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Gamification in Management Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Quality of teaching is increasingly important for the success of educational institutions. In this context, gamification is a tool often used to improve the teaching-learning process by helping both teachers and students reach their goals in the short, medium and long term. Given the importance of the topic both in academia and society, this article presents a systematic review of the literature on the use of gamification as a tool to enhance the quality of the teaching process in general, and, in particular, the teaching of management. The study searches the most relevant literature on the application of gamification to educational contexts and describes gamification’s main themes and constructs based on a systematic literature review of scholarly articles available in ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases. One of the main results of this study is to describe theoretical approaches to gamification and provide a conceptual model that gathers the contribution of various studies and paves the way for future research.

Keywords:
gamification; game-based learning; education; management

Introduction

Like any organization that wants to improve the quality of its services and products, educational institutions have the responsibility to ensure that their students get quality education at all levels (Yildiz, 2014Yildiz, S. M. (2014). Service quality evaluation in the school of physical education and sports: An empirical investigation of students’ perceptions. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(1-2), 80-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2011.637804
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2011.63...
). Educational institutions as well as instructors are expected to fulfill their obligations with the utmost quality so that future generations can be well prepared to go into the labor market (Hill, 1995Hill, F. M. (1995). Managing service quality in higher education: The role of the student as primary consumer. Quality Assurance in Education, 3(3), 10-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684889510093497
https://doi.org/10.1108/0968488951009349...
). It is generally accepted that the quality of teaching is essential for the success of an institution and of its students; therefore, it is important to assess and monitor the quality of teachers’ work (C.-Y. Chen, Chen, & Chen, 2014Chen, C.-Y., Chen, P.-C., & Chen, P.-Y. (2014). Total quality management & business excellence teaching quality in higher education: An introductory review on a process- oriented teaching-quality model. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(1-2), 36-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2011.637789
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2011.63...
). Experts on education and, more specifically, on the quality of education, have been working hard to improve the quality of the teaching-learning process at all levels and in various aspects of the curriculum (Langstrand, Cronemyr, & Poksinska, 2015Langstrand, J., Cronemyr, P., & Poksinska, B. (2015). Practise what you preach: quality of education in education on quality. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 26(11-12), 1202-1212. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2014.925290
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2014.92...
).

It is vital that teachers motivate their students, making them aware of the fact that what seems difficult is not always necessarily so. At the same time, instructors have to know that traditionally established methods are not always the ones that attract students the most. In fact, although many instructors favor the use of innovative methodologies, there is a broad and empirically verified consensus that student motivation and interest for traditional teaching methods are scant because they are deemed ineffective (Lee & Hammer, 2011Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 146-151.).

The use of educational games as learning tools constitutes an approach that can strengthen not only student knowledge but also their ability to communicate and cooperate with schoolmates in what concerns the understanding of learning content (Hamari, Koivisto, & Sarsa, 2014Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
). The use of games in the classroom may help students acquire new study methods, making them feel more motivated than when they are exposed to more traditional teaching-learning processes (Kapp, 2012bKapp, K. M. (2012b). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.). Yet, only recently have instructors begun to explore the possibility of turning the classroom into a place where educational games are not only possible but also feasible, effective and academically enticing (Glover, 2013Glover, I. (2013). Play as you learn: Gamification as a technique for motivating learners. Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, Chesapeake, VA.).

Although several studies have tested gamification in general, and, in particular, the use of educational games in the classroom, from primary education to higher education (Deterding, 2012Deterding, S. (2012). Gamification: Designing for motivation. Interactions, 19(4), 14-17. https://doi.org/10.1145/2212877.2212883
https://doi.org/10.1145/2212877.2212883...
; Hamari et al., 2014Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014, January). Does gamification work?--a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Hawaii International Conference On, Waikoloa, HI, USA, 47. https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377
https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377...
; Hamari & Koivisto, 2015Hamari, J., & Koivisto, J. (2015). Why do people use gamification services? International Journal of Information Management, 35(4), 419-431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.04.006
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015...
), more empirical studies are necessary to actually demonstrate the effectiveness of such approach. Studies should be based on well-designed methodologies, robust comparison groups, longitudinal treatments and empirically validated assessments (Hamari et al., 2014Hamari, J., & Koivisto, J. (2014). Measuring flow in gamification: Dispositional flow scale-2. Computers in Human Behavior, 40, 133-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.07.048
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.07.04...
). In the field of management, studies that show how game-based learning may have a positive influence in education are still scarce. Moreover, despite its motivating power in making students get involved, gamification faces serious problems that have to do with designing and applying games to teaching (Conway, 2014Conway, S. (2014). Zombification?: Gamification, motivation, and the user. Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 6(2), 129-141. https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw.6.2.129_1
https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw.6.2.129_1...
). As a matter of fact, it is both difficult and expensive to use games in the classroom, since it implies having suitable technical infrastructures and pedagogic integration at one’s disposal.

This article presents a number of results about game-based learning in order to highlight more adequate and effective trends and practices. As this is a recently developed subject, there is still the possibility to expand already available knowledge through literature reviews (Hamari et al., 2014Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014, January). Does gamification work?--a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Hawaii International Conference On, Waikoloa, HI, USA, 47. https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377
https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377...
; Martí-Parreño, Méndez-Ibáñez, & Alonso-Arroyo, 2016Martí-Parreño, J., Méndez-Ibáñez, E., & Alonso-Arroyo, A. (2016). The use of gamification in education: A bibliometric and text mining analysis. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(6), 663-676. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12161
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12161...
; Nah, Zeng, Telaprolu, Ayyappa, & Eschenbrenner, 2014Nah, F. F. H., Zeng, Q., Telaprolu, V. R., Ayyappa, A. P., & Eschenbrenner, B. (2014). Gamification of education: A review of literature. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07293-7_39
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07293-...
; Surendeleg, Murwa, Yun, & Kim, 2014Surendeleg, G., Murwa, V., Yun, H.-K., & Kim, Y. S. (2014). The role of gamification in education - A literature review. Contemporary Engineering Sciences, 7(29-32), 1609-1616. https://doi.org/10.12988/ces.2014.411217
https://doi.org/10.12988/ces.2014.411217...
). The main goal of this article is to develop a conceptual research model of applying games to management education based on a systematic literature review that focuses on the most relevant literature regarding the application of gamification to educational contexts in order to grasp gamification’s main themes and constructs.

