The DOI matches its Crossref record; 152 of the 190 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Does gamification improve student learning outcome? Evidence from a meta-analysis and synthesis of qualitative data in educational contexts
Abstract
Despite the buzz around gamification as an exciting new method to engage students, evidence of its ability to enhance learning is mixed. In fact, gamification has attracted considerable controversy (“gamification is bullshit”) and some derogatory labels such as “exploitationware.” Therefore, in order to make the case for or against gamification in education, it is important to examine the effects (if any) of gamification on student learning achievements. This study is a meta-analysis of 30 independent interventions (3,202 participants) drawn from 24 quantitative studies that have examined the effects of gamification on student academic performance in various educational settings. The results show an overall significant medium effect size in favor of gamification over learning without gamification (Hedges' g = 0.504, 95% CI [0.284–0.723], p
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Citations
Cites
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa · Cited by 194,414
Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test
Egger, M., Smith, G. D., Schneider, M., & Minder, C. (1997) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.315.7109.629 · Cited by 56,722
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68 · Cited by 54,599
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA Statement.
(2009) · PubMed Central · Cited by 44,859
(1975) · PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) · Cited by 36,737
A theory of social comparison processes
Festinger, L. (1954) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872675400700202 · Cited by 20,926
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.005 · Cited by 19,575
Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency
Bandura, A. (1982) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.37.2.122 · Cited by 15,975
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009) · doi:10.1002/9780470743386 · Cited by 14,225
Shamseer, L., Moher, D., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., Shekelle, P., Stewart, L. A., & the PRISMA-P Group (2015) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.g7647 · Cited by 13,120
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Arkün Kocadere, 2018, 21, 12
- Caponetto, 2014, Gamification and education: A literature review, 50
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 672
Gamifying Sexual Education for Adolescents in a Low-Tech Setting: Quasi-Experimental Design Study
Haruna, H., OKOYE, K. O., Zainuddin, Z., Hu, X., Chu, S. K. W., & Hosseini, S. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/19614 · Cited by 38
“GM is an emerging technique within education [3,34,35].”
MethodRecabarren, M., Corvalán, B., & Villegas, M. (2021) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2021.1933543 · Cited by 34
“Di ff erent meta-analyzes have shown that the e ff ect of gami fi cation on student ’ s performance is positive with a medium e ff ect size (Bai et al., 2020; Hamari et al., 2014; Y ı ld ı r ı m & Ş en, 2019).”
BackgroundInfluentialArboleya, E., & Miralles, L. (2022) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci12010057 · Cited by 34
“Gamification is employed in fostering students’ enthusiasm, by, for instance, providing them with immediate feedback during performance and enhancing recognition of their achievements [17] inside learning contexts.”
BackgroundBräuer, P., & Mazarakis, A. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107362 · Cited by 39
Ye, J., Lai, X., & Wong, G. K. W. (2022) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12723 · Cited by 38
Seo, Y. K., Kang, C. M., Kim, K. H., & Jeong, I. S. (2024) · Nurse Education Today · doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106388 · Cited by 41
Cosculluela, C. L., Sánchez, V. S., & Toledo, S. V. (2025) · Smart Learning Environments · doi:10.1186/s40561-024-00361-2 · Cited by 52
Xiao, Y., & Hew, K. F. (2024) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2023.2299977 · Cited by 40
“Although recent meta-analyses have shown positive e ff ect of gami fi cation on student outcomes (Bai et al., 2020; et al., 2022; Sailer & Homner, 2020), there are empirical studies that reported contra-dictory results – gami fi cation exerting no e ff ect on student outcomes (e.g. Donnermann et al.,…”
Self-citationCan Artificial Intelligence Improve Gender Equality? Evidence from a Natural ExperimentPreprint
Bao, Z., & Huang, D. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4202239 · Cited by 28
Cao, Y., Gong, S., Wang, Y., Zheng, Q., & Wang, Z. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107477 · Cited by 33
Bräuer, P., & Mazarakis, A. (2022) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2022.2160228 · Cited by 36
“” Besides the potential to increase user motivation, gamification has also been established as a helpful tool in the field of education (Bai et al., 2020; Dichev & Dicheva, 2017; Dicheva et al., 2015; Majuri et al., 2018).”
