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Education Sciences
Special Issues
The Power of Play: Gamification for Engaging and Effective Learning
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The Power of Play: Gamification for Engaging and Effective Learning

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 October 2024) | Viewed by 39551

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Darina Dicheva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computer Science, Winston-Salem State University, 601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110, USA
Interests: human–computer interaction; interactive learning environments; gamification in education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the field of gamification has witnessed noticeable growth and popularity. Gamification implies the use of elements borrowed from games to enhance users’ motivation and engagement by adding ludic aspects to boring and repetitive tasks. Education is one of the domains where gamification rapidly gained the interest of researchers due to its promise to contribute to solving crucial problems in learning, such as the lack of motivation and engagement of students. Educational gamification refers to the design of instructional interventions that make learning activities more game-like, interesting, and meaningful to the learners, and thus more desirable, engaging, and motivating.

The aim of this Special Issue is to compile a comprehensive review of the state of the art in the educational use of gamification, highlighting its benefits, risks, limitations, and future trends. We invite the submission of original research articles as well as review and opinion papers.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Empirical studies on using gamification to enhance student motivation and engagement;
  • Analysis and evaluation of the effects of gamified learning on student outcomes and success;
  • AI in educational gamification;
  • Personalized educational gamification;
  • Educational gamification frameworks;
  • Ethical considerations of the use of gamification in educational contexts.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Darina Dicheva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gamification in education
  • adaptive gamification
  • student motivation
  • student engagement

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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44 pages, 7513 KiB  
Review
Solving the Chemistry Puzzle—A Review on the Application of Escape-Room-Style Puzzles in Undergraduate Chemistry Teaching
by Marissa Lorrene Clapson, Shauna Schechtel, Emma Davy and Connor Skye Durfy
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1273; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121273 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Active learning techniques are taking the classroom by storm. Numerous research articles have highlighted the benefits of active learning techniques on student understanding, knowledge retention, problem solving, and teamwork. One avenue to introduce active learning into the classroom is the gamification of course [...] Read more.
Active learning techniques are taking the classroom by storm. Numerous research articles have highlighted the benefits of active learning techniques on student understanding, knowledge retention, problem solving, and teamwork. One avenue to introduce active learning into the classroom is the gamification of course learning content. Educational escape rooms are one such example in which students solve a series of puzzles related to course content to “escape” within a set time frame. Escape games play an interesting role in motivating students, building communication skills and allowing for multimodal learning, having been shown to increase students’ test results and enjoyment of the course content. In lieu of the traditional escape room format, a fully immersive room(s) with classical escape room puzzles (finding items, riddles, alternative locking mechanisms) is used alongside learning activities, and educators have begun to develop truncated activities for easier applications in larger classrooms. In this review, we explore several escape room activities: immersive, paper-based, Battle Boxes, condensed escape activities, and online/virtual, providing examples of the types of puzzles included therein. We similarly discuss the creation of escape room materials and recommendations for the interested educator, as well as the learning benefits of engaging in puzzle development. Finally, we provide an overview on methods to assess active learning through escape rooms, establishing an overview of empirical evidence towards their effectiveness as a learning tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power of Play: Gamification for Engaging and Effective Learning)
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16 pages, 1196 KiB  
Systematic Review
Impact of Gamification on Motivation and Academic Performance: A Systematic Review
by Lorena Jaramillo-Mediavilla, Andrea Basantes-Andrade, Marcos Cabezas-González and Sonia Casillas-Martín
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(6), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060639 - 13 Jun 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 37364
Abstract
This study aims to examine the existing evidence on gamification in educational settings, highlighting its impact on motivation and academic performance. Methodologically, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was developed under the PRISMA statement criteria using three multidisciplinary databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and [...] Read more.
This study aims to examine the existing evidence on gamification in educational settings, highlighting its impact on motivation and academic performance. Methodologically, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was developed under the PRISMA statement criteria using three multidisciplinary databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo. According to the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, it was determined to include 9 SLR articles on gamification that address at least one of the two key variables: student motivation or academic performance. The articles were published between 2016 and 2022, available in open access, written in English or Spanish, and with content that is directly related to the research questions. The results reveal that gamification significantly influences motivation by facilitating the assimilation of knowledge, the improvement of skills and academic competencies of students, and specifically refers to a wide range of capabilities that are essential for success in the educational environment and that can be enhanced through playful and interactive learning experiences. These skills can be cognitive, self-learning, social, or collaborative, among others. It is concluded that creativity and adaptability are key to successfully implementing gamification in the classroom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Power of Play: Gamification for Engaging and Effective Learning)
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