BIOL 302: Journal Club Group 1

BIOL 302

Effect of Digital Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Motivation

Effect of Digital Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Motivation

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Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Implications/Takeaway

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Introduction

Earlier solutions

COVID-19 Effect

Current teaching

Main Problem

© 2026 Journal Club Group 1

Previous literature

Game-based learning is supported by theoretical foundations:

• Constructivism
• learning occurs via active interaction and experience
• Experiential learning
• learning improves through doing and reflection
• Flow theory
• optimal learning occurs when challenge and skill are balanced

Empirical findings:

• Gamification can improve motivation, participation, and skill acquisition (but results are inconsistent)

• Leaderboard debate
• can positively motivate students who favor competitiveness, but can also negatively motiavte those who don't enjoy competition
• Gender differences
• females show higher academic achievement and responsiveness to feedback, but may dislike competitive comparison compared to males

Gamificationexplained

Game-based learning

• Authors argue that digital game-based learning (DGBL) works because
• Games are already widespread and enjoyable
• Promote active participation, decision-making, and social interaction
• Increase motivation, enjoyment, and persistence in learning tasks
• However, gamification is not universally effective as strategies like leaderboards can both motivate and demotivate students.

Gamified material (vortex game)

• Goal: students categorize terms quickly
• Features:
• Simple rules (low cognitive load)
• Immediate feedback (reinforces learning)
• Time-based scoring (encourages performance improvement)
• Leaderboard (introduces competition)
• Flexible use (can be used in-class or online)

Method(subjects)

Phase 1: Online Spring 2022

• 5 parallel classes of undergraduate engineering seminar (taught by different instructors)
• 101 students participated (ages 19-22, 82% M, 18% F)

Phase 2: Summer 2022

• Study was designed to examine gender differences in game-based tasks
• 2 parallel classes taught by the same professor
• 107 participants (42.1% M, 59.8% F)

Both:

• No final exam → more time available for survey completion
• Class time allocated for survey at start and end of the lecture
• Student responses were voluntary and anonymous

Method(Study design)

Course: Online Spring 2022 - Electric and computer engineering course for sophomores

• Activities were competitive games, aim is to finish task before opponents
• Aka “rousing games” = energize students
• Accessed activities through links on Moodle (learning platform) course page

Hypothesis: intrinsic motivation creates deeper engagement, and thus, deeper learning

Focus: motivate students to engage with the course materials

• Many students are “instrumental” learners = only focus on grades
• Course doesn’t affect grades = students don’t pay attention = no effort
• Chose this course because student motivation is already low.
• Findings from this study will be even more relevant in higher-stake courses where students already care more

Method

(Instruction Design)

Study assesses the use of game-based quiz activities (GBQA) to promote virtual learning

Activities:

• Created in accordance to Keller’s attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation and self-determination theory (SDT)
• ARCS: Teaching activities are matched to these 4 factors for increased stimulation and improved learning
• SDT: motivation follows feelings of autonomy, competency, and connection to others
• When these requirements aren’t met, individuals are less motivated and may feel stress, anxiety, and sadness

Students are satisfied when:

• Correctly answer questions
• Finish task quickly
• See themselves ahead of their peers

Method

(Questionnaire)

3 part questionnaire:

• Part 1: demogbraphic info
• Part 2: 5 point scale, strongly agree/disagree for survey questions (Table 2)
• Highly reliable (Cronbach’s alpha 0.835)
• Q1: enjoyment-based
• Q2/3/4/7/10/11: motivation
• Q3/6: learning self-assessment
• Q7-11: leaderboard impact
• Q12/13: engagement outside of class
• Part 3: Open-ended questions

Method

(Procedure)

Students were divided into five groups (30-50 students each) that differed by:

• Students accessed activities and questionnaire (using online SurveyMonkey) via links on Moodle course page
• Responses were recorded electronically and anonymous

• Type of activity:
• Game-Based Quiz Activities (GBQAs)
• Moodle-Based Quiz Activites (MBQAs)
• Presence or absence of a leaderboard

