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This research paper investigates the effectiveness of gamification as a pedagogical strategy for enhancing cognitive skills development among students in higher education, with a particular focus on learners specializing in Electronics and Sensors. In recent years, gamification has become a promising strategy to engage students and promote active learning experiences. However, its impact on cognitive skill development, especially in specialized academic domains, remains relatively underexplored. Through a case study methodology, this research assesses the influence of gamified learning interventions on students' cognitive abilities, encompassing skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making. Data was collected through pre- and post-intervention assessments, student surveys, and qualitative feedback sessions. Results indicate significant improvements in cognitive skills among participants exposed to gamified learning experiences compared to those in traditional instructional settings. The findings suggest that gamification holds promise as a viable educational tool for fostering cognitive skill development in higher education contexts, particularly within specialized fields such as Electronics and Sensors. This study adds to the expanding body of research on gamification in education and provides valuable insights into its potential to enhance learning outcomes in technical disciplines. Future research directions and implications for practice are discussed to further leverage the benefits of gamification approaches in higher education settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in applying gamified designs in higher education is challenged by mixed results in terms of student acceptance. Different players are attracted to games for different reasons and game design elements, and a better understanding of how each learner will connect to different game mechanics provides valuable input for game design and evaluation. In this paper, we present and validate a scale to measure the affinity of each player with different game elements. First, a theoretical review was carried out on three profile classifications and six motivational theoretical models, proposing a taxonomy for twelve player profiles based on three axes: relational, competence and motivational. Then, a pilot test was carried out with 54 subjects, analysing content and comprehension validity through the judgment of six experts and construct validity through an exploratory factorial analysis. Subsequently, with a sample of 1010 subjects, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The scale was made up of 30 items, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.822; three main components were obtained: dominators, interactors and trackers. The results show the validity of the scale, with high levels of confidence. It provides an understanding of the player's profile in a playful context, their motivational orientation and their affinity with the specific game design. This can be used to improve the design of gamified experiences in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the 2030 SDGs Game as a pedagogical tool for the promotion of interdisciplinary education. Based on the simulation of possible world outcomes for the year 2030, the game induces participants to reflect on the socioeconomic and environmental consequences of actions and facilitate the exploration of the interconnected nature of the Sustainable Development Goals. Design/methodology/approach: Starting with a review of the main benefits and constraints of interdisciplinary learning approaches, this paper discusses how pedagogical attitudes have change over time and suggests the use of the 2030 SDGs Game as a powerful tool for sustainability education. Composed by a set of cards with different projects and goals, the game connects participants to the principles of the Agenda 2030 and is suitable for a wide range of educational settings. In the case study presented in this paper, the game was played by 20 students from five different faculties of the University of Liverpool (UK). Findings: The participatory nature of the game, where players learn through the experience of play, is functional to support the co-creation of knowledge of the "active-learner-centred" approach, and facilitate the development of problem-solving attitudes, soft skills and team-working abilities. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper presents, for the first time, the 2030 SDGs Game as a pedagogical tool for interdisciplinary sustainability education. The game is relatively easy to play and is suitable to be used in a wide range of educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Taiwan's higher education institutions prioritize interdisciplinary knowledge and cultural competence in cultural design, emphasizing the value of immersion in the local environment to develop cultural competence. However, challenges arise from the disappearance of traditional local lifestyles and limitations of traditional outdoor lectures such as group size and learning environment. Mobile augmented reality technology serves as a personal learning tool to overcome these challenges, enabling learners to uncover hidden knowledge in scenic locations and improving learning efficiency. Objective: The study utilized learning analytics to investigate the impact of using mobile augmented reality on enhancing learners' cultural competence. Methods: The study used both qualitative and quasi‐experimental quantitative research to evaluate the effects of mobile augmented reality on cultural competence. A total of 78 third‐year university students participated in the study, with 37 of them using mobile augmented reality to learn about culture. The researchers utilized both the Mann–Whitney U test and interviews to compare the effectiveness of mobile augmented reality with that of a 'real' tour guide in field courses. Results: The experimental results indicate that learners were able to continuously seek and find information about local culture through field exploration with mobile augmented reality, resulting in similar effects to those of attending a live lecture. Conclusions: It showed that incorporating mobile AR into field visits can create gamified and active learning scenarios that enhance immersion and drive active learning in local culture. The results in greater cultural knowledge and understanding, leading to the development of cultural competence in students. