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Gamifying educational practices is a trend in the field of education, especially in universities. Knowing which dimensions are significant in active gamified methodologies allows understanding the extent to which a dimension depends on another if there is a correlation between them. Through the GAMEX (gameful experience in gamification) scale, which measures gamified experiences ("Journal of Interactive Marketing," Elsevier 43:98-115, 2018), the aims of this study were to: 1) explore, using the structural equations model, the viability of the GAMEX model formulated to analyse the gamified experience level of university students; and 2) determine the influence of the GAMEX variables on the students' degree of mastery in gamified experiences. The sample was constituted by 405 university students. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was carried from a PLS (partial least squares) approach, using SmartPLS software. The results show the reliability of the different constructs considered in the proposed model. The items presented acceptable reliability levels and strong consistency with the dimensions of the model. The model emphasises the multidimensional character of gamified experience and supports the students' mastery over the different gamified experiences.

Gamification is one of the innovative teaching approaches implemented in English classrooms nowadays. However, using gamification to enhance reading engagement and reading comprehension in language classrooms at the university level has not been much explored. This present study investigated gamification's effects on enhancing reading engagement, reading comprehension, as well as perceptions of gamification among Thai EFL university students. The participants in the research were 70 first-year students selected randomly. A mixed-methods research design was adopted to examine the effects of gamification between control and experimental groups. The quantitative results collected by the pre-test, posttest, pre-survey, and post-survey showed that the experimental group significantly improved reading comprehension and higher reading engagement after the implementation of gamification, compared to the control group that studied traditionally. Furthermore, the participants in the experimental group reported positive perceptions towards gamification, such as promoting reading engagement and creating a fun learning environment. Therefore, this study supports an alternative and innovative way to shift a reading class from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered approach through gamification.

Gamification involves making teaching processes fun with the intention of improving factors that affect learning, such as motivation. Although the focus is not on the game itself and the corresponding entertainment, its design and results provide an alternative for developing educational proposals that make students the protagonists and generate student engagement with their education. On that basis, this study aims to understand pre-service primary school teachers' perceptions of gamification as an active methodology, taking the gender and time of analysis variables into account. To this end, a quantitative longitudinal panel design (pre-test and post-test) from a descriptive and inferential approach was applied. The sample consisted of 284 pre-service primary education teachers from the University of Málaga (2021/2022 academic year). The information was collected through a validated instrument that measures perceptions of both digital didactic resources and teaching methodologies. The results revealed positive perceptions of gamification as a methodology, with a significant improvement from the pre-test to post-test scores. As for the analysis of the gender variable, there were significant differences, with the male participants' ratings of gamification being higher than those of the female participants. In conclusion, gamification constitutes a feasible methodology to implement due to being well-received by university students, as a result of its motiving and fun nature and the fact that it makes students the protagonists of the learning process.

This review explores the integration and effects of the Internet of Things (IoT) in education, highlighting its importance in transforming traditional teaching and learning techniques. It examines the early uses and historical growth of IoT, its development, and the turning points in its adoption. It explores IoT platforms, tools, and technologies in education, including wearables, smart devices, augmented and virtual reality, gamification, and collaborative learning. It discusses the role of IoT in improving campus management, including intelligent campuses with IoT-enabled infrastructure, energy-saving technologies, and safety and security improvements. The study discusses data security and privacy issues in IoT installations and the ethical and legal implications of data collection in the classroom. The study also discusses upcoming trends and prospects for IoT usage in education, including AI and machine learning integration. Finally, the review provides insights for educators, decision-makers, and stakeholders, identifying research gaps and recommending areas for future IoT implementation.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of digital gamification-based instruction on the attitudes towards mathematics and anxiety of seventh-grade gifted students in the "Equation and Equation" unit. In this study, pretest-posttest unbalanced group experimental design was used. The study was conducted in the 2022-2023 academic year with a total of 30 seventh-grade gifted students, 15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. During the study, the control group received a mathematics lesson based on traditional teaching and the experimental group received a mathematics lesson supported by digital gamification. In addition, the participants in the experimental group were asked to keep a diary throughout the implementation process to reflect their thoughts about digital gamification-based instruction. In the study, it was concluded that digital gamification-based instruction positively affected the attitudes of gifted students toward mathematics. It was observed that the anxiety levels of the students decreased after the application, but there was no statistically significant difference. In the study, students stated that mathematics lessons based on digital gamification were fun and their prejudices about the subject were broken.

The development of digital technology in leaps and bounds has resulted in offering different learning options and alternatives in physical education. In this regard, technology techniques, like gamification, have been utilized in several areas of education, leading to the identification of its several usage benefits. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies concerning how gamification would enhance students' skills in physical education. Therefore, this study systematically reviews gamification in the physical education literature from 2015 to 2022, focusing on 27 indexed papers published in international databases. Based on the results, most studies had positive findings on gamification effectiveness in physical education samples. Besides, based on the findings, gamification studies primarily focused on how physical skills can be enhanced among physical education students. The findings contribute to the way technology enhances students' skills in physical education. To this end, more studies are required to mitigate the remaining gaps in gamification literature.

