Gamification in Education: Improving Student Engagement

EDGI900: Assessment 3 Research and Evaluation
Student’sName: May Saeed M Al Khamsan
Student Number: 6633122
AssessmentURL (if applicable):

Research and Evaluation: Gamification in Education
Introduction
In this modern world, students are digital natives and embrace new technological
processes (Dikmen, 2022). They are growing up with digital technologies, unlike in the past
where learners were introduced to the technology later in life, possibly only for career purposes
(Lee & Hammer, 2014; Majuri et al., 2018). One approach to teaching and learning technology
that is yet to be implemented is gamification (Kiryakova et al., 2014). This approach will allow
learners to actively participate and engage in their own learning with high levels of motivation
(Poole et al., 2014; Thongmak, 2018).
Gamification in education uses game-like elements to help students master academic
content (Brian, 2014). These elements include game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game
thinking that engage learners in the learning process and encourage them in addition to
promoting learning (Al-Smadi, 2014; Öztürk & Korkmaz, 2019). Most schools use game-like
elements, such as awarding points after completing an assignment correctly (Lindemans et al.,
2019), with the awarded points being the grades or ‘badges.’ Therefore, this is a reward system
in which good grades are awarded for desired behaviours and poor grades are awarded for
undesired behaviours (Mosalanejad et al., 2019). The following four annotated sources analyse
gamification in education.
Article 1
Öztürk, Ç., & Korkmaz, Ö. (2019). The Effect of Gamification Activities on Students’
Academic Achievements in Social Studies Course and Students’ Attitudes towards the
Course and Cooperative Learning Skills. Participatory Educational Research, 7(1), 1-15.
https://doi.org/10.17275/per.20.1.7.1

Theme and Scope of the Research: Öztürk and Korkmaz determine the impact of educational
games and traditional teaching strategies on learners’ academic achievement, and they examine
learners’ attitudes towards a social studies course as well as the cooperative learning skills used
therein.
Intended Audience: Secondary school teachers
Methodology
Design Participants Setting Analysis
Semi-experimental
design with pre-test
post-test control
groups
27 female and 33
male students,
totalling 60 students
A fifth-grade class
in a secondary
school in Ankara,
Turkey
Normality analysis
Findings and Conclusion
In this study, learner’s attitudes towards the gamified social studies course were
significantly different to those they held for the traditional teaching methods; the gamification
elements improved the students’ attitudes toward the course. Therefore, this method can be
applied to learners who lack interest in any course.
Limitations
The research was limited to social studies education and focused only on students’
academic achievement in a social studies course. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise the
results to other courses due to the different styles of learning required for different courses.
Comparison to the Literature
This article compared the use of gamified education to traditional teaching methods.
The findings demonstrate that educational gamification improved learners’ attitudes toward the
social studies course in question and led to academic success (Öztürk & Korkmaz, 2019).

Thongmak (2018) focused on the implementation of gamification in a classroom setting but
did not compare traditional teaching methods to gamified education. The findings of this study
demonstrate that the use of educational gamification results in improved active participation
and engagement in class. Poole et al. (2014) and Majuri et al. (2018) also did not compare the
traditional method to educational gamification, and these studies had similar results in that the
students had improved levels of engagement and actively participated more in the classroom.
Implications for Gamification in Education
The article supports gamification in education by outlining how game-like elements can
be used to improve learners’ attitudes towards courses and how they can have a positive
influence on student’s success at Ankara Secondary School (Öztürk & Korkmaz, 2019).
Article 2
Thongmak, M. (2018, August). The Use of Gamification in an Introductory Management
Information System (MIS) Course: The View of Game Participants and Game Conductors
[Paper presentation]. 27th International Conference on Information Systems Development,
Lund, Sweden.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301376311.pdf
Theme and Scope of the Research: This study provides a guide to the implementation of
educational gamification in classroom settings and an evaluation of the effects of gamified
courses. The study focuses on the perceived importance of gamification with regards to
understanding, problem-solving skills, creativity, and student engagement in a Management
Information System (MIS) course.
Intended Audience: Teachers and educational instructors