As the use of games in the teaching-learning process is a promising tool to effectively motivate students and get them involved, and as most of the research conducted so far has failed to provide a compelling literature review on the subject and a conceptual research model, the present article may help researchers have a better understanding of how research pertaining to this field has been evolving. The analysis herein made it possible to identify and show how games are used in an educational context, as well as what their contribution is to increase motivation, flow, and attitude, besides proving its effectiveness in terms of the learning process. The scholarly literature on the use of games in the teaching-learning process was organized, and the most relevant constructs were identified along with how they relate to and interact with each other, thus allowing future research to use this study as a starting point.

The present article contributes to the advancement of the literature about the application of gamification to the teaching of the various areas of Management. We did a systematic review of the literature based on rigorous criteria presented in the methodology section, followed by a review of the literature of the main topics in this area, such as gamification in general, gamification applied to general education and in teaching of Management. There is also a section addressing the main constructs of gamification. We conclude that motivation, flow, attitudes and perceived learning are the most relevant constructs, and we verify the type of causal relations between them. Finally, we discuss the conceptual research model resulting from the literature review.

Research Methodology

Research applied to game-based learning in management education is a very interesting area that motivated systematic literature reviews (e.g., Connolly, Boyle, MacArthur, Hainey, & Boyle, 2012Connolly, T. M., Boyle, E. A., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., & Boyle, J. M. (2012). A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Computers & Education, 59(2), 661-686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.0...
; Darejeh & Salim, 2016Darejeh, A., & Salim, S. S. (2016). Gamification solutions to enhance software user engagement: A systematic review. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 32(8), 613-642. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2016.1183330
https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2016.11...
; Johnson et al., 2016Johnson, D., Deterding, S., Kuhn, K.-A., Staneva, A., Stoyanov, S., & Hides, L. (2016). Gamification for health and wellbeing: A systematic review of the literature. Internet Interventions, 6, 89-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2016.10.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2016.10...
; Sardi, Idri, & Fernández-Alemán, 2017Sardi, L., Idri, A., & Fernández-Alemán, J. L. (2017). A systematic review of gamification in e-Health. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 71, 31-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2017.05.011
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2017.05.01...
). Thus, the present study and the methodology underlying it are based in other studies that ensured systematizing the literature (Armitage, Webb, & Glynn, 2016Armitage, H. M., Webb, A., & Glynn, J. (2016). The use of management accounting techniques by small and medium-sized enterprises: A field study of Canadian and Australian practice. Accounting Perspectives, 15(1), 31-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12089
https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12089...
; Kitchenham et al., 2009Kitchenham, B., Brereton, O. P., Budgen, D., Turner, M., Bailey, J., & Linkman, S. (2009). Systematic literature reviews in software engineering - A systematic literature review. Information and Software Technology, 51(1), 7-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2008.09.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2008.09...
; Patel et al., 2008Patel, M. M., Widdowson, M.-A., Glass, R. I., Akazawa, K., Vinjé, J., & Parashar, U. D. (2008). Systematic literature review of role of noroviruses in sporadic gastroenteritis. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 14(8), 1224-1231. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1408.071114
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1408.071114...
; Tranfield, Denyer, & Smart, 2003Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375...
). Only articles in journals indexed by ISI Web of Science (WOS) and SCOPUS databases were used, since they are the most acknowledged and used for such purposes (Podsakoff, Mackenzie, Bachrach, & Podsakoff, 2005Podsakoff, P. M., Mackenzie, S. B., Bachrach, D. G., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2005). The influence of management journals in the 1980s and 1990s. Strategic Management Journal, 26(5), 473-488. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.454
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.454...
).

Data gathering took place in December 2017, without any chronological filter, and it resorted to Web of Science TM Core Collection (WOS) and Scopus (SCO) databases. The keywords used for the three separate searches were Gamification, Gamification and Education, Gamification and Management. The reason was to gather as many articles as possible on the field and sub-areas of management, making sure the articles that were selected covered the topic as extensively as possible. The outputs were successively filtered, until we had only peer-reviewed articles. Books, proceedings and non-scholarly documents were excluded.

In terms of areas covered by the databases, they are organized in different ways, with WOS having Management, Economics and Business, and SCO having two large groups: Economics, Econometrics and Finance, and Business, Management and Accounting. In the first methodological stage, the present study focused on gamification in general (Gamification), cross-referencing it with game-based learning (Gamification and Education) and management (Gamification and Management). The result were 565 articles in WOS and 701 in SCO. The outputs of the two databases were then cross-referenced, and duplicates were excluded, resulting in 841 articles. Then, the following inclusion criteria were established: (a) articles on game-based learning, and (b) review articles and literature roadmaps on the use of gamification. After perusing abstracts and/or complete articles, 597 of the latter were excluded and 244 included. The 244 articles that were selected in WOS and SCOPUS were published between 2012 and 2017. We then proceed to content analysis in three stages.

In the first stage, all abstracts, literature review, and final considerations were read and a document was created to contain the most relevant information extracted from those sections of each article. Subsequently, a chart was developed to present all subjects approached and the main conclusions (Beelmann, 2006Beelmann, A. (2006). Review of systematic reviews in the social sciences. A practical guide. European Psychologist, 11(3), 244-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.11.3.244
http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.11.3...
). Finally, the contents were divided according to the main constructs in order to create a text that could provide an explanation of the main theoretical approaches for each subject related to gamification applied to the teaching-learning process, and the conclusions that had been drawn. Figure 1 presents the research layout that led to the final set of articles.