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: There is a heightened emphasis on cultivating and demonstrating cultural competence across various fields due to the significantly grow of cultural and creative industries.Relying solely on traditional classroom teaching for learning about local culture may result in a diminished impact, as a comprehensive understanding of culture necessitates a keen sense of life.To address the limitations of traditional classroom lectures, educators continuously strive to enhance teaching methodologies by developing innovative approaches, such as experiential learning and community‐based learning, which involve hands‐on activities and real‐world engagement to foster increased learning motivation and improved effectiveness.Augmented reality (AR), a technology that overlays virtual images onto real scenes in real time, has gained extensive usage in diverse fields such as medicine, national defence, education, and entertainment, offering interactive gaming experiences and providing an opportunity to experience the culture and past lives of locals in the field, enhancing learners' understanding of cultural history and creating immersive encounters during visits.Particularly in digital learning, the integration of AR enables learners to engage with additional content through mobile devices, fostering an immersive and gamified learning experience. What this paper adds: The use of the AR app for learning about the local culture yielded comparable outcomes to traditional guided tours.Participants actively engaged in self‐directed learning and demonstrated a sense of initiative while utilizing AR.The flexibility and autonomy provided by field learning, which extended beyond the course period, allowed participants to revisit the field and explore at their own pace using AR.Demonstrates that participants took control and responsibility for their own learning, leading to an enhancement in learner autonomy.Participants who utilized the Roaming Jingliao AR system to explore cultural scenarios exhibited enhanced knowledge and attitudes regarding cultural competence, specifically in areas such as cultural understanding, rice food cultural knowledge, Songjiang folk arts, and skills and practices, which can be attributed to the immersive and autonomous nature of AR‐based knowledge learning in outdoor guided courses, minimizing the influence of external environmental factors and facilitating a deeper understanding of the content compared to traditional guided tours. Implications for practice and/or policy: The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering the limitations associated with a relatively small sample size when conducting research within a university curriculum. To enhance the validity and reliability of future studies, practitioners and policymakers should prioritize the inclusion of larger and more diverse samples, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of AR technology on cultural learning and informing evidence‐based practices and policies.The study's focus on a specific group of participants and their contextual background highlights the need for future research to include participants from diverse educational settings and cultural backgrounds, ensuring that the findings are more applicable and relevant to a broader population. Practitioners and policymakers should consider the importance of inclusivity and diversity when designing and implementing cultural learning interventions using AR technology.The recognition of technological limitations highlights the importance of considering the specific AR system used in cultural learning interventions. Practitioners and policymakers should be cautious when adopting AR technologies and recognize that different AR systems or platforms may yield different outcomes. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of various AR systems and platforms to inform decision‐making regarding the selection and implementation of AR technologies for cultural learning initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing success of gamification in higher education, it is surprising there are still no studies focusing on its implementation in the field of public policy. This paper aims to fill this gap. This article reviews the origins, benefits, and limits of gamification. It also introduces a series of activities implemented previously: the use of Lego bricks, a Kahoot contest, a urban rally, a surviving game among urban gardens, an escape game, a SimCity competition, and a simulation based on Diplomacy. This paper must be considered as roadmap that should be adapted by teachers to their own context. We advocate for a moderate and reasonable use of gamification. This trend must be considered as a simple tool to facilitate learning, and not as an end in itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of research on how game-based learning apps should be designed for engineering education. This paper addresses two research questions: What do engineering students expect from a learning app? Which educational approach and learning app design can meet these requirements? A survey revealed the particular demands of engineering students when using learning apps. They prefer apps that promote transfer of learning. They value a diversified game environment that leaves room for self-determined decisions. They want to use learning apps during five-minute breaks or on-the-go. Social interaction is only of minor importance. Concrete design and content guidelines are derived. Perceptual learning is an appropriate educational approach to meet the requirements. Two universally applicable task types for engineering education are discussed. A case study was conducted to investigate their use in practice. Following the guidelines, an app for heat-and-mass-transfer was generated and its impact on teaching was evaluated. Students considered that their requirements were met. This is reflected in the usage statistics: During one semester, 545 different students played a total of 27,350 games. As a measure of learning progress, the average score per game almost tripled. Apps that follow the guidelines have the potential to become well-accepted learning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire-based study conducted at the "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacău, Romania. The study aimed at identifying students' perception of the impact of educational games on their social emotional skills. The objectives of the study are: O1. to highlight the connection between game-based learning and social emotional learning skills; O2. to identify students' perceptions of the effects of learning games on their social-emotional