Two-Phase Study Design

Data Analysis:

• Phase 1:
• Compared GBQAs vs MBQAs
• Tested the effect of leaderboards
• Phase 2:
• All groups used game-based activities only
• Focus on gender differences

• Quantitative:
• Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations
• Qualitative:
• Thematic analysis (open-ended responses)

Results

Complete the missions to learnwhat the authors found

3 open-ended questions

2 Survey Figs. 5-6

1 ActivitiesFigs. 2-4

4 general:tables 4-5

LEVEL 1/3

• Higher completion rates for game-based activities than Moodle-based quizzes
• Completion dropped after switching from game-based to Moodle
• Suggests the game-based format supported better engagement

Next

LEVEL 2/3

• Students accessed game-based activities more often
• Access rates fell after switching to Moodle quizzes
• Leaderboard groups appeared to return more frequently

Next

LEVEL 3/3

• Lower completion time = better performance
• Leaderboard groups sometimes showed better performance
• Overall differences were not statistically significant

Next

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have mastered the activities section of the results!1

Results

Complete the missions to learnwhat the authors found

3 open-ended questions

2 Survey Figs. 5-6

1 ActivitiesFigs. 2-4

4 general:tables 4-5

LEVEL 1/2

NEXT

• About 60% said the games were fun
• About 74% said the activities were motivating
• About 77% said the games improved understanding

Next

LEVEL 2/2

NEXT

• Summer survey responses were also mostly positive
• Students liked the games, but fewer preferred them during lecture time
• More than half supported future use of game-based activities

Next

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have mastered the survey section of the results!2

Results

Complete the missions to learnwhat the authors found

3 open-ended questions

2 Survey Figs. 5-6

1 ActivitiesFigs. 2-4

4 general:tables 4-5

LEVEL 1/3

Theme 1:

Game-based activities are a good way to review the course material.

• Students felt that game-based activities were useful in providing an overview of concepts studied during lectures.
• "new way to understand and review the material"

Next

LEVEL 2/3

Theme 2:

Game-based activities help students to become more engaged in the lectures.

• Students felt more engaged, helping them focus their attention on the topics at hand.
• "all students engaged at the same time with the same question to see who solves them faster and correctly."

Next

LEVEL 3/3

Theme 3:

Playing games was a fun and satisfying experience.

• Game-based activities created a positive atmosphere, helping students perform better.
• "It was fun interacting with everyone when playing the game.”

Next

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have mastered the open-ended question section of the results!3

Results

Complete the missions to learnwhat the authors found

3 open-ended questions

2 Survey Figs. 5-6

1 ActivitiesFigs. 2-4

4 general:tables 4-5

LEVEL 2/2

• Leaderboard group scored higher in 3 of 4 Moodle activities
• But all p-values were above 0.05
• So the leaderboard effect was not statistically significant

Next

LEVEL 2/2

• Female students had longer completion times in most activities
• Male students were significantly faster on A3, A4, A5, and A7
• Shows some gender differences in speed during game-based tasks

Next

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have mastered the general section of the results!4

Results

You have completed all the missions!Now, lets get into the Discussion section.

3 open-ended questions

2 Survey Figs. 5-6

1 ActivitiesFigs. 2-4

4 general:tables 4-5

Discussion

General

RQ3

RQ2

RQ1

© 2026 Journal Club Group 1

Discussion

Strengths

• Real classroom implementation (good ecological validity)
• Compared game-based and traditional methods
• Used two study phases and combined quantitative and qualitative analysis

Weaknesses & Limitations

• Sample and context limitations - limits generalizability

• Conducted in one course and one institution
• Participants were mostly engineering students
• Self-reported data
• heavy reliance on survey responses, may include biases like social desirability and subjective perception
• Uneven participation
• not all enrolled students completed surveys, potential response bias
• Measurement constraints
• learning outcomes were not directly measured using objective academic performance
• Short-term study
• focused on short-term engagement as opposed to long-term learning

Implications

Gamification can make learning more enjoyable and interactive, especially for online settings when more and more students are engaging in asynchronous learning.

