TY - GEN
T1 - Cognitive, Affective, and Motivational Effects of Gamified Learning in a Research-Guided Teaching Context
AU - Huber, Stefan E.
AU - Rajh-Weber, Hanna
AU - Cloude, Elizabeth B.
AU - Boehlke, Eva
AU - Edlinger, Moritz
AU - Kiili, Kristian
AU - Ninaus, Manuel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - While evidence accumulates that gamified learning has small to moderate positive overall effects on learning outcomes, these effects may considerably depend on the exact conditions in which learning occurs. This study investigated the effect of embedding a gamified learning task within a homework assignment in a university course on cognitive, motivational, and affective outcomes (in contrast to online and laboratory settings unrelated to specific educational contexts investigated in earlier studies). Fifty students, enrolled in a basic statistics course, completed either a gamified or an equivalent, non-gamified memory task as a homework assignment. Their outcomes were compared with 97 participants not enrolled in the course (overall: n = 147). We found that gamified learning had small to medium significant effects on motivation (d ~ 0.4–0.6), regardless of enrollment in the course. Effects on affective and cognitive learning outcomes were not significant, ranging from negligible to small effect sizes (d ≤ 0.25). Juxtaposing our present results with earlier results suggests that, beyond the setting itself, additional contextual features may change the motivational effectiveness of gamified learning in the present, homework assignment setting compared to earlier extra-curricular (online and laboratory) settings. Further research on potential boundary conditions is required.
AB - While evidence accumulates that gamified learning has small to moderate positive overall effects on learning outcomes, these effects may considerably depend on the exact conditions in which learning occurs. This study investigated the effect of embedding a gamified learning task within a homework assignment in a university course on cognitive, motivational, and affective outcomes (in contrast to online and laboratory settings unrelated to specific educational contexts investigated in earlier studies). Fifty students, enrolled in a basic statistics course, completed either a gamified or an equivalent, non-gamified memory task as a homework assignment. Their outcomes were compared with 97 participants not enrolled in the course (overall: n = 147). We found that gamified learning had small to medium significant effects on motivation (d ~ 0.4–0.6), regardless of enrollment in the course. Effects on affective and cognitive learning outcomes were not significant, ranging from negligible to small effect sizes (d ≤ 0.25). Juxtaposing our present results with earlier results suggests that, beyond the setting itself, additional contextual features may change the motivational effectiveness of gamified learning in the present, homework assignment setting compared to earlier extra-curricular (online and laboratory) settings. Further research on potential boundary conditions is required.
KW - affect
KW - cognition
KW - context effects
KW - gamified learning
KW - motivation
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027582766
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-032-11043-5_3
DO - 10.1007/978-3-032-11043-5_3
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105027582766
SN - 9783032110428
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science
SP - 24
EP - 33
BT - Games and Learning Alliance - 14th International Conference, GALA 2025, Proceedings
A2 - Bakkes, Sander
A2 - Bellotti, Francesco
A2 - Dondio, Pierpaolo
A2 - Ninaus, Manuel
A2 - Wannick, Vanissa
A2 - Bucchiarone, Antonio
PB - Springer
T2 - International Conference on Games and Learning Alliance
Y2 - 19 November 2025 through 21 November 2025
ER -