Academic Research

The following is a list of academic articles regarding the research on the benefits and challenges of implementing gamification in the classroom. It is not meant to be exhaustive and will be periodically updated.

Gamification: Questing to Integrate Content Knowledge, Literacy, and 21st Century Learning

Tara L. Kingsley & Melissa M. Grabner-Hagen

Kingsley, & Grabner-Hagen, M. M. (2015). Gamification. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 59(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.426

This article discusses the use of gamification as a means to turn an existing curriculum into a game‐based learning environment. In it, the authors discuss how game elements (points, badges, leveling up, etc.), when applied to an effectively structured curriculum, can support the development of 21st-century skills in conjunction with increased engagement with the material. The article also briefly discusses how to correlate a game-based structure with two educational initiatives - the Common Core State Standards and Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Survey results and teacher interview data are provided.

Gamification in Theory and Action: A Survey

Katie Seaborn & Deborah I. Fels

Seaborn, & Fels, D. I. (2015). Gamification in theory and action: A survey. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 74, 14–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2014.09.006

This article attempts to pull together the (so far) limited research that has been done on the effectiveness of gamification in education by surveying a variety of published theoretical reviews and research papers with a focus on empirical results related to purpose, context, design, approaches, and user impact. The authors conclude that as the area of gamification is still in the relatively early stages of development, more work is needed to codify both the focus and desired outcome of its application. While the results of their survey do show mixed results in efficacy, they do skew toward being more positive with the strongest impact on motivation. The authors end by suggesting points of departure for continued empirical investigations of gamified practice and its effects.

Gamifying Learning Experiences: Practical Implications and Outcomes

Adrián Domínguez, Joseba Saenz-de-Navarrete, Luis de-Marcos, Luis Fernández-Sanz, Carmen Pagés, José-Javier Martínez-Herráiz

Dominguez, Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernandez-Sanz, L., Pages, C., & Martinez-Herraiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers and Education, 63, 380–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020

This article examines the viability of applying game mechanics to non-game contexts, specifically within the realm of education at the university level. The researchers created an experiment in which they added a game-based plug-in to an e-learning platform that generated badges and points without altering the activities to measure the impact on practical assignments, motivation, written examinations, and class participation. Their results show a mixture of success, with increases in initial motivation and overall scores on summative assessments, but a decrease in class participation and quality of writing assignments when gamification aspects were added without adapting the curriculum.