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This study evaluates the effect of game mechanics by employing serious games and gamification for improving learning outcomes. This is done by considering the performances of the students in terms of the test scores. In the quasi-experimental set-up, which consists of 108 students in their intact three classes attended a series of lessons on sexual health course that was delivered using serious games, gamification, and conventional training elements. The test scores were analysed and compared based on the defined methodology of this paper using SPSS statistical tool version 24. This study found that the students learning outcomes improved after the interventions as the results indicated that there was a statistically significant increase in the test scores from pre-test (M = 24.65, SD = 6.38) to post-test (M = 74.96, SD = 15.89), t(107) = 32.48, p < 0.001 (2-tailed). Also, there were statically significant differences in the mean scores across the three classes of game mechanics in the post-test F(2,105), 71.86, p < 0.001, of which serious game and gamification outperformed conventional training students. Moreover, the overall results demonstrated that there were no substantial statistical significance differences among boys and girls who participated in the serious game and gamification for all tests (p > 0.05). Thus, this study suggests that employing a combination of game elements such as leaderboard, points system, competition, badges, levels, and immediate feedback can serve as a recipe for interactive learning, hence, improves learning outcomes.

In today's ICT-based learning environment, students are expected to evaluate the structure of their courses and associated teaching methods. The expectation is that these evaluations will provide valuable feedback to teaching staff. This quantitative study explores the impact of students' evaluations of teaching (SETs) and is based on the students' perceptions of course structure and teaching approaches. The SETs are carried out via an online survey and are used to inform future students about the course structure and teaching style based on teacher recommendations as made by the students. The study utilized institutional data related to SETs and teachers' recommendations. The online survey was conducted by the Institutional Effectiveness Department (IED) of the university at twenty-six different campuses of Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico. The dataset contained a composite record of SET, and their recommendations of 5275 teachers and data were analyzed using a hierarchical regression method performed to identify the impact of SETs and to see how course structure and teaching approaches correlate with teacher recommendations. Empirical findings confirm that the control variables (gender, nationality, employment status, and academic qualifications) have a 0.6% variance in teacher recommendation with no major effects of teacher's gender on their recommendations. The hierarchical regression results demonstrate that SETs based on course structure and teaching approaches have a positive significant association with the recommendations the students make of their teachers, where students recommend their teachers on the bases of course structure compared with the teaching approaches. The reason for preferring a course structure of offered courses in registered degree programs is important for the students to develop skills necessary for their future career.

This quantitative research study explores the external factors of plagiarism among university students in Pakistan. Data were collected from Islamabad city-based university students using an on-line survey that contains questions related to students' plagiarism, from the internet access, ethical control, and teaching factors. For this research, we used a snowball sampling technique for data collection. We received 170 useable responses out of 180 distributed. A hierarchical regression analyses technique was performed for testing the relative contributions of gender, program level, field of study, enrollment status, mode of delivery, internet access, ethical controls, and teaching factors on the prediction of plagiarism. Though statistically analyzed results of this study suggest that internet access has a negative association with students' plagiarism, ethics control and teaching factors have a positive association. These findings imply that culture and personal factors have an essential role in strict implementation of rules and creating awareness on the importance of preventing student's involvement in plagiarism.

