Teaching undergraduate psychology statistics poses challenges to instructors and students due to the perceived complexity of the material and lack of student motivation. With the goal of boosting student competency and engagement in statistics, our study introduced a gamified learning environment into the laboratory portion of the undergraduate psychology statistics course in which the gamified learning group was compared to the traditional group. Changes in intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and objective pre- and post-test course content were assessed. Objective posttest scores were positively associated with perceived competence in statistics for the gamified learning group. Perceived competence is a strong predictor of achievement and foundational prerequisite of intrinsic motivation, suggesting that in contrast with the traditional group, students in the gamified group were further on the path towards developing intrinsic motivation and improved scholastic achievement.
First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
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