Gamification of Learning and Gamified Assessment in Higher Education – Learning and Teaching Initiatives funded by the UGC

Abstract:

Past empirical studies have shown that both gamification of learning and gamified assessment can challenge students to become active participants in the learning process through engagement with instruction content, self-discovery of information, and creation of knowledge or meaning of information (Rivera & Garden, 2018). While game elements have been adopted in different fields in the last decades, only recently have they become an area of interest for course design in higher educational contexts (Campos, Batista, Gardiman, Madeira, & Signoretti, 2015; Silva, Leal, & Rodrigues, 2019; Zainuddin, Chu, Shujahat, & Corinne, 2020).
More specifically, this project aims to identify the effects of gamified courses on students’ flow experience (Csíkszentmihályi, 1990; Jackson, Martin & Eklund, 2008), besides testing its effect on undergraduate education. There will be two or three courses implementing the gamified pedagogies and gamified assessment strategies. Interview and observations will be conducted to investigate students’ beliefs and dispositions towards gamified learning. Participating teachers’ beliefs and disposition in conducting gamification of learning and gamified assessment will be collected and compared to students’ perception. Good practices in gamification of learning and gamified assessment will be compiled and consolidated; gamified implementation guidelines will be developed for colleagues’ use or as reference materials.

Code:

T0249

Principal Project Supervisors:

Keywords provided by authors:

Start Date:

01 Dec 2020

End Date:

28 Feb 2022

Status:

Completed

Result:

The results of the study which lasted for a whole semester - are presented and discussed on a basis of a mixed research study of 51 Students in the control group, 38 Students in the intervention group of the undergraduate course of Stress and Coping PSY3019. The intervention group was gamified using simple techniques such as points, leaderboards and badges, while the rest followed the traditional academic grading system. After the whole semester the results of all groups – attendance, number of additional tasks completed, the grade average and so on were collected and analysed. The results from the study was surprising: results did show that there are statistically significant differences between Time 1 and Time 2 rating on Flow for both Gamification Group and Control Group. For Gamification Group, the within-group difference is significant with (Time 1: M = 3.15, SD = .41; Time 2: M = 3.50, SD = .53; t(35) = 3.447; p < .01). Control group also show significant within-group differences between Time 1 and Time 2 on Flow, with (Time 1: M = 3.18, SD = .38; Time 2: M = 3.38, SD = .53; t(48) = 2.531; p < .05).

Impact:

The experiment showed promising results. Elements of gamification may be implemented into learning process, as they seem to have positive impact on at least some factors, like Flow experience, which is flow, attention, enjoyment, and deep study approach usage. However, authors could not find a significant difference between higher intervention group and control group received by the gamified teaching. The study should be extended for larger group to examine students’ attitude before and after course, as well as if students tend to compete between each other. The task of assigning certain points for every task and balancing them wasn’t easy and may be corrected to every new course which is being gamified.

Deliverables:

Books/ Book Chapters/ Journal Articles/ Conference Papers

Leung, K. W. M., & Chan, T. N.-C. (2023). Exploring gamification as a teaching strategy in changing times. In K. W. H. Yung & H. Xu (Eds.), Educating teachers online in challenging times: The case of Hong Kong (pp. 152-174). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Ho, K. P., Leung, K. W., Chan, N. C., & Tang, T. W. Y. (2021, December 9). Gamification of Teaching and Learning to Enhance Students’ Learning Experience in a Higher Education Classroom [Online conference presentation]. The International Conference on Learning and Teaching 2021. The Education University of Hong Kong.

Seminars/Presentations/Sharing Sessions

Leung, K. W. (2021, June 18). Gamification of a Higher Education Course: What’s the fun in That? Presentation at Departmental meeting of Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I). The Education University of Hong Kong (https://view.genial.ly/6053235edb6ca90fcbd886c7)

Financial Year:

2020-21

Type:

TDG