One of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) developments used in the learning process is the Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), and gamification can overcome boredom, lack of interest or motivation, and monotony when using the ITS. In this study, the application of ITS equipped with Gamification is called ITS + G. Currently, several studies have built the ITS + G. However, there has not been a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that synthesizes the characteristics of the ITS and Gamification combination. Several previous SLRs have been carried out and discussed the ITS only and several other SLRs discussed gamification only. Therefore, this SLR focused on the characteristics of ITS and gamification as a unit. This study succeeded in synthesizing that ITS + G has the potential to be applied to both STEM and non-STEM subjects. Three main game elements are mostly used in ITS + G: levels, points, and progress bars, which are supported for several reasons. Several techniques that have been used to measure the success of ITS + G are synthesized. Several positive impacts of ITS + G are revealed. Some negative impacts that need to be considered and studied in future research are also noticed. The results of this study could be the basis for ITS + G research in the future and increase the repertoire of knowledge related to ITS and Gamification.

The use of virtual learning communities has shown great potential for language education. Research suggests that video-conferencing technology can assist teachers in creating such communities for second-language teaching. Gather.Town is a gamified, video-conferencing platform that revolutionizes the traditional static video-conferencing experience for language learners. It provides users with a 2D map with avatar-based game features utilizing proximity-based video-conferencing functionality which enhance student online engagement and promote interaction that resembles real-life conditions. Gather.Town has received increasing attention from educational researchers since its launch in May 2020; however, its adoption in language classrooms has not yet been explored. This review paper aims to introduce Gather.Town to language teachers and researchers to enhance student engagement in virtual learning communities.

This study explored the use of an innovative instructional approach called Productive Failure (PF) to design an educational game and its support. The study then examined the effects of two different types of instruction--PF vs. Direct Instruction (DI)--on learning genetics and relevant mathematical knowledge in a Game-Based Learning (GBL) environment. One hundred fifty-seven Year 10 students from two high schools participated in two quasi-experimental studies. The participants were divided into two treatment groups: one group learned targeted concepts using PF with GBL (PF-GBL), while the other group learned the same concepts using DI with GBL (DI-GBL). The results of the first study indicated that the PF-GBL group showed significantly higher learning gains than the DI-GBL group on explanatory genetics knowledge. In the second study, no group difference was found between the PF-GBL group and the DI-GBL group on learning genetics and relevant mathematical knowledge. Implications of findings, limitations, and future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how gamification using Web 2.0 tools affects secondary school students' listening comprehension skills on a German second language course. The sub-purposes are to investigate the study's outputs, such as course interest and academic motivation. The design of the study was action research, which is one of the recognized methods of qualitative research. The participants of the study were 34 ninth-grade high school students (15 males, 19 females) aged 14 or 15 years old enrolled to a state-project school. Focus group interviews, both student and teachers' reflective journals, and an academic achievement test were utilized to assess the participant students' listening comprehension skills, and formed the data collection tools used to obtain detailed information about the research process. According to the findings of the study, the use of Web 2.0 tools enabled by way of the gamification method helped capture the students' attention and strengthen the steps taken to improve their language learning skills. Although the students' learning styles varied, one point of commonality was their use of gamification.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign language teaching with gamification applications in primary school. In this research, embedded design, which is one of the mixed methods in which quantitative and qualitative methods are used together, has been adopted. The study group for this research is comprised of 33 students in 4th grade at a primary school. Research data were collected through an attitude scale for English lessons in primary school, homework, a follow-up chart, and a semi-structured interview. The data of the scale were subjected to inferential statistics; the data of the chart were subjected to descriptive statistic s; and the data of the interview were subjected to content analysis. According to the findings of the study, the gamification applications significantly increase the attitude of primary school students and have a positive effect on procrastination behaviors. In addition, primary school students have positive evaluations of these applications as making the learning process fun, increasing their curiosity to learn, increasing their participation in the lesson, and increasing their desire to be successful. In line with these results of the research, it is recommended to use gamification applications in education for effective teaching.

This research examines the impact of gamification on the development of critical thinking skills to counter misinformation, focusing specifically on students' roles as developers of educational software. Involving 107 university students, this study employs an experimental pretest-posttest methodology. An educational Escape Room was implemented, and its influence on critical and digital competencies was scrutinized. The procedure comprised three stages: pretest measurement, formative intervention, and posttest evaluation. A comparative analysis of the scores for the questions highlights a pressing need to enhance media and digital literacy. The findings reveal a predominance of responses indicating improvements in source verification and fact-checking. However, no significant differences were observed in the pre and post responses (0.607 > 0.05), leading to the conclusion that the implementation of a technological training program does not significantly contribute to acquiring skills for identifying falsehoods and deceptions on the internet. In conclusion, the study underscores the necessity to develop effective strategies to address misinformation and recognizes gamification as a motivating educational tool.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have made substantial strides towards incorporating sustainability into their curricula. However, the methodology of education for sustainable development (ESD) needs to be more performance-oriented and grounded in practical experience in order to foster behavioral changes towards environmental protection. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a gamification-driven strategy in encouraging students of information technology (IT) to adopt sustainable practices. The data was gathered from the digital records and survey responses of 75 information technology (IT) students as a component of their English language course. The results of the study suggested that the gamified method successfully encouraged students to adopt sustainable practices in their personal lives and future workplaces. The students' viewpoints regarding the accountability of individual employers and citizens for the well-being of our planet underwent a substantial transformation in support of sustainable development. The method described is applicable to various academic fields, including the humanities, sciences, medical studies, and others.