Figure 1
Review design

Systematic Literature Review

Gamification

Since 2010, gamification has arisen to increase an individual’s involvement, motivation and attitude by using games in non-game contexts (Deterding, Sicart, Nacke, O’Hara, & Dixon, 2011Deterding, S., Sicart, M., Nacke, L., O’Hara, K., & Dixon, D. (2011, May). Gamification. using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts. CHI’11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vancouver, BC, Canada.). Gamification was first used in marketing and later implemented in other areas like health (Schoech, Boyas, Black, & Elias-Lambert, 2013Schoech, D., Boyas, J. F., Black, B. M., & Elias-Lambert, N. (2013). Gamification for behavior change: lessons from developing a social, multiuser, web-tablet based prevention game for youths. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 31(3), 197-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2013.812512
https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2013.81...
), environment (Filsecker & Hickey, 2014Filsecker, M., & Hickey, D. T. (2014). A multilevel analysis of the effects of external rewards on elementary students’ motivation, engagement and learning in an educational game. Computers & Education, 75, 136-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.02.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.0...
), sports (Koivisto & Hamari, 2014Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
), engineering (Huotari & Hamari, 2017Huotari, K., & Hamari, J. (2017). A definition for gamification: Anchoring gamification in the service marketing literature. Electronic Markets, 27(1), 21-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-015-0212-z
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-015-0212-...
), mathematics (Attali & Arieli-Attali, 2015Attali, Y., & Arieli-Attali, M. (2015). Gamification in assessment: Do points affect test performance? Computers & Education, 83, 57-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.12.012
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.1...
), computer science (Domínguez et al., 2013Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.1...
), biology (Su & Cheng, 2015Su, C.-H., & Cheng, C.-H. (2015). A mobile gamification learning system for improving the learning motivation and achievements. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 31(3), 268-286. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12088
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12088...
), communication (Hanus & Fox, 2015Hanus, M. D., & Fox, J. (2015). Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: A longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation, social comparison, satisfaction, effort, and academic performance. Computers and Education, 80, 152-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.08.019
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.0...
), and psychology (Landers & Landers, 2014Landers, R. N., & Landers, A. K. (2014). An empirical test of the theory of gamified learning: The effect of leaderboards on time-on-task and academic performance. Simulation and Gaming, 45(6), 769-785. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114563662
https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114563662...
). Gamification is typically described as the use of elements of game design in non-game contexts (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke, 2011Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011, September). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining gamification. Proceedings of the International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, Tampere, Finland, 15.; Koivisto & Hamari, 2014Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
; Werbach & Hunter, 2012Werbach, K., & Hunter, D. (2012). For the win: How game thinking can revolutionize your business. Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press.). Still, research must continue to happen on the theoretical bases, broader goals and more consistent empirical practices on the subject (Deterding, Dixon, et al., 2011Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011, September). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining gamification. Proceedings of the International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, Tampere, Finland, 15.), as well as on the impact of application on other areas (Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011Zichermann, G., & Cunningham, C. (2011). Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics in Web and mobile apps. Sebastopol, CAN: O’Reilly Media.).

The aim of gamification is to support and motivate users to perform a given task (Deterding, Sicart, et al., 2011Deterding, S., Sicart, M., Nacke, L., O’Hara, K., & Dixon, D. (2011, May). Gamification. using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts. CHI’11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vancouver, BC, Canada.; Domínguez et al., 2013Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.1...
; Huotari & Hamari, 2012Huotari, K., & Hamari, J. (2012, October). Defining gamification - A service marketing perspective. Proceeding of the International Academic MindTrek Conference on - MindTrek ’12, Tampere, Finland, 12. https://doi.org/10.1145/2393132.2393137
https://doi.org/10.1145/2393132.2393137...
), engaging them in the activities (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). The domain of creativity. In M. A. Runco, & R.S. Albert (Eds.), Theories of creativity (pp. 190-212). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.; Deci & Ryan, 1985Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19(2), 109-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6
https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(85)900...
; Deterding, Sicart, et al., 2011Deterding, S., Sicart, M., Nacke, L., O’Hara, K., & Dixon, D. (2011, May). Gamification. using game-design elements in non-gaming contexts. CHI’11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vancouver, BC, Canada.; Hamari, 2013Hamari, J. (2013). Transforming homo economicus into homo ludens: A field experiment on gamification in a utilitarian peer-to-peer trading service. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), 236-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2013.01.004
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2013.01...
; Ryan, Rigby, & Przybylski, 2006Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 344-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9051-...
), and to foster their interest in a certain area that may enhance learning (Huotari & Hamari, 2012Huotari, K., & Hamari, J. (2012, October). Defining gamification - A service marketing perspective. Proceeding of the International Academic MindTrek Conference on - MindTrek ’12, Tampere, Finland, 12. https://doi.org/10.1145/2393132.2393137
https://doi.org/10.1145/2393132.2393137...
). In an educational context, gamification has a great potential to motivate students, making the school environment more attractive (Lee & Hammer, 2011Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 146-151.), since it is a process aimed at improving educational activities (Gibson, Ostashewski, Flintoff, Grant, & Knight, 2015Gibson, D., Ostashewski, N., Flintoff, K., Grant, S., & Knight, E. (2015). Digital badges in education. Education and Information Technologies, 20(2), 403-410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9291-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9291-...
; Lee & Hammer, 2011Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 146-151.; Werbach & Hunter, 2012Werbach, K., & Hunter, D. (2012). For the win: How game thinking can revolutionize your business. Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press.). As such, the idea that game-based learning only involves playing makes is a limited one; learning should not be a dull experience, but a motivating and pleasant one (Wu, 2011Wu, M. (2011). Gamification 101: The psychology of motivation [Lithium Community]. Retrieved from https://community.khoros.com/t5/Science-of-Social-Blog/Gamification-101-The-Psychology-of-Motivation/ba-p/21864
https://community.khoros.com/t5/Science-...
). Several authors agree on the benefits of gamification to a target audience (Stott & Neustaedter, 2013Stott, A., & Neustaedter, C. (2013). Analysis of gamification in education. Retrieved from http://clab.iat.sfu.ca/pubs/Stott-Gamification.pdf
http://clab.iat.sfu.ca/pubs/Stott-Gamifi...
), because games allow users to err and try again, facing learning without fear, and consequently becoming more involved in the learning process (Lee & Hammer, 2011Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 146-151.).

