Developing student engagement through gamified formative assessment during online learning

Abstract

Gamification can be a worthwhile strategy to develop student engagement during COVID-19 online learning. This study examined the effects of gamified formative assessment on the student engagement of undergraduate students, based on the 3 dimensions of student engagement of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, Friedel, & Paris, 2004). Mixed methods with quantitative (embedded quasi-experimental design) and qualitative approach were employed in this study. Participants in the experimental group were given gamified formative assessment, and participants in the control group were given a non-gamified formative assessment. 77 undergraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds at a university in Hong Kong participated in this study. A learning experience pretest and posttest were used to determine changes in student engagement after the intervention. Individual interviews were conducted to add depth to the research findings. Though this study found that there was no significant difference in student engagement between the experimental and control group, which may relate to some factors (lower confidence, lack of authentic interaction, distracting effect), this study found some favorable factors of using gamified formative assessment to develop student engagement, such as encouraging friendly competition, creating a less intimidating learning environment, and serving as a useful review and self-evaluation tool.