BackgroundMethodThe effects of gamified flipped classroom on student learning: evidence from a meta-analysis
Yu, Q., & Yu, K. (2024) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2023.2209791 · Cited by 26
“Furthermore, they all found that gami fi cation positively a ff ected students ’ learning (e.g. Bai et al., 2020; Huang et al., 2020; Ho et al., 2022; Kim & Castelli, 2021; Ritzhaupt et al., 2021; Y ı ld ı r ı m & Ş en, 2021).”
InfluentialGame-Based Learning for Students’ Computational Thinking: A Meta-Analysis
Ma, J., Zhang, Y., Zhu, Z., Zhao, S., & Wang, Q. (2023) · Journal of Educational Computing Research · doi:10.1177/07356331231178948 · Cited by 45
“Subject disciplines also contribute to different effect sizes regarding GBL and CT (Bai et al., 2020).”
BackgroundRodrigues, L., Pereira, F. D., Toda, A. M., Palomino, P. T., Oliveira, W., Pessoa, M., de Carvalho, L. S. G., de Oliveira, D. B. F., Oliveira, E., Cristea, A. I., et al. (2022) · ACM Transactions on Computing Education · doi:10.1145/3485732 · Cited by 30
Digital badges affect need satisfaction but not frustration in males in higher education
Schürmann, L., & Quaiser-Pohl, C. M. (2022) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104484 · Cited by 36
GAMIFIED EDUCATIONAL ROBOTS LEAD AN INCREASE IN MOTIVATION AND CREATIVITY IN STEM EDUCATION
Chen, T.-I., Lin, S.-K., & Chung, H.-C. (2023) · Journal of Baltic Science Education · doi:10.33225/jbse/23.22.427 · Cited by 38
Othman, S. Y., Ghallab, E., Eltaybani, S., & Mohamed, A. M. (2024) · Nurse Education Today · doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106329 · Cited by 37
Kakos, N. J., Lufler, R. S., Cyr, B., Zwirner, C., Hurley, E., Heinrich, C., & Wilson, A. B. (2024) · Advances in Health Sciences Education · doi:10.1007/s10459-024-10373-9 · Cited by 32
“…2018; Bai et al., 2020; Barna et al., 2018; Bouchrika et al., 2021; Cechetti et al., 2019; Yildirim, 2017) with multiple meta-analyses demonstrating a significant positive effect on students’ academic learning outcomes (Bai et al., 2020; Barna et al., 2018; Sailer & Hom-ner, 2020; Yildirim, 2017).”
Haruna, H., Zainuddin, Z., OKOYE, K. O., Mellecker, R. R., Hu, X., Chu, S. K. W., & Hosseini, S. (2021) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2021.1888754 · Cited by 26
Taking the pulse of a classroom with a gamified audience response system
López-Jiménez, J. J., Fernández‐Alemán, J. L., González, L. L., Sequeros, O. G., Morós, B., García‐Berná, J. A., Idri, A., & Toval, A. (2021) · Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine · doi:10.1016/j.cmpb.2021.106459 · Cited by 25
Fernández‐Raga, M., Aleksić, D., İkiz, A. K., Markiewicz, M., & Streit, H. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15043706 · Cited by 31
Axelsson, A., Nygren, T., Roozenbeek, J., & van der Linden, S. (2024) · Journal of Research on Technology in Education · doi:10.1080/15391523.2024.2338451 · Cited by 34
“Furthermore, noting how gamification may be effective but also impact students’ enjoyment (Bai et al., 2020), we wish to explore if settings affect students’ enjoyment and motivation.”
The use of leaderboards in education: A systematic review of empirical evidence in higher education
Li, C., Liang, L., Fryer, L. K., & Shum, A. (2024) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.13077 · Cited by 48
Çakıroğlu, Ü., & Güler, M. (2021) · E-Learning and Digital Media · doi:10.1177/2042753020987016 · Cited by 24
“First, the study results support the idea that an appropriate gamifying process may provide positive learning performances during the learning process (Bai et al., 2020; Buckley and Doyle, 2016; Hakulinen et al., 2015).”