Play is crucial to children's development. With the prevalent use of digital technologies, children and young adults are seen playing games more often and longer on digital devices. How should teachers capitalize the advantages of games in class, without inducing more health risks or problems for children? To achieve this goal, teachers need empirical details and conclusive results in the application of game-based learning (GBL) in primary education, so that they can design GBL experiences that cater to the specific needs of pupils. The present paper provides a systematic review for 35 experimental studies that substantially integrated gaming elements in primary school lessons. Our major findings include that (1) most studies were published in technology-assisted learning journals, focusing on higher-grade students' natural science learning, through one GBL lesson conducted within one week; (2) theoretical foundations were absent in the majority of studies, with the rest implicitly or explicitly drawing upon Constructivist premises; (3) adopted GBL technologies were mostly self-designed, and used for formal learning; (4) Gamification was the most frequently used game genre and Intellectual Problem-Solving was the top gaming element to be incorporated and (5) there were more positive outcomes than mixed findings and more cognitive results reported than affective or behavioral dimensions.

Diving into the realm of game-based learning, the "CARBGAME" (CARd & Board GAmes in Medical Education) is an innovative series of games that reimagines the way medical students learn complex but essential chapters. In the pilot study, there was a highly significant improvement in the academic performance of students in the chapter "Vitamins." All the students perceived CARBGAME to be highly rewarding in terms of creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences. Recognizing the benefit of games in medical education, we strongly recommend the implementation of CARBGAME for essential topics in physiology education to create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment for students.

Gamifying is related to the motivational gain and engagement of participants in these systems, even in situations not exclusively related to the creative and entertainment industry. In the Biology teaching context, motivational strategies have fundamental importance to the learning process. The aim of this work was to investigate the development and application of gamified systems, mainly board games, in Biology teaching. Through a systematic review, 39 scientific studies published in the Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were identified and categorised. As a result, an increased distribution of publications under this focus was observed over the analysed period. The main benefits attributed to the use of board games as a teaching-learning tool were: low cost and accessibility; wide applicability and flexibility; overcoming of communicative and cognitive barriers; improved motivation, engagement and learning; and stimulus of new experiences and skills. This study suggests that board games are a promising strategy to be used in the process of teaching-learning Biology, although some limitations can be reported.

Over the past few years, the world's attention has been focused on gaming systems and their application in education through gamification, incorporating game features into learning tools. Against this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the motivation of EFL learners in a Gamified Formative Assessment (GFA). Theoretical insights from self-determination theory (SDT) are synthesized in the context of motivation analysis and internalization. Data from interviews and questionnaires are collected, and pair-t-tests and basic linear regression, CiteSpace, are utilized for data evaluation and literature review. Paired t-tests for the control group (CG) and the experimental group (EG) in the first and second stages, as well as the EG's first and second stages, show a strong positive correlation between CG's scores in stages one and two and EG's scores in both stages (r1 = 0.930, r2 = 0.851, r3 = 0.953, p < 0.001). It is found that Quizizz, as an example of GFA, can enhance EFL learners' internalization at a higher level during their learning process. Furthermore, our findings also suggest that gamification enables most EFL learners to recognize the value and benefits of assessment as motivation for identified regulation. Additionally, the overall accuracy of the students in the EG, which is 89.05%, is higher compared to the CG's accuracy of 74.01%. It is interesting to note that their motivation level correlates with their performance and engagement. With these findings, we contribute to the literature by validating that gamified formative assessment fosters the internalization of EFL at the elementary level, thereby enhancing students' engagement and language proficiency. Therefore, as one of the studies on gamification and motivation, this research holds unique value in analyzing EFL instruction at the primary school level.

Gamification is an increasingly popular approach to engage learners in educational contexts. Although many studies have examined the effects of gamification in comparison to a non-gamification approach, less attention has been paid to the impact of different ways of implementing gamification on students' learning and engagement. In this study, we performed a quasi-experiment on the competitive, cooperative, and collaborative types of gamification among secondary school students who learn English as a foreign language. The quantitative results indicate students in the competitive condition significantly outperformed their peers in the cooperative condition on a reading-related skill (morphological awareness), word reading, and reading comprehension. They also had higher gains in morphological awareness than students in the collaborative condition, although these two groups showed similar improvement in far-transfer measures (i.e., word reading and reading comprehension). Concerning engagement, qualitative data collected from interviews suggested gamification contributed to students' behavioural, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The qualitative data also reflected the possible reasons for the quantitative results. We conclude that cooperative and collaborative gamification should be designed carefully and take various factors into account (e.g., establishing shared goals and rewards, emphasising individual and collective contributions, and collaboration training) to ensure that the gamification approach does not hinder student learning.

According to self-determination theory, the need for competence, autonomy, and relatedness has been associated with intrinsic motivation. Fulfilling basic psychological needs can lead to better learning, academic performance, and well-being. In this study, an anatomy program integrated gamification and drawing methods to explore their influence on basic psychological needs satisfaction and potential learning implications. Basic psychological needs outcomes of sport sciences students were compared to test the effects of the Observe-Reflect-Draw-Edit-Repeat (ORDER) method and gamification (experimental condition) versus a non-ORDER and non-gamified program (control condition). These two different 30-h (7-week) anatomy education programs were implemented at two Spanish public universities with 116 first-year sport sciences students. Pre and post-treatment measurements were collected using the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests, ANCOVAs, and factorial repeated measures ANOVAs 2 × 2 (time × treatment). The gamified ORDER program achieved higher satisfaction scores in basic psychological needs compared to the control group (t = 2.98, p = 0.004, d = 0.54). Additionally, an interaction effect between time and treatment was observed (p = 0.042, [partial eta-squared] = 0.038). Treatment and interaction effects were observed for 'autonomy' (p = 0.003, [partial eta-squared] = 0.074) and 'competence' satisfaction (p = 0.048, [partial eta-squared] = 0.035). A time effect was found for 'relatedness' in the control group, but no significant treatment or interaction effects were identified. The causes of these effects are debated in the study, as well as the limitations. These findings support the notion that students' basic psychological needs are better satisfied in anatomy education with the implementation of this multimethod educational intervention based on ORDER and gamification.

