Bridging Generative AI and Gamification in Moodle: Design and Evaluation of GamiBot

Abstract

While Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Moodle are ubiquitous in higher education, they often lack dynamic, personalized academic support. We present GamiBot, an intelligent pedagogical agent natively integrated into Moodle to bridge this gap. GamiBot combines Large Language Model (LLM) assistance, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) grounded in course materials, adaptive quizzes, and a structured gamification backend. To evaluate its effectiveness, we conducted a two-week pilot study across two higher education institutions. Results from telemetry (773 interactions) and student surveys demonstrated high system usability (74.6% positive sentiment) and strong chatbot performance (69.4%). Students heavily favored active self-regulation, dedicating 53% of interactions to generating adaptive quizzes rather than passive content summaries. Conversely, gamification elements received mixed feedback (31.7%), underscoring the need for technical refinement and high customizability. Ultimately, GamiBot suggests that integrating generative AI directly into existing LMS workflows can provide reliable, context-aware formative support that aligns with self-regulated learning strategies.

Key Contributions & Highlights

• Venue & Publication: OASIcs, Volume 145, ICPEC 2026 (2026)
• Authors: José Carlos Paiva, Ricardo Queirós, Raquel Simões de Almeida, Teresa Terroso, Mário Pinto
• Research Scope: Focuses on key advancements in Gamification, EdTech, Generative AI.