ResultCao, Y., Gong, S., Wang, Z., Cheng, Y. J., & Wang, Y. (2022) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12652 · Cited by 29
Monteiro, R. H. B., Souza, M. R. D. A., Oliveira, S. R. B., et al. (2021) · IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering Education and Training (ICSE-SEET) · doi:10.1109/icse-seet52601.2021.00025 · Cited by 24
“For instance, Chow and Huang [PS001] used an experiment to evaluate the gamification framework proposed in their study.”
BackgroundInfluentialKhattib, H., & Alt, D. (2024) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-024-12635-w · Cited by 23
“The approach has faced criticism and skepticism, with some detractors labeling it as “exploitationware” (Bai et al., 2020 ).”
Faculty and students perspectives towards game-based learning in health sciences higher education
Hashish, E. A. A., Alnajjar, H. A., Alharbi, M., Alotaibi, M. S., & Alqahtany, M. M. (2024) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32898 · Cited by 36
“These challenges align with previous research [1,30,39].”
BackgroundResultSeven Points to Reappropriate Gamification
Thibault, M., & Hamari, J. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-68207-1_2 · Cited by 29
ГЕЙМІФІКАЦІЯ ЯК СУЧАСНИЙ ОСВІТНІЙ ТРЕНД
Саган, О. В. (2023) · Collection of Research Papers Pedagogical sciences · doi:10.32999/ksu2413-1865/2022-100-2 · Cited by 23
Gamification in collaborative learning: synthesizing evidence through meta-analysis
Slamet, T. I., & Meng, C. (2025) · Journal of Computers in Education · doi:10.1007/s40692-024-00349-4 · Cited by 34
“In a meta-analysis conducted by Bai et al. (2020), they studied a total of 30 independent interventions involving 3202 participants derived from 24 quantitative studies investigating the impact of gamification on student academic performance in diverse educational environments.”
From Engagement to Achievement: How Gamification Impacts Academic Success in Higher Education
Mateos, M. B., Hernández, M. I. S., López, Ó. R. G., & Jiménez, J. L. T. (2025) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci15081054 · Cited by 22
Gamification pedagogy: A motivational approach to student-centric course design in higher education
Gironella, F. (2023) · Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice · doi:10.53761/1.20.3.04 · Cited by 37
Saleh Alabdulaziz, M. (2023) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-023-11729-1 · Cited by 21
“Gamification complements and expands on the basic principles of active methodologies as well as game mechanics, and its usage has the potential the improve the learning experience, engagement and performance (Bai et al., 2020; Cechetti et al., 2019).”
BackgroundRetractedChen, C., Jamiat, N., Rabu, S. N. A., & Mao, Y. (2024) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-024-12789-7 · Cited by 38
“Bai et al, (2020) indicated that gamification is only one technique for engaging learners in the learning process and may not guide students to focus on the learning content to achieve the learning goals.”
The Impact of Gamification on Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Mathematics Education
Maryana, M., Halim, C., & Rahmi, H. (2024) · International Journal of Business Law and Education · doi:10.56442/ijble.v5i2.682 · Cited by 55
Lee, J.-Y., & Baek, M.-K. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su151411325 · Cited by 45
Rodríguez-Ferrer, J. M., Manzano-León, A., Aguilar-Parra, J. M., & Cangas, A. J. (2023) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104603 · Cited by 21
Gamification in hospitality: Enhancing workplace thriving and employee well-being
Khan, J., Zhang, Q., Zada, M., Saeed, I., & Khattak, S. A. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104243 · Cited by 25
Cano, E. V., Ramírez‐Hurtado, J. M., Díez-Arcón, P., & Moscoso, C. P. (2022) · Child Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s12187-022-09975-9 · Cited by 24
“The profile of how primary education students use digital and video games is important to know in order to develop appropriate educational activities (Bai et al., 2020a, b).”
