better consumer engagement strategies. On the other hand, these technologies have also integrated into the management and daily operations of companies, resulting in increased performance and organizational improvement. Remaining up to date with the implementation of these cutting-edge technologies is key to a company’s continued success. Digital Innovations for Customer Engagement, Management, and Organizational Improvement is an essential reference source that discusses and strategizes the latest technologies and innovations and their integration, implementation, and use in businesses, as well as lifelong learning strategies in a digital environment. Featuring research on topics such as consumer engagement, e-commerce, and learning management systems, this book is ideally designed for managers, business executives, marketers, consumer analysts, IT consultants, industry professionals, academicians, researchers, and students.
Bachelor Thesis from the year 2023 in the subject Computer Science - Applied, grade: 2,0, , language: English, abstract: The integration of game mechanics into non-game-related environments, also known as gamification, has gained increased attention in recent years. This practice can have a significant impact on the user experience in different contexts. In the past, gamification was mainly researched in the field of education. However, with the rise of dating apps, there has recently been an opportunity to use gamification as a promising way to improve the user experience in this particular context. This thesis focuses on the central research question: "How does the integration of gamification elements impact the overall user experience in dating apps?". To answer this question, three different prototypes for an iPhone application were developed. These prototypes are based on the well-known dating app "Tinder" and mainly focus on the user interface while "swiping". One of the prototypes doesn't contain any additional gamification elements, while another prototype has integrated progress bars and a third prototype has integrated sound effects. In total 50 subjects were recruited to test the prototypes. Subsequently, the participants filled out a questionnaire that included both specially developed questions and questions from the "User Experience Questionnaire Short (UEQ-S)" by Schrepp et al. (2017). The quantitative data collected was analysed to assess the impact of gamification elements on the user experience. The results of this research showed that the integration of sound effects resulted in an 8% increase in user experience, while the integration of a progress bar resulted in a significant improvement of 25%. These findings highlight the positive impact of gamification elements in dating apps and provide valuable insights for the development of future applications in this area. This thesis therefore contributes to the in-depth investigation of gamification in non-traditional environments and emphasizes the importance of a user focussed design of dating apps.