The feedback students get from their teachers is very important to help them progress and move to the next level (Kapp, 2012aKapp, K. M. (2012a). Games, gamification, and the quest for learner engagement. T and D, 66(6), 64-68. Retrieved from https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862892253&partnerID=40&md5=3d5cd4a19949a11159e3e4ba67557dfe
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri...
), thus mastering due contents. Gamification promotes student motivation and engagement (Clark & Rossiter, 2008Clark, M. C., & Rossiter, M. (2008). Narrative learning in adulthood. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2008(119), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.306
https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.306...
), as well as interest and improvement (Camilleri, Busuttil, & Montebello, 2011Camilleri, V., Busuttil, L., & Montebello, M. (2011). Social interactive learning in multiplayer games. In M. Ma, A. Oikonomou, & L. C. Jain (Eds.), Serious games and edutainment applications (pp. 481-501). London, UK: Springer-Verlag London.; Kapp, 2012aKapp, K. M. (2012a). Games, gamification, and the quest for learner engagement. T and D, 66(6), 64-68. Retrieved from https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862892253&partnerID=40&md5=3d5cd4a19949a11159e3e4ba67557dfe
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri...
). It is possible to say that the number of people who use a certain game-based resource may have a positive impact on the users’ motivation, who are more likely to continue using it (Lin & Bhattacherjee, 2008Lin, C.-P., & Bhattacherjee, A. (2008). Elucidating individual intention to use interactive information technologies: The role of network externalities. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 13(1), 85-108. https://doi.org/10.2753/jec1086-4415130103
https://doi.org/10.2753/jec1086-44151301...
). In general, findings on the impact of gamification take on several forms that can be positive, negative, mixed or even null. This is due to gamification not influencing all participants alike. Nevertheless, it has been considered beneficial by several authors (Brunsell & Horejsi, 2011Brunsell, E., & Horejsi, M. (2011). “Flipping” your classroom. The Science Teacher, 78(2), 10. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24148320
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24148320...
; González & Area, 2013González, C., & Area, M. (2013). Breaking the rules: Gamification of learning and educational materials. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Interaction Design in Educational Environments, Portugal, 2. https://doi.org/0.5220/0004600900470053
https://doi.org/0.5220/0004600900470053...
; Hellwege & Robertson, 2012Hellwege, B., & Robertson, C. (2012, October). Entertain, engage, educate. Proceedings of Australian Computers in Education Conference, Perth, Australia.; McGonigal, 2011McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York, NY: Penguin Press.; Muntean, 2011Muntean, C. I. (2011, October). Raising engagement in e-learning through gamification. Proceedings of International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 6.).

When one looks into the studies that are most frequently cited in the literature, it is possible, according to Domínguez et al. (2013)Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.1...
, to find examples of motivation increase, at an early stage, but also of bad performance, as well as of an increase of interest shown by users of a marketing game (Downes-Le Guin, Baker, Mechling, & Ruyle, 2012Downes-Le Guin, T., Baker, R., Mechling, J., & Ruyle, E. (2012). Myths and realities of respondent engagement in online surveys. International Journal of Market Research, 54(5), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.2501/ijmr-54-5-613-633
https://doi.org/10.2501/ijmr-54-5-613-63...
), or the various effects of using game-based resources (Gäsland,2011Gåsland, M. M. (2011). Game mechanic based e-learning: A case study (Master thesis). Institutt for datateknikk og informasjonsvitenskap, Gjøvik, Norway .; Witt, 2011Witt, J. K. (2011). Action’s effect on perception. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 201-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411408770
https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411408770...
). Other studies have drawn attention to the fact that there are demographic differences regarding gamification impacts and effectiveness. Bagley (2012)Bagley, K. S. (2012). Conceptual mile markers to improve time-to-value for exploratory search sessions (Doctoral dissertation). University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA. concluded that age and familiarity with games increase users’ interest in such resources, while McDaniel and Fanfarelli (2016)McDaniel, R., & Fanfarelli, J. (2016). Building better digital badges: Pairing completion logic with psychological factors. Simulation and Gaming, 47(1), 73-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878115627138
https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878115627138...
claim there is no gender-related difference in the impact of gamification. Demographic differences are relevant indeed when one looks into the use of game-based technology (Venkatesh, Morris, & Ackerman, 2000Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., & Ackerman, P. L. (2000). A longitudinal field investigation of gender differences in individual technology adoption decision-making processes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 83(1), 33-60. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2896
https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2896...
), as some of the differences regarding perception and motivation to use technology have shown that the intent to use may change, or not, according to demographic factors (Venkatesh et al., 2000Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., & Ackerman, P. L. (2000). A longitudinal field investigation of gender differences in individual technology adoption decision-making processes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 83(1), 33-60. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2896
https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2896...
). Researchers have not paid much attention to age and gender as variables that may influence the use of such resources as games, but they may account for differences in the use and motivation to use (Greenberg, Sherry, Lachlan, Lucas, & Holmstrom, 2010Greenberg, B. S., Sherry, J., Lachlan, K., Lucas, K., & Holmstrom, A. (2010). Orientations to video games among gender and age groups. Simulation & Gaming, 41(2), 238-259. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878108319930
https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878108319930...
; Griffiths, Davies, & Chappell, 2003Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N. O., & Chappell, D. (2003). Breaking the stereotype: The case of online gaming. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 6(1), 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1089/109493103321167992
https://doi.org/10.1089/1094931033211679...
; Williams, Yee, & Caplan, 2008Williams, D., Yee, N., & Caplan, S. E. (2008). Who plays, how much, and why? Debunking the stereotypical gamer profile. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(4), 993-1018. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00428.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008...
). Other studies have shown that feedback on progress has improved learning and has reduced failure rates (Bellotti et al., 2013Bellotti, F., Berta, R., De Gloria, A., Lavagnino, E., Antonaci, A., Dagnino, F. M., & Ott, M. (2013, July). A gamified short course for promoting entrepreneurship among ICT engineering students. 2013 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Beijing, China, 13. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT.2013.14
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT.2013.14...
).

Charles, Charles, McNeill, Bustard, and Black (2011)Charles, D., Charles, T., McNeill, M., Bustard, D., & Black, M. (2011). Game-based feedback for educational multi-user virtual environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42(4), 638-654. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01068.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010...
applied gamification to an entrepreneurship course, using incentives that were proportional to each player’s success. It allowed students to get a better learning and achieve higher levels of motivation, although they participated less in classes that followed a traditional model. Hamari and Koivisto (2014)Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
concluded that gamification involves an aspect of novelty that tends to wear off over time. And, according to Deci, Koestner and Ryan (2001)Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543071001001
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307100100...
, rewarding the effort and success, as it happens with games, increases motivation; on the other hand, others think that performing a task that is in itself interesting and being rewarded for it may hinder motivation (Lepper, Greene, & Nisbett, 1973Lepper, M. R., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. E. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the" overjustification" hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28(1), 129-137. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0035519
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0035519...
; Ryan & Deci, 2000aRyan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000a). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020...
). Also, gamification in the classroom helps increase intrinsic motivation (McGonigal, 2011McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. New York, NY: Penguin Press.), thus it should be used and promoted. However, the use of rewards, which usually recognize one’s skills and knowledge, does not always motivate students (Abramovich, Schunn, & Higashi, 2013Abramovich, S., Schunn, C., & Higashi, R. M. (2013). Are badges useful in education?: It depends upon the type of badge and expertise of learner. Educational Technology Research and Development, 61(2), 217-232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-013-9289-2
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-013-9289-...
; Hickey & Rehak, 2013Hickey, D. T., & Rehak, A. (2013). Wikifolios and participatory assessment for engagement, understanding, and achievement in online courses. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 22(4), 407-441.; Landers & Callan, 2011Landers, R. N., & Callan, R. C. (2011). Casual social games as serious games: The psychology of gamification in undergraduate education and employee training. In M. Ma, A. Oikonomou, & L. C. Jain (Eds.), Serious games and edutainment applications (pp. 399-423). London, UK: Springer-Verlag London.; Muntean, 2011Muntean, C. I. (2011, October). Raising engagement in e-learning through gamification. Proceedings of International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 6.).

