Dannie Jeffries
Dannie Jeffries is a lecturer at the University of Waikato, where she teaches digital business and supply chain management and supports postgraduate students through professional field internships. With more than a decade of experience in higher education, her work bridges academic research and real-world application. Dannie is currently completing a PhD that explores how gamification can support positive health behavior change through a Kaupapa Māori lens, informed by her Ngāti Apa heritage. Her research and teaching focus on how technology and gamification can be used for both competitive advantage and meaningful social impact.
Māori-Centred Gamification: Small Shifts, Meaningful Differences
This session explores why cultural context matters when designing gamified learning systems and what changes when culture leads the design process. Led by Dannie Jeffries, the session draws on research into Māori-centred design to show how cultural values influence engagement, trust, and willingness to participate in gamified experiences.
Participants will examine how common gamification features such as competition, rewards, and progression can be rethought through an Indigenous lens. Using practical examples, the session highlights design considerations like collective orientation, cultural framing, language, and identity, and invites reflection on how small design shifts can make learning experiences more inclusive, meaningful, and effective for Māori and other Indigenous learners.
Takeaway: Gamification works better when culture shapes the design, not the other way around.