The use of gamification to enhance learning in education has been well documented. However, little is known about whether gamification can impact supply chain management knowledge and behaviors among healthcare professionals. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a simulation app (ShipShape) designed and developed to gamify the fundamental concepts of supply chain management. We field tested the effectiveness of the app to impact knowledge gain and supply chain practice by asking healthcare professionals to use the app in their day-to-day operations. We collected longitudinal data spanning the period before and after the introduction of the app. The analysis and results of different types of data collected provide support for the positive impact of the app on both supply chain knowledge and practice among healthcare professionals.

Game designers and researchers have sought to create gameful environments that consider user preferences to increase engagement and motivation. In this sense, it is essential to identify the most suitable game elements for users' profiles. Designers and researchers must choose strategies to classify users into predefined profiles and select the most appropriate game elements for each user. This activity may challenge designers, learning designers, and researchers since they must base their choice on personal aspects that require a deep understanding. Therefore, this article aims to assist game designers, learning designers, and researchers in selecting user classification strategies to customize and personalize game-based and gamified learning environments. By conducting systematic literature mapping, we consolidate the most common strategies and explore their applications in games and gamification. Our analysis, based on 25 publications, reveals that we can classify the strategies according to user interaction, user personality, learning style, and motivation for learning. Strategies based on user interactions emerge as the most popular, while questionnaires and log data systems are commonly used instruments for identifying user profiles. The findings of this SLM offer valuable knowledge for game designers and researchers to define the criteria that will be used to evaluate the effect of games and gamified environments in educational contexts.

Purpose: This paper presents two educational gamified virtual labs and investigates different methods of including gamified elements in virtual labs used for teaching. The purpose of this study is to investigate if immersive gamified virtual labs can be used as effective pedagogical tools by properly incorporating them into higher education curricula to assist low-risk active learning and student engagement. Design/methodology/approach: This research design comprises two gamified virtual labs including nine essential experiments of biology and chemistry integrated into the higher education curriculum of the Foundation of Science at an international University. Students filled in a survey after participating in the lab to shed light on appropriate ways of using gamification approaches in virtual labs. Findings: From the predominant findings of the study, gamified virtual labs increase student involvement thereby enhancing knowledge development with active learning and may be a potentially suitable pedagogical tool for low-risk interactive learning. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of the study include findings based on gamified virtual labs but not comparing the gamified virtual labs to simple virtual simulations to further investigate the pedagogical approach and understand the student perceptions in a simple virtual simulation and a gamified virtual lab. Practical implications: The findings of this study will provide evidence that gamified virtual labs integrated into higher education curricula as supplementary tools for laboratory experimentation improve the educational delivery process. Originality/value: This research highlights an appropriate way of integrating 3D virtual labs into practical curricula while discussing the benefits.

Practical laboratory sessions are essential for engineering education, demanding efficient use of limited time. In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have introduced Virtual Laboratories (VLs), offering the potential to enhance students' educational experience. Despite their potential, VLs are rarely utilised in civil engineering education. This research investigates the effectiveness of a gamified VL designed to simulate a concrete laboratory, aimed at better preparing students for experiments. A quasi-experimental study divided 92 students into control and experimental groups using cluster sampling. The control group received traditional lab training, while the experimental group engaged with the VL training environment. The results demonstrate that students using the VL spent significantly less time in the physical lab, exhibited improved competence in navigating lab setups, posed fewer questions about experimental procedures, and required less assistance from lab assistants. Notably, VL users spent 16% less time in the physical lab and needed fewer interventions from lab assistants. This study highlights the potential of VLs as potent tools for preparing engineering students for traditional lab sessions. Post-experiment surveys revealed a strong willingness among students in the experimental group to use VLs in future similar lab sessions, emphasising the positive impact of integrating VLs into engineering education.

Background: Leaderboards are a highly popular gamification component used in student learning to enhance motivation, attentional engagement, and learning performance. However, few studies have examined the effects of individual leaderboard elements on English vocabulary learning through video lectures. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine how different leaderboard elements (i.e., points and rank) may affect students' English vocabulary learning through video lectures. Methods: A total of 34 students were assigned to groups using different leaderboard elements in a counterbalanced order. Participants' motivation, eye movements, and learning performance were measured and analysed. Results and Conclusions: Students' leaderboard rank was shown to increase their motivation regardless of whether other elements were present. Eye movement tracking revealed that the presence of the leaderboard increased students' saccades between the questions and the options, and lengthened their dwell time on the learning materials while reducing their dwell time on the non-learning-related screen areas. Presenting students' rank alone also improved their learning performance. Implications: Our findings strongly support the use of video lectures for English vocabulary learning, with the following recommendations: (1) Instructors should present students' rank on the leaderboard to enhance students' motivation and engagement; (2) Instructors should present only the students' rank on the leaderboard to also enhance students' learning performance.