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the students' perception of their learning experiences concerning serious gaming and gamification instructions and determines whether they were motivated enough and engaged during the educative process in a resource-poor context. Moreover, the study evaluated the impact of interactive instructional environment outcomes in terms of students' perceptions of the learning catalysed by gamified systems, particularly in enhancing attitude change coupled with knowledge acquisition. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a qualitative research design technique to collect the data. A total of 108 first year secondary school students participated in a sexual health literacy course that lasted for a five-week learning period. Using a cluster-sampling technique, three classes were randomly assigned to serious gaming, gamification and teacher-centred instructions. Individual face-to-face interviews were used to assess students' perceives required satisfaction with three instructions. Data were audio-recorded, and coding analysis was used using NVivo software facilitated qualitative data analysis. Findings: The results show that serious gaming and gamification instructions trumped the traditional teacher-centred instruction method. While intervention students were all positive about the serious gaming and gamification instructions, non-intervention students were negative about conservative teacher-centered learning whose limited interactivity also undermined learning relative to the two innovative interventions. Research limitations/implications: As a justification to limit face-to-face classes, this study may be useful during an emergency phenomenon, including the current situation of amid COVID-19. The implementation of serious gaming and gamification as remotely instructional options could be among the measures to protect educational communities through reducing close-proximity, and eventually, control contamination and the spread of viruses. Originality/value: The application of serious gaming and game elements should not be conceptualised as universal but context-specific. This study shows that particularism is essential to optimise the results in terms of coming up with a specific design based on the scope of evaluation for positive results and develop an intervention that will work, especially in the resource-poor context of the developing world.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, this research aims at helping countries implement an equitable, innovative and context-appropriate stay-home game plan for the millions of disadvantaged and under-privileged students severely affected by the forfeiture of school closures; and secondly, this study proclaims that the burgeoning popularity of gamification has the potential to lay the bedrock foundation for 'Literacy in the New Norm'. Design/methodology/approach: The temporal closure of schools around the world to limit the spread of the COVID-19 has resulted in massive educational disruptions triggering adverse effects and bringing much of education under grave threat. Through a review of the current empirical and conceptual literature, this study proposes a new gamification concept in a non-technology environment. Findings: Well underway are global dialogues that hold conversations on implementing mitigation strategies to counter the looming global health crisis. This has generated the impetus for a more concerted effort by concerned governments and international organizations to identify appropriate solutions for the continuity of learning so that the learning never stops. While educators and learners plunge further into the core of reconstructing education, the authors recognize that the fundamentals of technology and virtual connectivity have all along contributed to the multi-faceted e-learning stage set. However, concerns regarding the paradigm shift to remote online learning would certainly exacerbate inequalities cardinally felt across disadvantaged communities around the globe. Originality/value: As the world is currently bound by strict isolation measures, learners of all ages have been relegated to the confines of their homes. For the most part, the stark realities of technological mishaps that have befallen underprivileged school children, serve as a reminder to help target children all over the world who are in most peril of losing ground in terms of continued education. It is on these grounds that the criterion set out in this article elucidates the nature and scope of a supplementary stay-home game plan detailing the use of game affordances that bear intelligently in the creation of home-based activities for parents to give it their best effort in fostering a collaborative and meaningful parent-child relationship that spawns the new language of literacy in the new norm.

Background: Sexual education has become increasingly important as unhealthy sexual practices and subsequent health risks become more prevalent during adolescence. Traditional sex education teaching methodologies are limiting for digital natives exposed to various digital technologies. Harnessing the power of technology applications attractive to the younger generation may be a useful approach for teaching sex education. Objective: The aim of this study was to improve sexual health knowledge and understanding of the problems associated with unhealthy sexual practices and address sexual and reproductive health challenges experienced in a low-tech setting. Methods: A participatory design approach was used to develop the digital gamified methodology. A sample of 120 secondary school students aged 11-15 were randomly assigned to either experimental or control group for each of the 3 teaching approaches: (1) gamified instruction (actual serious games [SG] in teaching); (2) gamification (GM; making nongames, such as game-like learning); and (3) traditional teaching (TT) methods. Results: The SG and GM approaches were more effective than TT methods in teaching sexual health education. Specifically, the average scores across groups demonstrated an increase of mean scores from the pre- to posttest (25.10 [SD 5.50] versus 75.86 [SD 13.16]; t119=41.252; P<.001 [2 tailed]). Analysis of variance indicated no significant differences across groups for pretest scores (F2,117=1.048, P=.35). Significant differences across groups were evident in the posttest scores. Students in the SG and GM groups had higher average scores than the TT group (F2,117=83.98; P<.001). Students reported increased learning motivation, attitude, know-how, and participation in learning (P<.001) when using SG and GM approaches. Conclusions: Digital health technologies (particularly teaching and learning through gamified instruction and other novel approaches) may improve sexual health education. These findings may also be applied by practitioners in health care settings and by researchers wishing to further the development of sex education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]