Online Game-Based Learning to Enhance Student Engagement, Motivation and 21st-Century Skills

Abstract

In the year 2020 Covid-19 pandemic became a global health concern with significant educational implications. Stay-at-home orders have been issued by governments worldwide, resulting in the closure of institutions and universities. Thereby, educators had to conduct their classes online to ensure educational continuity. However, some of the significant challenges of poorly designed online learning environments were low student involvement in the online classes, which led to the deficit of collaboration, engagement, and motivation. Moreover, our current online learning environments are also limited in addressing students' online learning needs and cultivating critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This study sought to engage students in an online game-based learning environment to improve their problem-solving techniques and increase engagement and collaboration. A mixed-method approach was employed for data collection to gather in-depth and accurate results on students' motivation, engagement and 21st century skills. A 5-point Likert scale survey, and a pre-and post-test were administered online among students to collect quantitative data. Interviews were also conducted to gauge their perception of the online game-based learning environment. Results of the study found that the online game-based learning environment was successful in improving engagement and collaboration in students, and improved their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, providing strong support for using gamebased learning in online classrooms and for building successful communities of practice for enhanced student learning experiences.

Effect of Digital Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Motivation

“…The higher completion rate for GBQAs compared to Moodle-based learning suggests that game-based learning was more engaging for students. Additionally, the higher average completion rate indicates that students were more actively involved in the game, which aligns with the findings of previous studies (e.g., [20,29,62]). Furthermore, students accessed game-based activities more frequently than MBQAs, which could be for entertainment purposes or to improve their scores for self-satisfaction.…”

“…Many pieces of research have shown that most people enjoy playing games, and this enjoyment can lead to an increase in engagement and motivation during educational activities [29]. The concept of gamification has gained extensive attention in recent years as a possible way to make learning more enjoyable and engaging.…”