Hamari, Koivisto and Sarsa (2014)Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
think there are not enough studies that provide information on the differences between using gamification and not using it (such as in a control group), so that it is possible to understand what happens within each group. Although the applications of gamification are promising, there is the need for more empirical evidence of its usefulness and ability to increase the interest of those who use it in an educational context. Gamification is then a concept that is still being developed and one that shows there is room for improvement concerning its real effects (Kapp, 2012aKapp, K. M. (2012a). Games, gamification, and the quest for learner engagement. T and D, 66(6), 64-68. Retrieved from https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862892253&partnerID=40&md5=3d5cd4a19949a11159e3e4ba67557dfe
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri...
).

Gamification in education

Over the years, there have been attempts to apply game-based learning to education in order to stimulate students to behave well towards education (Denny, 2013Denny, P. (2013, April-May). The effect of virtual achievements on student engagement. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Paris, France, 13.). The goal is to make students participate in all activities that have to do with the various learning areas, encouraging them to use teaching aids that appeal to them (Denny, 2013Denny, P. (2013, April-May). The effect of virtual achievements on student engagement. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Paris, France, 13.; Domínguez et al., 2013Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.1...
; Moccozet, Tardy, Opprecht, & Léonard, 2013Moccozet, L., Tardy, C., Opprecht, W., & Léonard, M. (2013, September). Gamification-based assessment of group work. ICL 2013 - International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning, Kazan, Russia. https://doi.org/10.1109/icl.2013.6644565
https://doi.org/10.1109/icl.2013.6644565...
; Simões, Redondo, & Vilas, 2013Simões, J., Redondo, R. D., & Vilas, A. F. (2013). A social gamification framework for a K-6 learning platform. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(2), 345-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.00...
).

The game-based structures that have been applied to education resort to badges and rewards to recognize student improvement based on a classification system that assesses the skills and levels of knowledge evidenced by players during the game. The classification system uses competitiveness as the force behind the game’s dynamics in the form of charts and ranking lists that rank students in ascending order (C. Li, Dong, Untch, & Chasteen, 2013Li, C., Dong, Z., Untch, R. H., & Chasteen, M. (2013). Engaging computer science students through gamification in an online social network based collaborative learning environment. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 3(1), 72-77. https://doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2013.v3.237
https://doi.org/10.7763/ijiet.2013.v3.23...
). Although rewards promote competitiveness, interest and motivation among students, the rivalry they are likely to cause can also produce negative results (Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011Zichermann, G., & Cunningham, C. (2011). Gamification by design: Implementing game mechanics in Web and mobile apps. Sebastopol, CAN: O’Reilly Media.). That is why game-based education has to deal with some important challenges, of which the most important one is to get students accept this kind of learning environment before it can be said to be successful. Therefore, the goals, the type of feedback and the rewards must be clearly defined, keeping the students immersed in a flow of positive and individually involving learning (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). The domain of creativity. In M. A. Runco, & R.S. Albert (Eds.), Theories of creativity (pp. 190-212). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.). This is essential if students are to be always kept engaged and informed of the progress they have made and that has contributed to their satisfaction and academic achievement (Trowler, 2010Trowler, V. (2010, November). Student engagement literature review. Heslington, UK: The Higher Education Academy.).

For Kahu (2013)Kahu, E. R. (2013). Framing student engagement in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 758-773. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.598505
https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.59...
, student engagement in activities may be divided into three major components, called behavioral, cognitive, and affective. Behavioral involvement is the positive behavior shown by students who take part in learning activities demonstrating effort, persistence and attention and no sign of a negative, deviant behavior (Finn, Pannozzo, & Voelkl, 1995Finn, J. D., Pannozzo, G. M., & Voelkl, K. E. (1995). Disruptive and inattentive-withdrawn behavior and achievement among fourth graders. The Elementary School Journal, 95(5), 421-434. https://doi.org/10.1086/461853
https://doi.org/10.1086/461853...
). Cognitive involvement refers to students’ investment in mastering a certain subject (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307400105...
).

As for affective involvement, it has to do with students’ willingness to perform the tasks that have been assigned to them, showing their interest through positive attitudes (Appleton, Christenson, & Furlong, 2008Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., & Furlong, M. J. (2008). Student engagement with school: Critical conceptual and methodological issues of the construct. Psychology in the Schools, 45(5), 369-386. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20303
https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20303...
). It is possible to use game-based resources in a formal or informal school context, provided that there is some level of involvement for, according to Denny (2013)Denny, P. (2013, April-May). The effect of virtual achievements on student engagement. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Paris, France, 13., this type of resources contributing to raising participation in learning activities.

Many authors have created and tested tools in an educational context. Domínguez et al. (2013)Domínguez, A., Saenz-de-Navarrete, J., de-Marcos, L., Fernández-Sanz, L., Pagés, C., & Martínez-Herráiz, J.-J. (2013). Gamifying learning experiences: Practical implications and outcomes. Computers & Education, 63, 380-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.1...
created a game-based service that rewarded the best players by giving them badges and prizes, according to their ranking in the classification charts. This idea, however, caused some discomfort among the students. Unlike what happened with a group of college students during an electro-mechanics class, the students who used game-based resources behaved in a more confident way and were prouder to publicly show their achievements than those who chose not to use them (Foster, Sheridan, Irish, & Frost, 2012Foster, J. A., Sheridan, P. K., Irish, R., & Frost, G. S. (2012, June). Gamification as a strategy for promoting deeper investigation in a reverse engineering activity. Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. Retrieved from https://peer.asee.org/21419
https://peer.asee.org/21419...
). But one should bear in mind that students need their instructor’ help to feel motivated in the classroom (extrinsic motivation), and that prizes and rewards are but a way to stimulate the competitive spirit among students (McDaniel, Lindgren, & Friskics, 2012McDaniel, R., Lindgren, R., & Friskics, J. (2012, October). Using badges for shaping interactions in online learning environments. 2012 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference, Orlando, FL. https://doi.org/10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408619
https://doi.org/10.1109/IPCC.2012.640861...
).