BackgroundThe Consistency of Gamification User Types: A Study on the Change of Preferences over Time
Santos, A. C. G., Oliveira, W., Hamari, J., Joaquim, S., & Isotani, S. (2023) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3611068 · Cited by 21
“, “the design of systems, services, and activities to provide motivation bene ts as those games usually create” [28, 35], has been widely investigated and applied in the last ten years [6, 34, 35].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialGame principle: enhancing learner engagement with gamification to improve learning outcomes
Liu, S., Ma, G., Tewogbola, P. O., Gu, X., Gao, P., Dong, B., He, D., Lai, W., & Wu, Y. (2023) · Journal of Workplace Learning · doi:10.1108/jwl-11-2022-0160 · Cited by 26
Tsai, C., Chen, Y., Hsieh, F.-P., Chuang, M.-H., & Lin, C.-L. (2023) · Journal of Educational Computing Research · doi:10.1177/07356331231206071 · Cited by 24
“Regarding the affective aspect, some scholars have found that game-based learning can help improve learners ’ learning motivation (e.g., Bai et al., 2020; H¨oyng, 2022; Liu et al., 2023).”
BackgroundBOLAT, Y. İ., & Taş, N. (2022) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-022-11411-y · Cited by 33
“In contrast, Bai et al. (2020), Yıldırım and Şen (2019), and Castillo-Manzano et al. (2016) stated in their meta-analysis that there was no significant heterogeneity among ES on gamification academic achievement according to learner stage.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialAn ontology for modelling user’ profiles and activities in gamified education
Palomino, P. T., Toda, A. M., Rodrigues, L., Oliveira, W., Nacke, L. E., & Isotani, S. (2022) · Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning · doi:10.58459/rptel.2023.18018 · Cited by 23
Exploring Gamification Research Trends Using Topic Modeling
Ayaz, A., Özyurt, Ö., Al-Rahmi, W. M., Salloum, S. A., Shutaleva, A. V., Alblehai, F., & Habes, M. (2023) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2023.3326444 · Cited by 22
“Bai et al. [29] examined whether student learning outcomes can be improved through gamification using meta-analysis and qualitative data synthesis.”
BackgroundIvarson, E., Erlandsson, V., Faraon, M., & Khatib, S. (2024) · E-Learning and Digital Media · doi:10.1177/20427530241239981 · Cited by 17
“Novelty effects of gami fi cation cannot be ruled out in the current study, and long-term gami fi cation implementation is needed to examine these potential effects (Bai et al., 2020).”
Mula-Falcón, J., Moya, I., & Ruiz‐Ariza, A. (2022) · Review of European Studies · doi:10.5539/res.v14n2p32 · Cited by 38
“More recently, other meta-analysis has also analysed the effects of gamification on learning or academic performance with mild positive results (Bai, Hew, and Huang 2020; Sailer and Homner 2020; Yıldırım and Şen 2020).”
BackgroundTemel, T., & Cesur, K. (2024) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440241247928 · Cited by 47
“In a study with 3.202 participants, Bai et al. (2020) investigated the effects of gamification on learners’ academic performance in several educational settings and the data resulted in an overall statistically significant medium effect size in favor of the treatment group.”
InfluentialCai, Z., Zhang, X., Liu, C., & Zhan, J. (2025) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.70002 · Cited by 34
Malone, M., Wang, Y., James, K., Anderegg, M., Werner, J. G., & Monrose, F. (2021) · ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) · doi:10.1145/3408877.3432544 · Cited by 18
“That said, the introduction of gamified content into educational settings has been hotly debated [1, 7].”
BackgroundYang, Y., Lian, D., Zhang, Y., Wang, D., & Wang, J. (2024) · Journal of the Knowledge Economy · doi:10.1007/s13132-024-01742-1 · Cited by 22
RetractedGamificando la Evaluación: Una Alternativa a la Evaluación Tradicional en Educación Primaria
Tirado‐Olivares, S., González‐Calero, J. A., Gutiérrez, R. C., & Toledano, R. M. (2021) · REICE Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad Eficacia y Cambio en Educación · doi:10.15366/reice2021.19.4.008 · Cited by 22
“Aunque fue en 2002 cuando Nick Pelling acuñó el término gamificación (Marczewski, 2013), no es hasta los últimos años cuando se ha extendido su uso (Bai et al., 2020).”