Methodology
Experimental
design
181 first-year students who were
divided into four sections. The
first section had 46 students (17
male and 29 female), the second
comprised 41 students (20 male
and 21 female), the third section
constituted 43 students (14 male
and 29 female), and the fourth
section had 51 students (22 male
and 29 female).
Took place during the
2014, 2016, and 2017
academic years. Two of
the sections participated
in the study during the
first semester of 2014,
with the other two
sections participating
during the first semesters
of 2016 and 2017,
respectively.
Normality
analysis
and
descriptive
thematic
analysis
The data were recoded before and after gamification of the MIS course. The results
demonstrate improved student engagement in class compared to the non-gamified MIS course.
Class participation and attendance also improved significantly after gamifying the course.
Limitations
The study only focused on the usefulness of employing gamification on an MIS course.
The negative impacts of its implementation should also be examined in order to provide
necessary cautionary measures when it is being applied.
This article explored the perceived usefulness of gamification in an MIS course. The
findings demonstrate how introducing gamification in an MIS course resulted in an increase in

understanding, problem-solving skills, creativity, and attention paid to the topic (Thongmak,
2018). However, it does not address the disadvantages of using gamification in education.
Öztürk & Korkmaz (2019), Poole et al. (2014) and Majuri et al. (2018) outline the
disadvantages: 1) Poor game design can lead to critical motivational elements being omitted;
2) Learners who have negative experiences with educational game elements may resist using
this technology in future; 3) No gamification format has been established to work best for all
students; 4) Gamification can lead to rule-based experiences when using a game-like strategy
is mandatory.
This article contributed by suggesting the development of student-led gamification in
order to improve understanding, problem-solving skills, creativity, and attention paid to the
topic (Thongmak, 2018). The study supports the topic by outlining how the use of gamification
led to improved engagement from students in an MIS course. These measures can be replicated
by other teachers and instructors in different educational settings (Thongmak, 2018).
Article 3
Poole, S., Kemp, E., Patterson, L., & Williams, K. (2014). Get Your Head in the Game:
Using Gamification in Business Education to Connect with Generation Y. Journal for
Excellence in Business Education, 3(2).
https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=ml
Theme and Scope of the Research: Generation Y students seek learning environments that
are relaxed, flexible, interactive, and engaging. This study investigates how the use of
gamification mechanics and customer engagement principles in college business courses can
promote learning and engagement among Generation Y learners.
Intended Audience: Teachers of Generation Y students

Methodology
Qualitative design Fifty-five students
(20 male and 30
female)
A college of business
administration at a
southern university in the
United States of America
Qualitative
content analysis
Students were put in two different classes: One class was taught traditionally using
PowerPoint presentations, while the second class had the gamification method implemented.
After a three-week course, the second class demonstrated more motivation and active
participation in class activities.
Limitations
Only one university was used to draw the sample for this study. It is recommended that
several universities be used to draw a sample in order to assess the influence of institutions’
contexts.
This study reveals that students who use gamification techniques experience more
positive emotional responses to instruction (Poole et al., 2014). Thus, the use of gamification
strategies facilitates learner engagement and fosters learning among students. In addition,
Majuri et al. (2018), Thongmak (2018), and Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019) explain that
gamification methods make learning fun, thereby increasing learners’ motivation to actively
participate in learning activities. Furthermore, Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019) compare the fun
and motivation levels fostered by the gamification method in comparison to traditional
methods.

Generation Y has different experiences and expectations, and their information
processing seems different from previous generations of learners. Therefore, it is essential to
find and apply pedagogical techniques that are most relevant to the group (Poole et al., 2014).
Gamification may be one such technique.
Article 4
Majuri, J., Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2018, May). Gamification of education and learning: A
review of empirical literature. GamiFIN Conference 2018, Pori, Finland.
Theme and Scope of the Research: Gamified learning has become one of the significant
technological methods for improving and retaining student engagement. This is the reason
many learning institutions are implementing educational gamification. This study comprises a
literature review on gamification in teaching and learning in order to determine improvements
in student engagement as a result of gamified learning.
Intended Audience: Teachers and students
Methodology
Literature review of
empirical research
studies
A total of 128
empirical research
papers
Scopus database Concept map
analysis

The findings outline the most common affordances, including points, challenges,
badges, and leaderboard-type affordances. It has been noted that these affordances are
commonly executed in gamification research.
Limitations
In relation to the analysis of the current body of research on gamified educational
solutions, there are unclear themes in the research. Therefore, future research should explore
the scope of the affordances applied in the context of education in more depth, and more
research should be conducted on socially- and immersion-oriented affordances in gamification
approaches.
Majuri et al. (2018) investigate students’ perceived enjoyment, fun, engagement, and
motivation, which are common results when gamifying course studies or using gamification in
education. Likewise, Poole et al. (2014) and Thongmak (2018) state that combining fun with
learning leads to better learning experiences. Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019) outline how this
technology results in a better learning experience compared to traditional teaching methods.
This article is important because it provides a conclusive understanding of the
gamification of education by addressing the themes of student motivation, engagement,
enjoyment, active participation, and affordances through the review of various empirical
research papers (Majuri et al., 2018).
Discussion
The emergence of gamification is an important method for ensuring students’ good
behaviour and improving their academic performance. Gamification offers both benefits and

