Using a gamified mobile app to increase student engagement, retention and academic achievement

• Published in: International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Vol. 14; no. 31; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Pechenkina, Ekaterina, Laurence, Daniel, Oates, Grainne, Eldridge, Daniel, Hunter, Dan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 04.08.2017; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Applications programs; Computer & video games; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Correlation analysis; Educational Technology; Electronic devices; Game Based Learning; Games and Simulation in Higher Education; Gamification; Gamified mobile app; Higher Education; Humanities; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Law; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning Processes; Lecture method; Mobile app design; Mobile computing; Mobile learning; Mobile technology; Multiple choice; Outcomes of Education; Performance factors; Research Article; School Holding Power; Science Curriculum; Software; Spacing effect; Statistics for Social Sciences; Student engagement; Student Motivation; Student retention; Students; Testing effect; Units of Study; Mobile app design; Spacing effect; Testing effect; Student retention; Gamified mobile app; Student engagement; Student achievement
• ISSN: 2365-9440; 2365-9440
• DOI: 10.1186/s41239-017-0069-7

This study investigated whether the use of a gamified mobile learning app influenced students' academic performance and boosted their engagement in the subject. Created to better engage students in lecture content, the app was used to deliver multiple-choice content-based quizzes directly to students' personal mobile devices post-lecture and pre-tutorial. After measuring the relationships between students' app usage and their engagement, retention and academic achievement in the subject, it is suggested that following the app's introduction, student retention rates and academic performance increased, and there was a positive correlation between students' scoring highly on the app and achieving higher academic grades. While the app's affordances for learning are promising, the causal relationship between the app usage and improved student outcomes requires further investigation. Conclusions made in the context of the wider scholarship of mobile app enhanced learning and applied game principles in HE. [Author abstract]