Gamification and e-learning adoption: a sequential mediation analysis of flow and engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of gamification on students’ e-learning adoption. In addition, this paper examines the effect of two mediations, that is, flow and engagement between gamification and e-learning adoption by using sequential mediation analysis. Design/methodology/approach The authors used the online survey method to collect the 570 responses through convenience sampling procedure. Sequential mediation analysis technique was used to test the mediation hypothesis. Findings The findings of this paper revealed that gamification elements are an important feature of flow, engagement in e-learning adoption process. Also, the paper found that engagement in the learning process is a key element for students to adopt e-learning. Research limitations/implications This paper makes its contribution to the literature related to gamification and e-learning adoption. The paper signifies the importance of gamification as an educational application in e-learning environment and its contribution in designing an interactive learning environment. Originality/value Empirically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first paper to examine the sequential mediation model of gamification in the education sector in a developing nation like India. Furthermore, this paper also extends engagement and flow theory related to e-learning process by showing how students’ engagement and flow impact the e-learning adoption in the gamified environment.