Another teaching aid based on the principles of gamification designed to help students prepare for finals was considered useful and easy to use. However, the game-based elements did not reach the intended goals due to the nature of the task (studying), the way the task was presented to the students (without any prospect of fun), and the fact that the aims of using such tool were not properly explained (Gåsland, 2011Gåsland, M. M. (2011). Game mechanic based e-learning: A case study (Master thesis). Institutt for datateknikk og informasjonsvitenskap, Gjøvik, Norway .). Goehle (2013)Goehle, G. (2013). Gamification and web-based homework. Primus, 23(3), 234-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2012.736451
https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2012.73...
created an electronic application that included several game-based elements, whose purpose was to assist home teaching. In spite of students believing that the system made them feel more appreciated for their effort, it was not possible to prove how using the tool impacted their performance. W. Li, Grossman and Fitzmaurice (2012)Li, W., Grossman, T., & Fitzmaurice, G. (2012, October). GamiCAD: A gamified tutorial system for first time autocad users. Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 25. https://doi.org/10.1145/2380116.2380131
https://doi.org/10.1145/2380116.2380131...
developed a tutorial system to help students access AutoCAD using several strategies like assignments, scoring (both numerical and visual through stars), various game levels, time pressure for problem-solving and rewards or bonuses. The authors were able to ascertain the strategy has increased the students’ engagement, entertainment and performance.

According to Klopfer, Osterweil and Salen (2009),Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., & Salen, K. (2009). Moving learning games forward. Cambridge, MA: The Education Arcade. all educational games should rely on certain mechanics and dynamics. Game mechanics are constructs of rules and rewards, whereas dynamics consists of the wishes and emotions the game awakens in the players. Some authors (e.g., Lee & Hammer, 2011Lee, J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 146-151.; Linehan, Kirman, Lawson, & Chan, 2011Linehan, C., Kirman, B., Lawson, S., & Chan, G. (2011, April). Practical, appropriate, empirically-validated guidelines for designing educational games. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Boston, MA, USA) have drawn attention to a number of rules that must necessarily be part of a game: allowing the repetition of experiences so that a goal may be attained, including immediate feedback on performance during the game, allowing different opportunities for success, and awarding good performance.

It is critical that one realizes the importance of using games in an educational context, but bearing in mind that it must satisfy both students and instructors. The use of games should give instructors the opportunity to create challenges that are suitable for the students’ level of knowledge, raising the level of difficulty as new skills are acquired (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, & Whitt, 2011Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., & Whitt, E. J. (2011). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.); create new ways to enable students to reach intermediary goals during the learning process (Biggs, 1999Biggs, J. (1999). What the student does: Teaching for enhanced learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 18(1), 57-75. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436990180105
https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436990180105...
); provide students with feedback on learning by designing new tasks with higher levels of difficulty (Huang & Soman, 2013Huang, W. H.-Y., & Soman, D. (2013, December 10). Gamification of education. Research Report Series: Behavioural Economics in Action, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, CAN. Retrieved from http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/-/media/files/programs-and-areas/behavioural-economics/guidegamificationeducationdec2013.pdf
http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/-/media/fi...
); use failure as part of learning; use the trial-and-error method for the successful completion of tasks, and not resorting to penalties (Hattie & Timperley, 2007Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487...
); allow students to take on new identities and play different roles that let them explore different aspects of their personality (Banks, 2008Banks, J. A. (2008). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational Researcher, 37(3), 129-139. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x08317501
https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x08317501...
); and use competitiveness among students as a means to promote learning (Schuler & Jackson, 1987Schuler, R. S., & Jackson, S. E. (1987). Linking competitive strategies with human resource management practices. The Academy of Management Executive, 1(3), 207-219. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4164753
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4164753...
).

As previously stated, education and learning have been the stage of many gamification experiences, and some positive results stemming from the application of game-based strategies have been identified, concerning the students’ interest and motivation. In fact, authors like Hamari et al. (2014)Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014, January). Does gamification work?--a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Hawaii International Conference On, Waikoloa, HI, USA, 47. https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377
https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377...
claim learning and flow are guaranteed in such cases, although they also recognize the need for more studies regarding effective learning in various fields of knowledge. It is clear that the mere use of game-based mechanisms, no matter the area of expertise, does not assure that learning goals will be achieved (Dicheva, Dichev, Agre, & Angelova, 2015Dicheva, D., Dichev, C., Agre, G., & Angelova, G. (2015). Gamification in education: A systematic mapping study. Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 75-88. Retrieved from https://www.j-ets.net/ETS/journals/18_3/6.pdf
https://www.j-ets.net/ETS/journals/18_3/...
).

Gamification in management education

Monopoly was the first board game used in higher education in the area of Management. It soon became popular to play it at home as a cooperative game (Whitehill, 1999Whitehill, B. (1999). American games: A historical perspective. Board Game Studies, 2(1), 114-116.). In the mid-1950s, under the influence of what happened during World War II and the appearance of mainframe computers, the American Management Association came up with a simulation called Top Management (Cohen & Rhenman, 1961Cohen, K. J., & Rhenman, E. (1961). The role of management games in education and research. Management Science, 7(2), 131-166. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.7.2.131
https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.7.2.131...
), followed by a game whose purpose was to become a backup tool for a Business Studies and Politics course (Albrecht, 1995Albrecht, W. D. (1995). A financial accounting and investment simulation game. Issues in Accounting Education, 10(1), 127-142.). By that time, many were the management decision games being used at the universities of Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Indiana (Cohen & Rhenman, 1961Cohen, K. J., & Rhenman, E. (1961). The role of management games in education and research. Management Science, 7(2), 131-166. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.7.2.131
https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.7.2.131...
). Several adaptations of the games emerged focusing on decision-making in specific business areas, such as Operations Research, General Administration, Marketing Strategies, and Management Accounting.