BackgroundYang, H., Hu, Z., & Li, D. (2023) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2023.2214632 · Cited by 17
“The design of gami fi cation has been applied and explored in many research domains, like commerce (Abou-Shouk and Soliman 2021), education (S. Bai, Hew, and Huang 2020), and health management (H. Yang and Li 2021b).”
MethodÇiğdem, H., Korkusuz, M. E., & KARAÇALTI, C. (2023) · Computer Applications in Engineering Education · doi:10.1002/cae.22697 · Cited by 26
“However, the decrease in the number of students completing the quizzes after the third test, observed in both groups as shown in Table 5, may reflect the transient nature of students' interaction with leader-boards, as mentioned in the literature [3, 31, 32].”
BackgroundInfluentialUnderstanding the failing of social gamification: A perspective of user fatigue
Yang, H., Wang, L., Hu, Z., & Li, D. (2024) · Electronic Commerce Research and Applications · doi:10.1016/j.elerap.2024.101369 · Cited by 20
Gamification als didaktisches Mittel in der Hochschulbildung
Tolks, D., & Sailer, M. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-32849-8_29 · Cited by 27
“Zwei negative Aspekte im Zusammenhang mit Gamification konnten ebenfalls identifiziert werden: 1) Gamification hat keinen konkreten Nutzen für die Nutzer*innen und 2) der Einsatz von Gamification kann Unsicherheit und Neid generieren (Bai et al. 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialGAMIFIKASI UNTUK PENDIDIKAN: PEMBELAJARAN KIMIA YANG MENYENANGKAN PADA MASA PANDEMIC COVID-19
Lutfi, A., Aini, N. Q., Amalia, N., Umah, P. A., & Rukmana, M. D. (2021) · Jurnal Pendidikan Kimia Indonesia · doi:10.23887/jpk.v5i2.38486 · Cited by 16
Effect of game-based learning on students’ mathematics high order thinking skills: A meta-analysis
Anggoro, B. S., Dewantara, A. H., Suherman, S., Muhammad, R. R., & Saraswati, S. (2024) · Revista de Psicodidáctica (English ed ) · doi:10.1016/j.psicoe.2024.500158 · Cited by 49
Does Reward Gamification Drive Brand Relationship Quality?: An Experimental Approach
Shankar, A. (2021) · Journal of Promotion Management · doi:10.1080/10496491.2021.2008578 · Cited by 15
“…(Cechanowicz et al., 2013); Pro-environmental behavior (Lounis et al., 2014), public services (Tolmie et al., 2014), retailing (Hamari, 2013), learning (Bai et al., 2020), healthcare (Hamari & Koivisto, 2014), tourism (Abou-Shouk & Soliman, 2021), education (Legaki et al., 2021; Putz et al., 2020).”
BackgroundA systematic review of studies of parental involvement in computational thinking education
Cai, H., & Wong, G. K. W. (2023) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2023.2214185 · Cited by 21
“The seven databases have been used in the previous review papers in the discipline of education (Bai et al., 2020; Hu et al., 2021; Hu & Chen, 2021; Jia & Hew, 2021).”
