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The Virtual Motivational Interviewing (VMI) app was developed to provide social work students and child welfare workers with repeated, scaffolded practice opportunities to build clinical competence (Benson et al., 2025). While previous randomized controlled trials have shown VMI to significant increase skill acquisition and self-efficacy, a persistent challenge in technology-based training is ensuring sustained user engagement and long-term adoption. Previous feasibility and usability studies identified specific user experience (UX) barriers that influenced how often learners interacted with the tool. This study serves as a follow-up to evaluate specific app adaptations—informed by prior participant feedback and grounded in gamification principles, Cognitive Load Theory, and Multimedia Learning—impacted student engagement levels across different educational modalities.
Methods:
This study took place over two years and utilized two comparative samples of each over 150 MSW students practice courses. Students spanned 18 classes each year (in-person and online). In both years, students and faculty followed the same implementation protocol of the VMI app, including introductory meetings, a Q&A session, and technical support. In each iteration, students were encouraged to “practice for 30 minutes a week” but that it would not be graded. The only variance between 1 and 2 were the students and gamification and UX changes made to VMI.
Between year 1 and 2, updates to the VMI app incorporated gamified elements and UX improvements designed to increase motivation and reduce cognitive load. Adaptations were based on Game Theory, Cognitive Load Theory, and participant qualitative feedback post surveys in year 1. Engagement was tracked over a 14-week semester using in-app metrics that recorded the total time spent in each skill section and overall performance levels.
Results:
The analysis focuses on whether the gamification and UX adaptations led to a significant increase in the "30 minutes per week" usage target compared to earlier iterations of the software. Furthermore, by comparing engagement data between online and in-person cohorts, the researchers examine how modality influences the adoption of technology-enhanced simulations. Preliminary findings suggest that the iterative improvements, based on initial pilot feedback, addressed individual-level barriers to adoption and fostered a more consistent practice habit among students.
Conclusions and Implications:
Refining virtual simulation tools through a gamification lens is essential for creating a committed and competent social work workforce. By improving the user experience, educational institutions can better embed innovative technologies into the curriculum, providing a cheaper and more accessible alternative to resource-intensive in-person role-plays. These findings offer a roadmap for integrating high-engagement digital tools into university-agency partnerships to enhance the long-term stability and skill-readiness of child welfare workers.