Promoting students’ engagement in higher education through game-based learning: A South African case study

Student engagement plays an important role in promoting student success at higher education institutions. It is of profound significance to improve student engagement through the utilisation of effective pedagogical approaches, such as game-based learning. However, there is a lack of study in the South African context focusing on game-based learning at higher education institutions. This study aimed to explore students’ views and experiences on game-based learning at an identified university in South Africa. The student-centred learning theory was anchored in this study as a theoretical lens. In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative single case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. A purposive sampling technique was followed to recruit participants from a public university in South Africa, with six participants recruited for this study. The authors utilised thematic analysis to analyse the data. The findings of this study revealed that participants shared positive views and attitudes toward game-based learning. They believed that game-based learning significantly motivated them in the learning process. Furthermore, game-based learning also reduced their stress in learning compared to the learning in normal classrooms. They reported that game-based learning not only improved their engagement in learning but also enhanced their knowledge and skills. This study also highlighted that game-based learning should be well-planned to avoid demotivating students. It can be concluded that game-based learning is an effective approach to improve student engagement. Further studies should be conducted with diverse research approaches at different higher education institutions.