Gamification in Engineering Education during COVID-19: A Systematic Review on Design Considerations and Success Factors in its Implementation

Abstract

In pre-pandemic scenarios, various studies have indicated that gamification has turned out to contribute to improving student learning; however, in the context of the pandemic and in the face of the abrupt change to a virtual teaching modality, the need for learning innovations to overcome the limitations of social distancing was much more critical. Thus, this article aims to explore and describe the design considerations of gamification and the factors that evidenced its success in engineering education. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature was developed under a mixed approach and with an exploratory-descriptive scope. The results showed that gamification was applied to a greater extent in computer engineering and software engineering. In addition, the design considerations that prevailed in the development of gamification applications were, to a greater extent. focused on the pedagogical objective and the interaction of the simulation. It was found that the application of gamification effectively generates motivation, commitment, and permanent participation of the student. As such, it is concluded that aspects such as the area of knowledge of the student in engineering are relevant for the implementation of gamification. In addition, the design considerations that contribute to the success of the construction of student learning do not depend on the virtual, face-to-face or hybrid teaching model; however, it is necessary to build regulations that regulate and promote the continuity and sustainability of the use of gamification throughout the engineering career and not in isolation.