Boggio, C., Zaher, A., & Bosse, M. (2023) · British Journal of Educational Technology · doi:10.1111/bjet.13354 · Cited by 18
Hew, K. F., & Huang, W. (2023) · Future in Educational Research · doi:10.1002/fer3.9 · Cited by 15
Self-citationIntegrity games: an online teaching tool on academic integrity for undergraduate students
Goddiksen, M. P., Allard, A., Armond, A. C. V., et al. (2024) · International Journal for Educational Integrity · doi:10.1007/s40979-024-00154-7 · Cited by 15
“Recent reviews on the effect of gamified teaching by Bai, Hew & Huang (2020) and van Gaalen et al. (2021) indicate moderately positive effects on average, but also substantial variations.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialLi, F., Shen, X., Xie, Z., & Yan, X. (2024) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-024-13242-5 · Cited by 21
“…gamification (Lin et al. 2023; Deterding et al., 2011; Buckley and Doyle 2017; Elaish et al. 2019; Suh et al. 2008; Hamari et al., 2014, Xi and Hamari 2019; Simões et al. 2013; Bai et al., 2020; Glover, 2013; Sanchez et al. 2020; Koivisto and Hamari 2019; Sandra et al. 2020; Bitrian et al. 2021).”
InfluentialThe effects of gender stereotype-based interfaces on users’ flow experience and performance
Oliveira, W., Hamari, J., Ferreira, W. D., Toda, A. M., Palomino, P. T., Vassileva, J., & Isotani, S. (2022) · Journal of Computers in Education · doi:10.1007/s40692-022-00249-5 · Cited by 14
“…or group) in the students’ perception according to their gamer type/user type or demographic information (Koivisto & Hamari, 2019; Rapp et al., 2019; Bai et al., 2020), forgetting, therefore, other highly important aspects, such as gender stereo-type threats [ e.g. , a situation raises concern…”
Rosa-Castillo, A., García-Pañella, O., Novella, A. R., Maestre-González, E., Pulpón-Segura, A. M., Icart-Isern, T., & Solà‐Pola, M. (2023) · Nurse Education in Practice · doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103656 · Cited by 14
Lee, W.-C., & Lai, C. (2024) · International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education · doi:10.1007/s10763-024-10462-6 · Cited by 30
“Bai et al.’s (2020), Kaya and Ercag’s (2023), and Papadakis et al.’s (2023) studies further showed the effectiveness of integration gamified elements in learning for improving students’ academic performance, learning motivation, and learning engagement.”
Daniel, A. D., Negre, Y., Casaca, J. A., Patrício, R., & Tsvetcoff, R. (2024) · Education + Training · doi:10.1108/et-10-2023-0448 · Cited by 27
A bibliometric analysis of global research on education in the Scopus database, 2013–2022
Maral, M. (2024) · Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication · doi:10.1108/gkmc-01-2024-0039 · Cited by 27
The effectiveness of game-based literacy app learning in preschool children from diverse backgrounds
Schiele, T., Edelsbrunner, P. A., Mues, A., Birtwistle, E., Wirth, A., & Niklas, F. (2024) · Learning and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2024.102579 · Cited by 26
University Students’ Perspectives on Gamification in Vocabulary Learning: A Literature Review
Zainal, N. (2023) · Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) · doi:10.47405/mjssh.v8i5.2314 · Cited by 13
Hadan, H., Zhang-Kennedy, L., Nacke, L. E., & Mäkelä, V. (2024) · Simulation & Gaming · doi:10.1177/10468781231223762 · Cited by 19
“…1991; Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2009)) is enabled by badges and progress bars that provide immediate feedback on performance and progress (Bai et al., 2020; Hamari & Sj¨oblom, 2017) and levels that allow players to choose appropriate challenges (Bai et al., 2020; Nakamura &…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialLi, F., Zhang, H., Wong, C. U. I., & Chen, X. (2024) · Entertainment Computing · doi:10.1016/j.entcom.2024.100643 · Cited by 13
Krath, J., Schmidt-Kraepelin, M., Schöbel, S., Ullrich, M., Sunyaev, A., & von Korflesch, H. F. O. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642048 · Cited by 15
A Gamified Platform to Support Educational Activities About Fake News in Social Media
Capecchi, S., Lieto, A., Patti, F., Pensa, R. G., Rapp, A., Vernero, F., & Zingaro, S. (2024) · IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies · doi:10.1109/tlt.2024.3410088 · Cited by 15
“According to recent meta-reviews, games and gamified approaches appear to be evenmoreeffectivethanmanyotherformsoflearning,sincethey canfosterenthusiasm,providefeedbackonperformance,fulfill learners’needsforrecognition,andpromotegoalsetting[17].”
