Gamification's Role in Modern E-Learning: A Literature Review


Authors : Nishal Murthi; Shamal S. Chand; Anish Singh

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 9 - September


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4dna7beu

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25sep1306

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Abstract : This literature review explores the growing use of gamification in modern education and its influence on student engagement, motivation, and academic results. As learning environments become increasingly technology-driven, the incorporation of gaming elements has emerged as a significant field of study. By synthesizing findings from various research papers, this review provides evidence that gamification can substantially enhance student participation and drive, which leads to improved learning and better knowledge retention. However, the review also brings to light important challenges and limitations, such as the need for deliberate design, personalized and adaptable approaches, and the varying effects across different educational fields and student groups. The findings suggest that although gamification holds great potential to improve learning, its effectiveness depends on a careful application that aligns with specific learning objectives and the unique needs of learners.

References :

  1. Ahmad, A., Zeshan, F., Khan, M.S., Marriam, R., Ali, A. and Samreen, A., 2020. The impact of gamification on learning outcomes of computer science majors. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE)20(2), pp.1-25.
  2. Ansar, M. and George, G., 2022. Gamification in education and its impact on student motivation—a critical review. Emerging IT/ICT and AI Technologies Affecting Society, pp.161-170.
  3. Barrio, C.M., Muñoz-Organero, M. and Soriano, J.S., 2015. Can gamification improve the benefits of student response systems in learning? An experimental study. IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing4(3), pp.429-438.
  4. Bennani, S., Maalel, A. and Ben Ghezala, H., 2022. Adaptive gamification in E‐learning: A literature review and future challenges. Computer Applications in Engineering Education30(2), pp.628-642.
  5. Bouchrika, I., Harrati, N., Wanick, V. and Wills, G., 2021. Exploring the impact of gamification on student engagement and involvement with e-learning systems. Interactive Learning Environments29(8), pp.1244-1257.
  6. Buckley, P. and Doyle, E., 2016. Gamification and student motivation. Interactive learning environments24(6), pp.1162-1175.
  7. Çeker, E. and Özdaml, F., 2017. What" Gamification" Is and What It's Not. European Journal of Contemporary Education6(2), pp.221-228.
  8. Christopoulos, A. and Mystakidis, S., 2023. Gamification in education. Encyclopedia3(4), pp.1223-1243.
  9. É. Lavoué, B. Monterrat, M. Desmarais and S. George.,2019. "Adaptive Gamification for Learning Environments," in IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 16-28.
  10. Ibrahim, F., Nath, S., Ali, S.S. and Ali, N.S., 2022. Experiences of Online Learning and Teaching during the Second Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Fijian In-service Teachers of Fiji National University. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives21(2), pp.68-84.
  11. Kaya, O.S. and Ercag, E., 2023. The impact of applying challenge-based gamification program on students’ learning outcomes: Academic achievement, motivation and flow. Education and Information Technologies28(8), pp.10053-10078.
  12. Klein, G., 2021. Viewing gamification design limitations and weaknesses through a pandemic lens. Societies11(4), p.137.
  13. Krishnamurthy, K., Selvaraj, N., Gupta, P., Cyriac, B., Dhurairaj, P., Abdullah, A., Krishnapillai, A., Lugova, H., Haque, M., Xie, S. and Ang, E.T., 2022. Benefits of gamification in medical education. Clinical Anatomy35(6), pp.795-807.
  14. Kulkarni, P., Gokhale, P., Satish, Y.M. and Tigadi, B., 2022. An empirical study on the impact of learning theory on gamification-based training programs. Organization Management Journal19(5), pp.170-188.
  15. Legaki, N.Z., Xi, N., Hamari, J., Karpouzis, K. and Assimakopoulos, V., 2020. The effect of challenge-based gamification on learning: An experiment in the context of statistics education. International journal of human-computer studies144, p.102496.
  16. Marín, B., Frez, J., Cruz-Lemus, J. and Genero, M., 2018. An empirical investigation on the benefits of gamification in programming courses. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE)19(1), pp.1-22.
  17. Medica Ružić, I. and Dumančić, M., 2015. Gamification in education. Informatologia48(3-4), pp.198-204.
  18. Nurtanto, M., Kholifah, N., Ahdhianto, E., Samsudin, A. and Isnantyo, F.D., 2021. A review of gamification impact on student behavioral and learning outcomes. iJIM15(21), p.23.
  19. Poondej, C. and Lerdpornkulrat, T., 2016. The development of gamified learning activities to increase student engagement in learning. Australian Educational Computing31(2).
  20. Raghunathan, S., Darshan Singh, A. and Sharma, B., 2022, January. Study of resilience in learning environments during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 677625). Frontiers Media SA.

This literature review explores the growing use of gamification in modern education and its influence on student engagement, motivation, and academic results. As learning environments become increasingly technology-driven, the incorporation of gaming elements has emerged as a significant field of study. By synthesizing findings from various research papers, this review provides evidence that gamification can substantially enhance student participation and drive, which leads to improved learning and better knowledge retention. However, the review also brings to light important challenges and limitations, such as the need for deliberate design, personalized and adaptable approaches, and the varying effects across different educational fields and student groups. The findings suggest that although gamification holds great potential to improve learning, its effectiveness depends on a careful application that aligns with specific learning objectives and the unique needs of learners.

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Paper Submission Last Date
31 - December - 2025

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