Between Level Up and Game Over: A Systematic Literature Review of Gamification in Education

Abstract

Educational gamification consists of the use of game elements and game design techniques in the educational context. The objective of this study is to examine the existing evidence on the impact of educational gamification on student motivation and academic performance in the last five years in order to analyze its distribution over time, educational level, variables, and most used game elements, and know the advantages of its implementation in the classroom. For this, a systematic review is proposed through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology in three multidisciplinary databases, through an exhaustive search with inclusion and exclusion criteria on quantitative experimental studies that explore gamification in educational centers, which provide information about the most current lines of research. Fourteen studies were included in this review. These used experimental or quasi-experimental designs. Most of them report gamification as a valid learning strategy. The results support the conclusion that educational gamification has a potential impact on the academic performance, commitment, and motivation of students. Therefore, this study implies the need to expand research on the needs and challenges of students when learning with gamified techniques.

Digital Escape Rooms as Innovative Pedagogical Tools in Education: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Gamification in education rose to popularity in the early 2010s, and has been given a definition by [24] as "using game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems", implicitly concentrating on its core virtues: the ability to enhance learning and stimulate the motivation and engagement of students. In fact, it is a technique that proposes different dynamics concerning game elements and game design in educational environments to stimulate and create interactions with students, allowing them to develop curricular, cognitive, and social competences [25]. The core idea of gamification leads to the logic that the game elements' motivational strength can be transferred into educational contexts [26].…”

Enhancements in Cognitive Performance and Academic Achievement in Adolescents through the Hybridization of an Instructional Model with Gamification in Physical Education

“…Gamification, understood as the selective application of game mechanics to a nongame activity that is not a fully packaged game [36], has been used as a means of increasing motivation status in several PE interventions [37,38]. Applying educational gamification promotes student participation, especially if the game elements used in gamification have established objectives and rewards [39]. Some of its elements, such as storytelling, the involvement of social relationships, or the action of playing, constitute a special tool in order to improve cognitive and academic performance [21,40], even when used for online learning [41].…”

The effect of gamification on young mathematics learners’ achievements and attitudes

“…Lee & Hammer (2011) have described assembling education and game elements as combining peanut butter with chocolate to create a wonderful taste. Studies show that gamification can make a positive contribution to the education process (Kim & Castelli, 2021;Klock et al, 2020;Lister, 2015;Manzano-Leon et al, 2021;Swacha, 2021). In addition, the adaptation of gamification to learners is considered a remarkable point in the use of gamification in education.…”

“…Accordingly, the studies show that gamification affects students' academic achievement and attitudes (Barata et al, 2013;De-Marcos et al, 2014;Dominguez et al, 2013;Hanus & Fox, 2015;Mekler et al, 2013;O'Donovan et al, 2013). When the related literature (Kim & Castelli, 2021;Klock et al, 2020;Lister, 2015;Manzano-Leon et al, 2021;Swacha, 2021) is reviewed, it is seen that gamification can be used in the fifth-grade mathematics course. From this point of view, it was thought that gamification might have an effect on students' performance and attitudes towards the course.…”