Dejonckheere, E., Verdonck, S., Andries, J. I., Röhrig, N., Piot, M., kilani, G., & Mestdagh, M. (2024) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2024.108360 · Cited by 20
Xu, W. M., Xu, G.-R., & Xing, Q.-W. (2024) · Studies in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/03075079.2024.2416498 · Cited by 18
“This may be due to the emphasis on external incentives and competition within these combinations, which can lead to stress, tension, and anxiety among students (Ahmad et al. 2021; Bai, Hew, and Huang 2020).”
Waluyo, B., & Balazon, F. G. (2024) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104638 · Cited by 23
The Impact of Game-Based Interventions on Adult Cognition: A Systematic Review
Coelho, F., Gonçalves, D. J. V., & Abreu, A. M. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2462746 · Cited by 14
“Other studies emphasize qualitative data, exploring perceptions of GBI to generate insights into why individuals may enjoy or dislike GBI (Bai et al., 2020) and to propose new ideas and models for more effective interventions (Khaleghi et al., 2021).”
Jogo, D. A., Challco, G. C., Bittencourt, I. I., Reis, M., Silva, L. R., & Isotani, S. (2022) · International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1016/j.ijcci.2022.100458 · Cited by 14
Dapica, R., Hernández, A., & Peinado, F. (2022) · Entertainment Computing · doi:10.1016/j.entcom.2022.100510 · Cited by 18
The power of play: gamification in virtual workplace training
Eger, V. M., Georganta, E., Zuercher, P.-D., Mueller, F., Bohné, T., & Diefenbach, S. (2024) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2024.2412360 · Cited by 16
“Different gamification elements can be integrated into workplace training and can provide instant feedback to learners and performance metrics, allowing learners to track their progress and identify areas for improvement (Bai et al., 2020; Khaldi et al., 2023).”
Effects of Game-Based Learning on Students’ Motivation in Chemistry: A Meta-analysis
Xu, J. J., Sun, X. F., Liu, Y. N., Zhang, S. Y., & Zhou, Q. W. (2025) · Journal of Chemical Education · doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01304 · Cited by 12
An, Y. (2023) · TechTrends · doi:10.1007/s11528-022-00833-7 · Cited by 14
“This finding is consistent with the finding of Bai et al. (2020), which suggests that gamification can cause anxiety or jealousy.”
BackgroundResultLüking, S., Wünsche, S., & Wilde, M. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1256350 · Cited by 19
“In gamified learning environments, learners might perceive enjoyment and satisfaction when engaging with gamified activities given they follow defined goals and receive clear feedback (Bai et al., 2020).”
BackgroundA story-driven gamified education on USB-based attack
Rikkers, V., & Sarmah, D. K. (2023) · Journal of Computing in Higher Education · doi:10.1007/s12528-023-09392-z · Cited by 16
“In their meta-analysis, Bai et al. (2020) found that gamification overall has a positive effect on learning and education.”
InfluentialGamification in the formation of digital skills of future teachers
Desnenko, S. I., Pakhomova, T., Starostina, S. E., et al. (2021) · E3S Web of Conferences · doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202127312118 · Cited by 12
Gamification in Vocational Teaching and Learning: Perception and Readiness among Lecturers
Omar, M. B., Ali, D. F., Adnan, N. A. I. M. A. M., & Saari, M. A. (2022) · International Journal of Education · doi:10.5296/ije.v14i1.19507 · Cited by 22
The Psychology of Rewards in Digital Game-Based Learning: A Comprehensive Review
Soo, C., & Lee, J. A. C. (2022) · Journal of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development · doi:10.33736/jcshd.4131.2022 · Cited by 12
“Bai et al. (2020) further argue that rewards in DGBL could encourage the learners to set goals.”
BackgroundInfluentialA randomized trial of behavioral interventions yielding sustained reductions in distracted driving
Ebert, J. P., Xiong, R. A., Khan, N., Abdel-Rahman, D., Leitner, A., Everett, W. C., Gaba, K. L., Fisher, W. J., McDonald, C. C., Winston, F. K., et al. (2024) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2320603121 · Cited by 13
“Prior research has established the effectiveness of gamification on behavior change in a variety of domains (31–33).”