learning skills in the context of online education; O3. to systematise the main arguments for using learning games to build social-emotional learning skills. A questionnaire consisting of a series of closed questions answered by 200 students from different study programmes was used for data collection. The results obtained made it possible to determine both students' perceptions of the impact of educational games on their professional and personal development and to formulate suggestions for the use of games to build social-emotional learning skills in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main problems of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is the low retention rate of students and a high no-show rate. Meanwhile gamification has been gaining notoriety in the last decade within the education field. This systematic literature review explores the impact gamification has had in MOOCs, how their success is being measured, what are the theories normally associated with these gamified learning environments, and what game design elements are used as well as their implementation and outcome. We've reviewed 22 papers dating from 2014 to July 2019. Our findings are positive in terms of the outcomes, with a general increase in participation and retention on gamified MOOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past ten years or so both companies and academic institutions have made significant steps towards either adopting an e-learning infrastructure or upgrading the systems already being used. During the past few years, we witnessed an incredible proliferation of Learning Management Systems (LMS’s) and the number of features they offered and a strong push towards a blended-based learning approach to training and education. This paper deals with the comparison and presentation of the most popular LMS’s currently available on the market. In our research, we strove to not only summarize the most important information about the big players in the world of blended learning today, but to also direct the readers to the right questions they need to be asking when researching their options. Before a company or an academic institution can make an educated decision as to which system will work best in its case, it needs to carefully consider several important questions — it must decide on its budget, its expectations, its audience, the requirement for specific features, as well as why it needs an LMS in the first place. The effectiveness of gamified learning systems has been extensively researched and consistently praised for its immense positive effect on learners’ motivation and engagement. We firmly believe that in the years to come, gamification will transform both corporate and academic training and that is why, in our research, we paid special attention to any existing system gamification features or ones that may be in development. Introducing game dynamics into an LMS results in numerous benefits and is a sure bet for the future of blended learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As instructors continue to search for innovative and interactive methods, incorporating games and game elements into higher education is increasingly more prominent. Statement of the Problem: While the role of play in cognitive, social, and emotional development is well-understood, there is need for deeper exploration into the practical application of meaningful gamification, especially within psychology courses. Literature Review: Few studies focus on the application of gamification in psychology, and this paper discusses the concept of meaningful gamification and its potential benefits in the classroom. Teaching Implications: This research addresses the real-world advantages and challenges of implementing meaningful gamification, while also outlining potential future directions for educators and researchers in the realm of psychology education. Conclusion: Opportunity exists within psychology courses to implement and advance the study of meaningful gamification via innovative instructional gamification approaches in pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of information technology has made a wide range of cutting-edge technologies accessible, supporting the flourishing of human existence. Modern technology has made it possible for new computer-based technological strategies like gamification. The pedagogical framework is based on the “gamification” game format, which is one of the most recent teaching strategies and has an engaging component for students. Gamification, flipped learning, and problem-based learning are three examples of the technical aspect of escape rooms. In the academic setting, gamification aims to boost student engagement and motivation in order to produce a better user experience. Gamification has been found to increase levels of participation, foster it, and improve activity outcomes. Gamification is recommended in educational settings to improve students’ achievement, focus, and contentment in light of these benefits. In order to establish an effective learning environment where students may effectively improve their learning capacities and boost their performance, it can be difficult to select a higher performing technique among the available techniques due to the ongoing use of gamification techniques. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) are applied in order to determine the criterion weighting and assess the techniques in order to make a good decision. The presented paper analyzed numerous game-based learning techniques along with their applications in the educational field. Additionally, ten criteria and eight gamification methodologies are used to assess and pick the prior pertinent works. By utilizing the suggested approaches, the decision problem has been resolved. The FAHP approach is used in the suggested analysis to evaluate the criteria and determine their weights. Then, using the EDAS method, places are assigned to the chosen procedures based on their evaluation score and criterion weighting. The results of the appraisal show that the gamification technique with the highest production takes first place and is regarded as the best-performing and most successful technique. On the other hand, it is clear that the technique with the lowest production takes the bottom spot and is referred to as the least expensive and lowest performing technique. In order to increase students’ motivation, which could have a substantial impact on learning, it has been discovered that gamification is a feasible strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]