In Accounting, several concepts were approached, and instructors were encouraged to use creative methodologies and adopt technology-based teaching (Fratto, 2012Fratto, V. A. (2012). Enhance student learning with powerpoint games: Using twenty questions to promote active. In L. A. Tomei (Ed.), Learning tools and teaching approaches through ICT advancements (pp. 23-30). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.). Several adaptations of Monopoly were then made available (M. M. Tanner & Lindquist, 1998Tanner, M. M., & Lindquist, T. M. (1998). Teaching resource using monopoly TM and teams-gamestournaments in accounting education: A cooperative learning teaching resource. Accounting Education, 7(2), 139-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/096392898331225
https://doi.org/10.1080/096392898331225...
), and spreadsheets and word processors were used to create quiz-type games (Moncada & Moncada, 2014Moncada, S. M., & Moncada, T. P. (2014). Gamification of learning in accounting education. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 14(3), 9-19.). Game-based activities, focusing on improving learning in Financing Accounting courses became usual, adapting other games and turning them into tools that, in spite of having not been specifically designed for teaching Management in general and, in particular, Accounting, they were nevertheless effective. Adaptations of Jeopardy (Cook, 1997Cook, E. D. (1997). An innovative method of classroom presentation: What is “Jeopardy?” Journal of Accounting Education, 15(1), 123-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0748-5751(96)00045-0
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0748-5751(96)00...
) with the help of PowerPoint (Murphy, 2005Murphy, E. A. (2005). Enhancing student learning with governmental accounting Jeopardy! Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 17(2), 223-248. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbafm-17-02-2005-b007
https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbafm-17-02-200...
) and Excel (Bee & Hayes, 2011Bee, S., & Hayes, D. C. (2011). Using the jeopardy game to enhance student understanding of accounting information systems (AIS) exam material. Review of Business Information Systems (RBIS), 9(1), 69-78. https://doi.org/10.19030/rbis.v9i1.4471
https://doi.org/10.19030/rbis.v9i1.4471...
) led to the creation of teaching aids that, even if being quite simple, helped improve practices and revise concepts in accounting (Moncada & Moncada, 2014Moncada, S. M., & Moncada, T. P. (2014). Gamification of learning in accounting education. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 14(3), 9-19.). More recently, several game-based resources have been applied to various other areas of Management (Avramenko, 2012Avramenko, A. (2012). Enhancing students’ employability through business simulation. Education+ Training, 54(5), 355-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911211244669
https://doi.org/10.1108/0040091121124466...
; Ceschi, Dorofeeva, & Sartori, 2014Ceschi, A., Dorofeeva, K., & Sartori, R. (2014). Studying teamwork and team climate by using a business simulation: How communication and innovation can improve group learning and decision-making performance. European Journal of Training and Development, 38(3), 211-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejtd-01-2013-0004
https://doi.org/10.1108/ejtd-01-2013-000...
; Dias, 2017Dias, J. (2017). Teaching operations research to undergraduate management students: The role of gamification. International Journal of Management Education, 15(1), 98-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.01.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.01.0...
; Fitó-Bertran, Hernández-Lara, & Serradell-López, 2014Fitó-Bertran, A., Hernández-Lara, A. B., & Serradell-López, E. (2014). Comparing student competences in a face-to-face and online business game. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 452-459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.02...
), such as Marketing (J. R. Tanner, Stewart, Totaro, & Hargrave, 2012Tanner, J. R., Stewart, G., Totaro, M. W., & Hargrave, M. (2012). Business simulation games: Effective teaching tools or window dressing? American Journal of Business Education (AJBE), 5(2), 115-128. https://doi.org/10.19030/ajbe.v5i2.6814
https://doi.org/10.19030/ajbe.v5i2.6814...
), Entrepreneurship (Antonaci et al., 2015Antonaci, A., Dagnino, F. M., Ott, M., Bellotti, F., Berta, R., De Gloria, A., Lavagnino, E., Romero, M., Usart, M., & Mayer, I. (2015). A gamified collaborative course in entrepreneurship: Focus on objectives and tools. Computers in Human Behavior, 51(B), 1276-1283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.082
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.08...
; Arias Aranda, Bustinza Sanchez, & Djundubaev, 2016Arias Aranda, D., Bustinza Sanchez, O. F., & Djundubaev, R. (2016). Effects of gamified business simulations on entrepreneurial attitude at high school level. Revista de Educacion, (371), 133-156. https://doi.org/10.4438/1988-592X-RE-2015-371-311
https://doi.org/10.4438/1988-592X-RE-201...
), Industrial Production (Müller, Reise, & Seliger, 2015Müller, B. C., Reise, C., & Seliger, G. (2015). Gamification in factory management education--a case study with Lego Mindstorms. Procedia CIRP, 26, 121-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.07.056
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2014.07...
), Tourism (Adukaite, Zyl, Er, & Cantoni, 2017Adukaite, A., Zyl, I. van, Er, S., & Cantoni, L. (2017). Teacher perceptions on the use of digital gamified learning in tourism education: The case of South African secondary schools. Computers & Education, 111, 172-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.04.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.0...
; F. Xu, Buhalis, & Weber, 2017Xu, F., Buhalis, D., & Weber, J. (2017). Serious games and the gamification of tourism. Tourism Management, 60, 244-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.11.020
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.1...
), Innovation (Yalabik, Howard, & Roden, 2012Yalabik, B., Howard, M., & Roden, S. (2012). The innovation game: Lessons in strategy and managing operations. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 32(12), 1441-1459. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571211284188
https://doi.org/10.1108/0144357121128418...
) and General Administration (Kumari, 2019Kumari, S. (2019). Gamification: An employee engagement strategy for organizations of 21st century. In N. Sharma, N. Chaudhary, & V. K. Singh (Eds.), Management techniques for employee engagement in contemporary organizations (pp. 199-217). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.).

Also, several authors have tested different business simulation platforms in trying to see how they influence learning in Management and Accounting. They concluded that the business simulations were instrumental in preparing Accounting students to manage a business, helping them be prepared to take on the role of future business leaders and refining their decision-making skills (Carenys, Moya, & Perramon, 2017Carenys, J., Moya, S., & Perramon, J. (2017). Is it worth it to consider videogames in accounting education? A comparison of a simulation and a videogame in attributes, motivation and learning outcomes. Revista de Contabilidad, 20(2), 118-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsar.2016.07.003
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsar.2016.07....
; Riley, Cadotte, Bonney, & MacGuire, 2013Riley, R. A., Cadotte, E. R., Bonney, L., & MacGuire, C. (2013). Using a business simulation to enhance accounting education. Issues in Accounting Education, 28(4), 801-822. https://doi.org/10.2308/iace-50512
https://doi.org/10.2308/iace-50512...
).