The designs of gamification platforms are diverse and constantly evolving. Excessive use of various game mechanisms in learning platforms can distract from the learning process. However, the fit of game mechanisms is still uncertain. Thus, this study investigates the effect of achieving fit when implementing game mechanisms on learning outcomes by applying the well-known task-technology fit theory (TTF). TTF is frequently employed to improve fit between tasks to be completed and the technology applied. The findings indicate that achieving gamification fit can reduce the cognitive load of students and result in enhanced learning performance in terms of learning outcomes. Data collected from 266 participants were analyzed using the technique of the partial least squares to validate the developed research model. The findings of this study can aid educators and educational technology designers in identifying the design mechanisms and characteristics that can be used to ensure design fit on gamification platforms.

Gamification of behavioral experiments has been applied successfully to research in a number of disciplines, including linguistics. We believe that these methods have been underutilized in applied linguistics, in particular second-language acquisition research. The incorporation of games and gaming elements (gamification) in behavioral experiments has been shown to mitigate many of the practical constraints characteristic of lab settings, such as limited recruitment or only achieving small-scale data. However, such constraints are no longer an issue with gamified and game-based experiments, and as a result, data collection can occur remotely with greater ease and on a much wider scale, yielding data that are ecologically valid and robust. These methods enable the collection of data that are comparable in quality to the data collected in more traditional settings while engaging far more diverse participants with different language backgrounds that are more representative of the greater population. We highlight three successful applications of using games and gamification with applied linguistic experiments to illustrate the effectiveness of such approaches in a greater effort to invite other applied linguists to do the same.

An augmented reality (AR)-integrated gamification learning approach in an electronics course was developed in this study to help students better understand the concepts while simultaneously increasing their motivation. An experimental study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the AR-integrated gamification approach on students' learning outcomes and motivation. A total of 29 vocational high school students was divided into two groups. The experimental group experienced AR-integrated gamification while the control group adopted conventional gamification. The results indicated that students in the AR-integrated gamification approach outperformed the conventional gamification group in the psychomotor learning outcomes, but no significant difference was found in cognitive and affective domains between the two groups. Concerning learning motivation, the experimental group only performed better intrinsic goal orientation than the control group while the other categories of motivation were insignificant. To compare the pretest and posttest in each group, the experimental group gained higher posttest scores in all domains of learning outcomes than the pretest scores after the intervention, but the control group only improved cognitive and psychomotor domains. Regarding learning motivation, the proposed approach pointed out the better posttest scores in all components compared to the pretest scores in the experimental group while only the posttest scores of extrinsic goal orientation, task value, and control beliefs about learning were higher than the pretest scores in the control group. The practical implications and recommendations for future work are presented.

Given the crucial role of writing in both academic and workplace settings, teachers should constantly seek effective ways to improve their students' writing skills. The use of games or their elements to support the teaching and learning of writing has gained much attention in language education studies. Despite the increasing number of empirical studies in the field, there has been no systematic investigation of what games, or their elements, have been applied in the writing classroom. The aim of this study was to summarize the empirical evidence on using game-related approaches, including game-based learning and gamification, to teach writing. Twenty-two studies were analyzed, revealing the following findings: (1) various types of games were used for writing instruction, including digital educational games, non-digital educational games, and digital non-educational games; (2) digital educational games were the most common game type reported in the literature, and such games were used to create authentic and interactive learning environments, provide writing practice opportunities, and evaluate students' writing skills; (3) various game elements, such as points, leaderboards, storylines, and role-playing, were incorporated to develop gamified activities; and (4) students participated in such gamified activities in online and hybrid modes. Taken as a whole, the findings show how games and their elements are used for teaching and learning writing. Suggestions and implications are provided for practitioners and researchers in the field.

As gamification is introduced into education, researchers believe it has the potential to improve online learning. However, the effects of gamified online learning (GOL) are mixed. Is it more effective than online learning? Given that no meta-analysis analyzes the effectiveness of GOL. This meta-analysis explores the effects of GOL on students' learning based on 27 experimental studies. The results show that GOL has a medium positive effect on students' learning (SMD=0.533, 95% CI [0.405, 0.662], p<0.001), especially on academic achievement (SMD=0.658, p<0.001). Furthermore, moderator analyses show that the learning outcome, educational level, group activity, competition or cooperation, game element, research design, and region moderate the effects of GOL. GOL has better effects under the below conditions: (1) class sizes are 31-50; (2) treatment duration is "three" months or less; (3) among university and in-service students; (4) cooperation or mixed (cooperation + competition) are better; (5) group + individual learning is better; (6) except for progress bars, other "nine" game elements can promote students' learning; (7) four or fewer types of game elements. Finally, discussion, implications, and conclusion are put forward.

The increase in digital teaching and learning methodologies creates the opportunity for new educational approaches, both in terms of pedagogical practice and in the availability of new technological tools. The flipped classroom as an active teaching methodology is one example of blended learning (b-learning), which aims to harmonize and enhance the fusion of face-to-face teaching with online teaching, allowing students to get better use of both face-to-face contact with classmates and professors and digital teaching resources. However, active teaching methodologies allow us to merge educational techniques from different methodological approaches, for example, gamification and team-based learning (TBL), among others. This study aims to demonstrate how to implement a flipped classroom with the possibility of integrating gamification and TBL, indicating possibilities and challenges to overcome, through the comparative study and research carried out with students in higher education. The study was conducted with a group of 88 students from the engineering and technology fields, which showed that students have a very positive perception of active teaching methodologies and their teaching and learning techniques, especially those involving digital. Data collection was performed by a survey submitted to quantitative analysis using the Software SPSS version 28.