Henry, J., Li, F., & Arnab, S. (2024) · Simulation & Gaming · doi:10.1177/10468781241271082 · Cited by 10
“…game elements in non-game contexts (Deterding et al., 2011), has been widely reported to provide positive changes in academic performance and intrinsic motivation to students across multiple levels of study, including higher education (Bai et al., 2020; Buckley & Doyle, 2016; Chapman & Rich, 2018).”
Behnamnia, N., Kamsin, A., & Hayati, S. (2024) · Innoeduca. International Journal of Technology and Educational Innovation · doi:10.24310/ijtei.102.2024.19694 · Cited by 13
“The findings indicate that gameplay design significantly affects learning outcomes, which is consistent with previous research (Bai et al., 2020; Chen, 2020; Tsai & Tsai, 2020).”
InfluentialMonteiro, R. H. B., Oliveira, S. R. B., & Souza, M. R. D. A. (2021) · 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) · doi:10.1109/fie49875.2021.9637232 · Cited by 11
Haruna, H., Abbas, A., Zainuddin, Z., Hu, X., Mellecker, R. R., & Hosseini, S. (2021) · Information and Learning Sciences · doi:10.1108/ils-05-2020-0162 · Cited by 11
Promoting learning of biomechanical concepts with game-based activities
Keogh, J., Moro, C., & Knudson, D. V. (2021) · Sports Biomechanics · doi:10.1080/14763141.2020.1845470 · Cited by 13
“Potential reasons for this may include a perception that it does not bring additional utility, that it causes anxiety or jealousy (Bai et al., 2020), or that some students simply consider themselves ‘not gamers’ and so do not wish to fully engage with this delivery mode (Moro et al., 2020a).”
BackgroundThe Effects of Gamification on Learners’ Engagement According to Their Gamification User Types
dos Santos, L. F., Oliveira, W., Corrêa de Lima, A., de Castro Junior, A. A., & Hamari, J. (2026) · Technology, Knowledge and Learning · doi:10.1007/s10758-025-09866-2 · Cited by 11
Alwakid, W., & Dahri, N. A. (2025) · Education and Information Technologies : Official Journal of the IFIP technical committee on Education · doi:10.1007/s10639-025-13777-1 · Cited by 10
“This finding aligns with evidence indicating gamification enhances learning achievements through guaranteeing participation and retention (Bai et al., 2020; James et al., 2024; Pechenkina et al., 2017).”
Influentialda Rocha, F. D. F., Lemos, B., de Brito, P. H., Santos, R., Rodrigues, L., Isotani, S., & Dermeval, D. (2023) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-023-11906-2 · Cited by 10
“How-123 ever, studies show that sometimes gamification is ineffective or even negative (Toda et al., 2017; Bai et al., 2020).”
InfluentialLearning Landscape in Gamification: The Need for a Methodological Protocol in Research Applications
Orsoni, M., Dubé, A. K., Prandi, C., Giovagnoli, S., Benassi, M., Mazzoni, E., & Benvenuti, M. (2023) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/17456916231202489 · Cited by 17
“Bai et al. (2020) discussed the importance of educational levels in moderating the impact of gamification on academic achievement.”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Bai, S., Hew, K. F., & Huang, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Hew, Khe Foon
- Venue
- Educational Research Review
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-06
- Volume
- 30
- Pages
- 100322
- ISSN
- 1747-938X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3010425548
- Cited by
- 994
- References
- 190
- Citations by year
- 2026: 270 · 2025: 203 · 2024: 181 · 2023: 160 · 2022: 94 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 20
- FWCI
- 14.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Educational Research Review (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R25GM129219)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Online Learning and Analytics
- Keywords
- gamification, learning outcomes, academic performance, student engagement, joyful learning, performance feedback, recognition, goal setting, student anxiety, jealousy, educational technology
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