implementation challenges, and educational institutions are increasingly including it in their
teaching methods. Improved academic performance is a result of increased mastery of
knowledge and skills (Dikmen, 2022). Several studies, including Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019),
show improved content mastery in experimental groups who use gamification in comparison
to control groups that use traditional teaching methods, such as PowerPoint presentations.
The dominant theme in the cited resources is the effects of the implementation of
gamification in education and its benefits. Gamification has also been used to promote
businesses by awarding the players badges and even discounts when they win the game
(Barghani, 2020). Games that are intended to promote a positive lifestyle are also beginning to
enter the market. For example, Google PowerMeter motivates users by reducing household
energy usage through the implementation of progress bars and collectable badges (Lee &
Hammer, 2014).
Similarly, studies show that gamification motivates learners to actively participate in
school activities and increases attendance. Schwartz (2017) reveals many benefits of
gamification in education, including increasing students’ levels of engagement and active
participation, improving their mastery of knowledge and skills, and fostering extreme self-
motivation that manifests as a desire to overcome challenges combined with the belief that
success is imminent.
In addition, the studies also indicate that learners enjoy applying game-like elements in
education when these resources are easily accessible. The findings show that the effectiveness
of gamification is high as students can repeat specific activities until they master the content in
order to win points or badges (Mosalanejad et al., 2019). Such findings encourage the increased
use of this technology in education and in other fields, such as business, where it can be used
to promote products through discounts.

Conclusion
From these annotated articles, it is evident that the implementation of gamification in
education does better than harm. The benefits of a gamified learning include improved class
engagement, increased active participation, strong motivation towards learning, and increased
enjoyment. Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019) indicate that these benefits are what make the
difference between this technological intervention and traditional teaching methods. They
further outline some of the disadvantages of gamified learning, including poor game design
leading to critical motivational elements being omitted and some students struggling with
applying this technology in their education due to previous negative experiences.
Most of the studies implemented the gamification method in specific levels of
education. For instance, Öztürk and Korkmaz (2019) focus on students in fifth grade at a
secondary school, Poole et al.’ (2014) study addresses only Generation Y students, and
Thongmak’s (2018) study centres on first-year college students. Majuri et al. (2018) were the
only researchers who addressed the implementation of gamification in basic education through
to higher education. More studies need to address the use of this technology across all levels
of education to determine its general effects.

References
Al-Smadi, M. (2014, November). GAMEDUCATION: Using game mechanics and dynamics
to enhance online learning [Paper Presentation]. Name of conference, location.
Barghani, Z. (2020). The Benefits of Gamification in Learning. International Journal of
Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 6(2).
Brian, A. (2014). Gamification in education. Proceedings Of ASBBS, 21(1) (pp. XX–XX).
Dikmen, M. (2022). Does Gamification Affect Academic Achievement? A Meta-Analysis of
Studies conducted in Turkey. International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction,
13(3).
Kiryakova, G., Angelova, N., & Yordanova, L. (2014). Gamification in education. Retrieved
from https://www.sun.ac.za/english/learning-
teaching/ctl/Documents/Gamification%20in%20education.pdf.
Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2014). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?
Academic Exchange Quarterly 15(2), 1–5.
Lindemans, J., Bartmann, N., Bonick, J., & Garland, S. (2019). Games and gamification.
Center For Advanced Hindsight.
Majuri, J., Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2018, May). Gamification of education and learning: A
review of empirical literature [Paper presentation]. Name of conference, location.
Mosalanejad, L., Abdollahifard, S., & Abdian, T. (2019). Psychiatry Gamification from
Blended Learning Models and Efficacy of This Program on Students. Name of
Journal, volume no.(issue no.), pg no. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_352_19
Öztürk, Ç., & Korkmaz, Ö. (2019). The Effect of Gamification Activities on Students’
Academic Achievements in Social Studies Course, Attitudes towards the Course and

Cooperative Learning Skills. Participatory Educational Research, 7(1), 1-15.
https://doi.org/10.17275/per.20.1.7.1
Poole, S., Kemp, E., Patterson, L., & Williams, K. (2014). Get Your Head in the Game:
Using Gamification in Business Education to Connect with Generation Y. Journal for
Excellence in Business Education, 3(2).
https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=ml
Schwartz, M. (2017). Teaching with gamification. Ryerson University Learning & Teaching
Office. Retrieved from https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/learning-
teaching/teaching-resources/teach-a-course/gamification.pdf.
Thongmak, M. (2018, August). The Use of Gamification in an Introductory Management
Information System (MIS) Course: The View of Game Participants and Game
Conductors [Paper presentation]. 27th International Conference on Information
Systems Development, Lund, Sweden. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/301376311.pdf

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