The model for implementing pedagogical technologies to the develop cognitive processes of secondary education students is highly significant in the present era. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and practically test some pedagogical technologies used in the process of secondary education. To investigate this issue in more detail, theoretical research methods were used, namely: analysis, generalisation, synthesis, structural and functional methods, and empirical research methods such as testing, survey, and experiment. The main result of the study is the proof of the fact that pedagogical technologies for the development of cognitive abilities in students affect their success in learning and their level of productivity. The experimental part of the study showed that it is necessary to introduce such teaching methods as game techniques "In search of the truth," "Perceive the date," "Naughty numbers," and "Black Box" in the development of chronological knowledge in history lessons, since the use of such techniques at any age contributes to the development of stable associative connections, as opposed to direct memorisation. Moreover, such training promotes the development of imagination, logical thinking of students, and memorisation mechanisms and effectively affects the development of cognitive abilities of the individual. The practical significance of this study is that all the materials can be used in educational institutions by teachers, students, and other researchers.

This study represents the first comprehensive qualitative systematic review on sport coaches' and teachers' perceptions and application of Game-Based Approaches (GBA) and Constraints-Led Approach (CLA). From searching 12 electronic academic databases from 1982 to 2020, 29 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-study. Data revealed studies were conducted in several different countries, and case study design was the predominant methodology. The main data collection method reported was cross-sectional interviews. There were inconsistencies in the quality of reporting methodologies, sampling procedures, data analysis, and assessing quality. The meta-theory analysis identified weaknesses in the methodological and conceptual approaches, and a low number of studies stated philosophical perspectives. The meta-synthesis identified assumptions about learning, pedagogical knowledge and skills, content knowledge, and support as the overarching themes reported to impact coaches' and teachers' perceptions and application of GBAs and CLA. Finally, some recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

Exercise is essential for mastering mathematics, but it faces two major hurdles. First, students are often not motivated to do their homework. Second, checking traditional homework is a manual and labor-intensive process that becomes harder to support as the number of students increases. We argue that computer games could alleviate both problems. In contrast to homework, students are willing to spend many hours playing video games. And because video games keep track of the gamers' performance, they offer a scalable solution to the problem of checking the homework. We describe an experiment to augment traditional homework with a computer game that we have developed for exercising the topics of symmetry groups in an undergraduate college course. We describe the mathematical background of the subject matter, how we have embedded the mathematics into the game, the empirical results of playing the game, and the insights we have gained from this experiment.

So as to effectively personalize a game design and gamified experiences in a learning context, the psychological characteristics of the students must be inexorably considered. A rigorous search using scientific search engines was conducted in order to explore game user classification theories that can contribute to tailor game content. On the one hand, research revealed that personality traits can be highly predictive of the players' degree of enjoyment of a wide range of game design elements (levels, points, leaderboards, etc.). On the other hand, research also showed that motivation to play is strongly dependent on context and, therefore, tailored player typologies can help predict playing styles more precisely than generic taxonomies of personality traits. Several models for classifying users were found, based on four approaches: personality traits, player types, player motivations, and gamification user types. The overview created and the diagram proposed by the researcher shows great connectivity between these models. Parallels were identified, evincing how Vandenberghe's ([2012]. The 5 domains of play. Applying psychology's big 5 domains to games. "Proceedings of the 2012 Game Developers Conference," pp. 25-29) "5 Domains of Play" model comprises the concepts of all the others. Consequently, with the purpose of tailoring an efficient gamified classroom experience, this model might be helpful when exploring the relationship between game content and learners' personality.

Artificial intelligence assignments lead this article's 11 teaching innovations selected from the "My Favorite Assignments" presented at the 2023 Association for Business Communication's (ABC's) 88th Annual International Conference held in the Mile-High City: Denver, Colorado, USA. Pedagogy presented here also includes ideas to enhance student engagement and techniques to transform learning via gamification. Classroom-ready teaching tools provided by this article's contributors are waiting on ABC's site, including instructions to students, stimulus and exercise materials, slides, grading rubrics, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and sample student work products. Materials are also available on DePaul University's Center for Sales Leadership page: https://www.businesscommunication.org/page/assignments and https://salesleadershipcenter.com/research/business-professional-communication-quarterly-my-favorite-assignment

Self-regulation helps students develop various cognitive, metacognitive, and affective strategies to regulate their learning process and maximize learning gains. However, self-regulation demands i) an encouraging environment and ii) student motivation. First, adding Open Learner Models (OLM) to learning environments encourages self-regulation by providing clear feedback on which skills students need to prioritize. Second, gamifying these environments holds the potential to maximize student motivation. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on whether gamification improves learning self-regulation in OLM-based applications is lacking to our best knowledge. Therefore, we conducted a one-factor (gamification: yes or no) experimental study (n = 39) to test if gamification improves the self-regulation and performance of learners who used an OLM-based Intelligent Tutoring System to complete multiple-choice questions. Surprisingly, we found no significant differences in self-regulation and performance when comparing the gamified and non-gamified groups. Considering prior research did not investigate gamification in similar settings, the fact that gamification's effect varies depending on the context and learning outcome likely explains our findings. Thus, practitioners must be cautious in using gamification amid the lack of empirical evidence on its effectiveness in a given context/learning outcome. Researchers need to understand how gamification affects different learning outcomes in varied contexts. Accordingly, future research must investigate and ground how self-regulation, OLM, and gamification work together.