Takeaway

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is effective for increasing engagement and motivation among students.

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© 2026 Journal Club Group 1

Author's conclusion:

• Gamification should be used thoughtfully for most efficient use, the use of competitive elements like leaderboards should be used thoughtfully
• Students accessed and completed game-based tasks more frequently
• Effect of leaderboards was mixed and gender differences were observed

RQ3:

Female students showed higher motivation and enjoyment overall

• More females reported feeling motivated and engaged
• More likely to report improved understanding

Male and female students interacted with games differently

• Males completed activities faster
• Likely due to differences in gameplay style
• Females spent more time on tasks
• Suggests greater attention or engagement
• Females were less motivated by peer comparison
• Males more responsive to competition

Perceptions are not universal and vary by individual

• Motivation and enjoyment not determined by gender alone
• Highlights need for inclusive instructional design

RQ1:

Game-based activities increased engagement

• Higher completion and access rates for GBQAs vs. MBQAs
• Survey responses showed games were more engaging
• Improved understanding suggests meaningful engagement

Students were more motivated

• Higher activity access rates
• Struggling students were motivated to retry and improve

Enjoyment contributed to engagement

• Majority reported having fun (spring >50%, summer >80%)
• Fun increased emotional investment and continued participation

Increased intrinsic motivation

• Course was pass/fail with no grade incentive
• Engagement driven by internal interest rather than rewards

Variation and novelty are important

• Interactive format captured attention
• Engagement declined over time, likely due to repetition/boredom

RQ2:

Leaderboards can enhance performance and effort (modestly)

• Faster completion times and slightly better performance
• Students exerted more effort to improve rank
• No statistically significant differences (weak effect)

Leaderboards may increase motivation, but unevenly

• Rankings and comparison motivated some students
• Competition created goals, recognition, and achievement
• Many students were not motivated by comparison
• More effective for competitive/high-performing students

Leaderboards can have negative effects on motivation & learning

• Lower-ranked students may feel discouraged
• Can reduce participation or lead to disengagement
• Focus may shift to points/rank over understanding
• Leads to surface-level engagement
• Peers may be seen as competitors
• Reduces collaboration and peer support

Earlier solutions:

Quizzes, polling, breaking rooms seemed to show some initial benefits but quickly lost effectiveness due to their novelty wearing off.

Current teaching:

Traditional teaching methods are being considered outdated and cannot compete with modern entertainment and other digital distractions.

Two-sentence summary:

The study be Nadeem et al. demonstrates that digital game-based learning, particularly via a simple Vortex game, significantly enhances student engagement and motivation compared to traditional methods. Although the impact of competitive elements like leaderboards and gender differences remains complex and under-researched.

Research Questions:

RQ1: How do game-based activities affect student engagement and motivation?RQ2: What is the impact of leaderboards on motivation and behavior? RQ3: Are there gender differences in perceptions of game-based learning?

Future directions:

• Longitudinal studies to examine long-term effects with learning and retention
• Explore different types of games and gamification elements
• Investigate gender differences and personality traits in more depth
• Integrate with newer technologies and tools (AR/VR, AI)
• Look for optimal balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

COVID-19 effect:

The decline in student engagement only intensified after COVID, due to the rapid shift to online learningThis led to many teachers struggling to keep students engaged and attentive.

Main problem:

Declining student engagement, especially in online and large-class settings.

• Draws their attention
• Sparks enthusiasm
• Creates positive learning environment
• Activities:
• Relate to curriculum
• Consider topic complexity, response time, and integration of activity into class
• Played independently (without instructor)
• Provide autonomy + confidence

MBQAs (Table 1) are relatively new experiences for students

Ethics:

• Study followed Declaration of Helsinki
• Approved by the Research Committee
• Surveys were conducted online and anonymously
• Student participation was voluntary
• No data collected could be used to identify participants

The vortex game

• Students play Vortex GBQAs asynchronously at any point throughout the day
• Participants classify words/phrases into one of four categories as quickly as possible