Engage Gamification into Campus Counseling for International Students

In recent years, with the increase in the number of students studying abroad, the psychological problems of international students have attracted more and more attention. At the same time, due to the stigma and stereotypes of mental illness, international students have encountered difficulties in using campus psychological counseling services of overseas universities. Gamification is a concept that applies the elements of games to non-gaming fields. It is being widely used in various fields. This study aims to conduct user research for designing a better experience and service design for international students using campus psychological counseling by using gamification. The study was conducted using an extensive literature review as well as quantitative and qualitative research methods including a focus group, an online survey, and an interview to explore the main sources of pressure for international students and their perception on-campus counseling service. Furthermore, this study tried to explore the feasibility of online services and how gamification be applied to the services. The results showed that international students have been reported to have psychological pressure on some special issues, and few international students used campus counseling. International students who have used campus psychological counseling services also expressed their dissatisfaction with campus psychological counseling. Additionally, the study showed the feasibility of online services and the acceptance of core drives of gamification. The conclusion can be summarized as a user research for future service design in the campus counseling system, which includes expected functions and some gamified ways of online services. Because the results showed that online services cannot replace face-to-face consulting services, how to combine online and offline services, and how to let gamification reach its full potential will be further discussed.