This perspective piece explores the transformative potential and associated challenges of large language models (LLMs) in education and how those challenges might be addressed utilizing playful and game-based learning. While providing many opportunities, the stochastic elements incorporated in how present LLMs process text, requires domain expertise for a critical evaluation and responsible use of the generated output. Yet, due to their low opportunity cost, LLMs in education may pose some risk of over-reliance, potentially and unintendedly limiting the development of such expertise. Education is thus faced with the challenge of preserving reliable expertise development while not losing out on emergent opportunities. To address this challenge, we first propose a playful approach focusing on skill practice and human judgment. Drawing from game-based learning research, we then go beyond this playful account by reflecting on the potential of well-designed games to foster a willingness to practice, and thus nurturing domain-specific expertise. We finally give some perspective on how a new pedagogy of learning with AI might utilize LLMs for learning by generating games and gamifying learning materials, leveraging the full potential of human-AI interaction in education.

The scientific literature reveals the impact of applying game-based videos and gamification on undergraduates' learning. This work proposes, within an online context, using these educational strategies to make students the active protagonists of their learning. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the students' perception of the effectiveness of the application of game-based videos (within a flipped classroom framework) and gamification to improve knowledge and competencies. The study was conducted for four months with pre-service teachers (n = 190) in an online Social Sciences course. The students were provided with the lesson plan and filled in an ad hoc questionnaire using a quasi-experimental design in an ecological environment. The results indicate a positive impact in all the assessed aspects after implementing the innovative experience. Utilizing a different teaching style, one with the student as the protagonist of the learning process plus the improvement of learning shows significantly positive educational results. These preliminary findings enhance the development of pre-service teacher training and a student-centered teaching--learning process. Consequently, guidelines are provided to advance innovative educational experiences in online higher education.

Background: Gamification is a novel active methodology used in Physical Education to motivate students. Purpose: This study analyzed the impact of this method on the motivation of Compulsory Secondary Education students in Spain during an 8-session Physical Education Didactic Unit. Methods: A total of 275 students participated, divided into a gamified group (n = 133) and a control group (n = 142). The participants filled out 2 questionnaires, one aimed at assessing Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs) (Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale) and the other at measuring the motivational component (The Sport Motivation Scale). Results: An interaction effect (Time x Treatment) was found, with the gamified group improving in BPNs (autonomy (F(1) 57.97, p = <0.001; [eta][superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.175); competence (F(1) 37.28, p = <0.001; [eta][superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.120); relatedness (F(1) 51.49, p = <0.001; [eta][superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.159), and intrinsic motivation (F(1) 39.65, p = <0.001; [eta][superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.127), while decreasing in amotivation (F(1) 21.42, p = <0.001; [eta][superscript 2][subscript p] = 0.073)). Conclusions: These data suggest that a gamified intervention enhances the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs, increases intrinsic motivation, while decreases amotivation in secondary education students.

This study examines the influence of students' individual attitude and social interactions on participation in collaborative and gamified online learning activities, as well as the influence of participating in those activities on students' online class- and test-related emotions. Based on a sample of 301 first year Economics and Law university students and using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling approach, all the relationships among first-order and second-order constructs included in the model are validated. The results support all the hypotheses studied, confirming the positive relationship that both students' individual attitude and social interactions have on participation in collaborative and gamified online learning activities. The results also show that participating in those activities is positively related with class- and test-related emotions. The main contribution of the study is the validation of the effect of collaborative and gamified online learning on university students' emotional well-being through the analysis of their attitude and social interactions. Moreover, this is the first time in the specialised learning literature that students' attitude is considered as a second-order construct operationalised by three factors: the perceived usefulness that this digital resource brings to the students, the entertainment that this digital resource brings to the students, and the predisposition to use this digital resource among all those available in online training. Our findings aim to shed light for educators when preparing and designing computer mediated and online teaching programs that seek to generate positive emotions as a motivation for students.

Games have been used as a learning tool for centuries. Gamification and game-based learning are becoming more prominent in educational settings for several reasons. When it comes to learning, being focused and immersed can massively improve a student's experience. The purpose of this study is to map the emerging trends of gamification and game-based learning (GBL) in the Vocational and Education Training (VET) sector. For this purpose, a Systematic Literature Review was conducted through the three most relevant scientific databases -- Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed with Google Scholar as a supporting database. The obtained sample was further selected following the PRISMA guidelines with screening and eligibility processes conducted based on inclusion criteria that were defined with consideration to the research's aim. This review comprised seventeen studies. The findings revealed a growing interest in the Asian continents in research from 2020 onwards. Furthermore, most of the study is centred on vocational schools and colleges in the engineering and healthcare fields. According to the overview, the digital learning platform and simulation technology are the most promising tools used in the research. The findings support the conclusion that gamification and game-based learning can improve academic performance, engagement, and motivation in vocational education learners. As a result, this study suggests that more research is needed to determine the gamification strategies that are most suited for vocational education and learning.

Gamification is an educational methodology and tool that offers benefits through mechanics and dynamics. It brings motivating experiences and benefits to the instructional design approach. Several studies highlight that this methodology fosters contributions in commitment, fun, enthusiasm, motivation, satisfaction, and interaction in pedagogical contexts. The sample of 308 teachers was obtained after the mass delivery of the instrument to educational centers in Spain. The sample is nonprobabilistic, and the study participants voluntarily answered the survey. Of the participants, 69.8% were women and 30.2% were men; this proportion is representative of the population of teachers. A descriptive analysis is based on three dimensions: most used programs, devices used, and didactic functionality. These data are triangulated with an analysis through the HJ-Biplot method, which is presented as a multivariate graphical representation of the data from an Xnxp matrix. This analysis details findings on the determining role played by the teacher and the relationship between years of experience, age, devices used, and resources used, detected with descriptive and bivariate analyses. Among the conclusions are that the subjects positively value training in digital teaching competence in terms of gamification, although in real daily practice only 30% of teachers claim to use gamified tools. Gamification provides collaborative and innovative benefits in relation to its didactic functionality.

