The development of gamified learning activities to increase student engagement in learning

Abstract

In the literature, the potential efficacy of the gamification of education has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of applying gamification techniques to increase student engagement in learning. The quasiexperimental nonequivalent-control group design was used with 577 undergraduate students from six classes. The students in three of the classes were assigned to be the treatment group whereas the students in the others were the control group. Students in the treatment group attended a course designed for gamification, while students in the control group attended a regular course. The results showed that in the treatment group, student engagement in learning was significantly better than that of the students in the control group. We provide empirical support for gamification of education and conclude that students clearly valued the engagement of gamified learning activities. © 2016, Australian Council for Computers in Education. All rights reserved.