Effect of gamification on participation and academic performance in an online engineering course

Abstract

The persistence of low participation levels and high failure rates in online engineering courses has motivated the search for pedagogical strategies that increase engagement and academic achievement without reducing disciplinary rigor. This study analyzes the effect of a gamified intervention integrated into the Learning Management System (LMS) on participation and academic performance in an online engineering course, using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent comparison group. A comparative analysis was performed with two groups corresponding to two cohorts: one with the course where the content was delivered in a traditional manner (control group, n=102) and one with the course where gamification was applied (experimental group, n=108), which included experience points, badges, levels, weekly challenges, leaderboards, and immediate feedback, while maintaining the same content and assessments. The data collected consisted of objective indicators of participation and performance, and were analyzed using chi-square tests, ANCOVA, and regression models. The findings indicate that the experimental group achieved significant improvements in participation (days of activity, income, activities, and interaction in forums) and increased the pass rate from 62.7% to 78.7%. Additionally, in the experimental group, participation and interaction with game elements were positively correlated with the final grade, which explains a significant distribution of its variance. It is concluded that when gamification is implemented in alignment with the course objectives and integrated schematically into the Learning Management System (LMS), it can become an effective methodology for increasing both participation and academic performance in online engineering courses, while also providing a framework for replication in future studies.