Gamification has often been used to stimulate learner engagement via intangible rewards, such as virtual points and virtual badges, rather than material goods or benefits. However, not all learners value such intangible rewards; some express their desire to redeem intangible rewards for utilitarian resources or benefits. Although tangible rewards have long been considered a key gamification mechanism in commercial loyalty programs, few studies have explicitly explored its effectiveness in the context of gamified education. To address this gap, the present study used a randomized controlled trial approach to examine the effects of tangible rewards that are redeemed through intangible rewards on students' intrinsic motivation, behavioural and cognitive engagement, and learning performance in a fully online gamified flipped class. Each student was randomly assigned either to the tangible rewards group (EG = 28) or the intangible rewards group (CG = 29). The students in EG significantly outperformed those in CG in terms of intrinsic motivation, behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement and learning performance in the final exam. The results provided practical implications for instructors who plan to use tangible rewards in their gamified classes.

Using gamification to support learning in K-12 education has received much attention from scholars in recent years. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of how gamification should be used to effectively enhance the learning experiences of K-12 students. The purpose of this review was to synthesize research findings on the use of gamification in K-12 education and to propose an evidence-informed framework. This framework will guide teachers and scholars in developing gamified learning environments that are effective in improving K-12 students' learning. In this regard, 54 empirical studies (out of 907 peer-reviewed articles), dating from 2008 through 2021, were reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline. The findings were systematically categorized into four essential dimensions of learning environments inspired by Biggs' 3P teaching and learning model, ie, 'individual factors', 'environmental factors', 'learning process' and 'learning outcome'. The review yielded rich findings concerning each dimension, providing K-12 teachers and scholars with a comprehensive overview of research findings on using gamification for educational purposes. Meanwhile, the findings indicated the lack of empirical studies regarding constructively aligned gamified courses, in which the different dimensions of the adopted framework are implemented and evaluated coherently. The paper concludes by presenting several suggestions and directions for future research to address this shortcoming.

New game technologies seem to permeate every area of daily life. Therefore, it is not surprising that, in addition to the incorporation of entertaining gaming features into otherwise dull or tedious activities, the positive influence of user experience and user engagement has also been on the rise in recent years. It is all part of gamification. Individual differences in response to gamification deserve attention. Specifically, the objective of this experimental study was to investigate how perfectionism and gender affect behavior under two conditions--free play and competition--during a logic video game played by 155 gifted high school students. Game points monitoring frequency (GPMF) and game completion time (GCT) were measured. Functional perfectionists showed significantly higher GPMF than dysfunctional perfectionists. Furthermore, the competitive condition increased GPMF significantly more in functional perfectionists (compared to dysfunctional perfectionists) and girls tended to show higher GCT across the conditions. The results indicate that, in a competitive environment, the effectiveness of employing points for feedback is influenced by both a perfectionistic personality style and gender. Our study supports the notion that gamification elements can affect individuals differently, supporting the motivation of some students, yet being ignored by others.

Gamification in education refers to the application of game design elements and game principles in teaching with the goal of increasing students' motivation and engagement, which contributes to more successful achievement of learning outcomes. Gamification can be used in education at different levels, from primary and secondary schools to universities and adult education. An analysis of the literature on the use of gamification in education has shown that it is more common in university education and less common in primary and secondary schools. Nonetheless, experience shows that games and numerous digital tools are successfully used in schools for the purpose of gamification, although this is generally not supported by the relevant research published in the papers. The research presented in this paper represents a systematic review of the literature on relevant research on the use of gamification in primary and secondary schools to explore the field and make recommendations for future research. The conclusion is that research on gamification should continue to suggest appropriate pedagogical and technological frameworks which would facilitate the use of gamification in schools by teachers. [Note: The year (2022) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation for this article is v9 n1 2023.]

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) has shown to be an effective approach to gamifying the learning experience in any course and learning environment. To make learning more active and engaging for students, college faculty can use educational technologies such as game-based student response systems (SRSs) and interactive PowerPoint games as a formative assessment for assessing student learning and improving learning outcomes in their courses. This quasi-experimental research study examined differences among undergraduate elearners' posttest summative scores comparing game-based epedagogies (Socrative vs. interactive PowerPoint game) using the Technological, Pedagogical, Content, and Knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework. An independent t-test was used to test for differences in summative scores between the Socrative and interactive PowerPoint game group and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Results from the t-test showed that the interactive PowerPoint game group scored significantly higher compared to the Socrative group on the summative assessment. Two recommendations for practice were for higher education leadership to (a) encourage DGBL approaches for teaching and learning for elearners enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, and (b) to encourage college faculty to use game-based epedagogies such as game-based SRSs and interactive PowerPoint games as formative assessments to not only enhance their teaching but also improve student learning outcomes. A recommendation for future research is to conduct a quasi-experimental study with a between-groups design using interactive PowerPoint games to determine the causality of differences based on gender, course subject, and learning modality.