Gamification in E-Learning and Sustainability: A Theoretical Framework

Gamification and Game Based Learning for Vocational Education and Training: A Systematic Literature Review

Games have been used as a learning tool for centuries. Gamification and game-based learning are becoming more prominent in educational settings for several reasons. When it comes to learning, being focused and immersed can massively improve a student's experience. The purpose of this study is to map the emerging trends of gamification and game-based learning (GBL) in the Vocational and Education Training (VET) sector. For this purpose, a Systematic Literature Review was conducted through the three most relevant scientific databases - Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed with Google Scholar as a supporting database. The obtained sample was further selected following the PRISMA guidelines with screening and eligibility processes conducted based on inclusion criteria that were defined with consideration to the research's aim. This review comprised seventeen studies. The findings revealed a growing interest in the Asian continents in research from 2020 onwards. Furthermore, most of the study is centred on vocational schools and colleges in the engineering and healthcare fields. According to the overview, the digital learning platform and simulation technology are the most promising tools used in the research. The findings support the conclusion that gamification and game-based learning can improve academic performance, engagement, and motivation in vocational education learners. As a result, this study suggests that more research is needed to determine the gamification strategies that are most suited for vocational education and learning.

A Proposed Strategy Based on Instructional Design Models through an LMS to Develop Online Learning in Higher Education Considering the Lockdown Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has left more than 1.6 billion children and young people in 161 countries, nearly 80% of students enrolled in education systems globally, out of school. Many countries have resorted to online learning to reduce the repercussions of this shutdown. Many challenges have emerged, the most important of which are infrastructure and communication, and the knowledge of teachers and administrators of the necessary tools and processes are also key factors in providing online learning. In fact, nationwide lockdowns could have been an opportunity to test technological interventions for distance learning. Unfortunately, few systems have reached this point and are ready for implementation. The current study aimed to propose a strategy for distance education using the focus group method to gather the opinions of experts in the field of learning technologies and analyze their responses using text analysis software considering the McKinsey 7S Framework. The study found that the proposed strategy based on instructional design models that use OERs, i.e., blogs, audio recordings, and other resources, can improve the quality and efficiency of learning, provide students with skills, and achieve sustainable development goals in education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Cybersecurity Skills among European High-School Students: A New Approach in the Design of Sustainable Educational Development in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has increasingly become a headline feature in news media in recent years, generally prompted by spectacular security breaches in various information systems. The importance of cybersecurity awareness for the sustainable development of society is now recognized widely, but the problem of how to build an educational ecosystem which will include the most relevant target audiences that need to develop cybersecurity skills, is not yet solved. This paper elaborates the state of cybersecurity skills and knowledge in European high-school students by collecting data from the students, their teachers and parents by means of surveys and interviews in nine European countries. The analysis of the information collected has revealed the required topics from the area of cybersecurity that need to be introduced in high school educational programs and the most suitable delivery methods for educational content, such as videos and serious games. A selection of thirteen serious games related to cybersecurity was evaluated and then presented to a class of high-school students. The study of the collected data has shown that cybersecurity education at high school level requires innovative and interactive approaches that build the required skills for a more effective sustainable education and social development.

Game Elements towards More Sustainable Learning in Object-Oriented Programming Course

Gamification of education is considered to have the capacity to increase students’ engagement in a learning process; to drive learning and skills acquisition; and creates changes for more sustainable behavior. Sustainable behavior is especially important in studying the initial courses at a university. Object-oriented programming (OOP) is such a course in the studies for a programmer’s diploma. We applied four elements of gamification: experience points, interactive content, local team, and global team. A local team is dedicated specifically to the OOP course, but all other game elements can be applied to any course. The course was implemented in a Moodle platform, where two additional plugins for experience points and interactive content were employed. Research using the implemented gamified course in the teaching process was carried out during the fall semester in 2020 and results compared to two previous non-gamified course years. A statistically insignificant increase in the mean grade was observed. Nevertheless, the gamified course resulted in a 7% decrease in the number of students who had to retake the OOP course compared to the year 2019. The gamified course also resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of students requiring a second attempt to pass the course’s exam. The obtained results demonstrate that the gamification of OOP course resulted in more sustainable behavior of the students. Based on the results of students’ questionnaires, we highly recommend using global team game element as it showed a positive effect on students’ engagement when the number of participating students is large.