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Gamification through leaderboards: An empirical study in engineering education

Abstract:

Universities are looking for solutions to engage more students in STEM domains and enhance their learning performance (LP). In this context, gamification is put forward as a solution to achieve this aim. The present study examined the effect of gamification – building on leaderboards - on LP. Furthermore, mediating variables, such as intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, engagement, and background variables, such as sex, previous gaming experience, and undergraduate major, were considered. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control condition was set up (n = 89) in an Introductory Computer Programming course. We observed a significant improvement in the LP of students in the gamified condition. However, no interaction effect was detected, due to mediating and background variables. The high learning gain is a favorable indicator that gamification might be a promising approach to promote STEM programs.