Yet, there are also studies that point to the opposite conclusion as regards this type of educational resource, highlighting that, in Accounting, they do not improve learning (Krom, 2012Krom, C. L. (2012). Using farmville in an introductory managerial accounting course to engage students, enhance comprehension, and develop social networking skills. Journal of Management Education, 36(6), 848-865. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562912459029
https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562912459029...
; Tao, Cheng, & Sun, 2009Tao, Y.-H., Cheng, C.-J., & Sun, S.-Y. (2009). What influences college students to continue using business simulation games? The Taiwan experience. Computers & Education, 53(3), 929-939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.05.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.0...
), and stressing the need for more research that can test their usefulness beyond doubt (Carenys et al., 2017Carenys, J., Moya, S., & Perramon, J. (2017). Is it worth it to consider videogames in accounting education? A comparison of a simulation and a videogame in attributes, motivation and learning outcomes. Revista de Contabilidad, 20(2), 118-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsar.2016.07.003
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsar.2016.07....
). We also mention studies on Management education, where the application of gamification is very rare and still lacks significant empirical evidence (Moncada & Moncada, 2014Moncada, S. M., & Moncada, T. P. (2014). Gamification of learning in accounting education. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 14(3), 9-19.). As regards the application of gamification to Management, there is scarcity of scholarly studies and lack in both robust conclusions and scope, resulting only from very limited studies. Also, there is scarcity of tools suitable to making broader and more effective approaches. After the present literature review of gamification in Management education, we confirm that such studies remain rare (Dichev & Dicheva, 2017Dichev, C., & Dicheva, D. (2017). Gamifying education: What is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: A critical review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(9), 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0042-...
). We also verify that, contrary to the other previously mentioned fields, there is still a long path to follow in Management as regards the scientific evidence resulting from applying gamification (Dale, 2014Dale, S. (2014). Gamification: Making work fun, or making fun of work? Business Information Review, 31(2), 82-90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382114538350
https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382114538350...
).

Gamification Constructs

Gamification includes constructs that explain how one can apply gamification tools to educational interests, while promoting motivation, attitudes, flow, and learning. Several theories have been used in gamification studies, namely Landers’ theory of gamified learning (2014)Landers, R. N. (2014). Developing a theory of gamified learning: linking serious games and gamification of learning. Simulation and Gaming, 45(6), 752-768. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114563660
https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878114563660...
, Ryan’s and Deci’s self-determination theory (SDT) (2000bRyan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000b). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68
https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.1....
), Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990)Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). The domain of creativity. In M. A. Runco, & R.S. Albert (Eds.), Theories of creativity (pp. 190-212). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. flow theory and Ajzen’s (1991)Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)900...
theory of planned behavior; the aim is to try and to understand how motivation (MOT), flow (FLO) and attitudes (ATT), which emerged in the application of game-based resources to the teaching of Management, can influence perceived learning (PLE).

Motivation

Most studies that have been looked into in this literature review focused on the impact of gamification, in general, and, in particular, on the influence of games-based learning (GBL) on the teaching-learning process. In all studies, the common denominator is the application of a game to an area of knowledge with the purpose of understanding its motivational impacts on flow, attitudes and perceived learning. The research goals regarding the use of gamification are clear: verifying a game’s impact on students’ motivation, analyzing students’ knowledge flow after becoming familiar with the game-based resource, studying the students’ attitude to continue using the resource after having used it for the first time, and knowing the impacts on perceived learning of using this type of resource (Hamari et al., 2014Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014, January). Does gamification work?--a literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Hawaii International Conference On, Waikoloa, HI, USA, 47. https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377
https://doi.org/10.1109/hicss.2014.377...
).

Motivation is a construct used to explain the direction, intensity, persistence and quality of a given human behavior (Maehr & Meyer, 1997Maehr, M. L., & Meyer, H. A. (1997). Understanding motivation and schooling: Where we’ve been, where we are, and where we need to go. Educational Psychology Review, 9(4), 371-409. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024750807365
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024750807365...
). In the literature, it is described as varying in magnitude and orientation. Motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, is used as a mediating variable that accounts for several types of behavior in different contexts and environments (Ryan & Deci, 2000aRyan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000a). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020...
). In education, it is considered a key element in learning and used to explain the effort and attention invested by students in activities in which they are involved (Brophy, 2013Brophy, J. E. (2013). Motivating students to learn. New York, NY: Routledge.). In this context, it is up to the instructors to manage student motivation and raising it when possible, so that the learning process has positive results (Harlen & Crick, 2003Harlen, W., & Crick, R. D. (2003). Testing and motivation for learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 10(2), 169-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594032000121270
https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594032000121...
).

Flow

Educational games are developed to educate and train, integrating serious work elements into a game context, what may make emerge the state of flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). The domain of creativity. In M. A. Runco, & R.S. Albert (Eds.), Theories of creativity (pp. 190-212). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.). Flow is a mental state characterized by high concentration and focus on tasks that cause high pleasure and intrinsic motivation (Shernoff, Kratochwill, & Stoiber, 2003Shernoff, E. S., Kratochwill, T. R., & Stoiber, K. C. (2003). Training in evidence-based interventions (EBIs): What are school psychology programs teaching? Journal of School Psychology, 41(6), 467-483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2003.07.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2003.07.00...
). Studies on flow concluded that challenging tasks lead to high concentration, absorption and immersion. Flow has been associated with learning, development of talent, academic performance and creative achievement, regardless of the task or job (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York, NY: Harper Collins.; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1997Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1997). Talented teenagers: The roots of success and failure. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.). In their studies, Hamari and Koivisto (2014)Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2014). Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification. Computers IN Human Behavior, 35, 179-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.00...
and Procci, Singer, Levy and Bowers (2012)Procci, K., Singer, A. R., Levy, K. R., & Bowers, C. (2012). Measuring the flow experience of gamers: An evaluation of the DFS-2. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(6), 2306-2312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.039
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.06.03...
found that game-based technologies promote and conjure up flow experiences capable of having a positive effect on the quality of learning and academic performance (Barzilai & Blau, 2014Barzilai, S., & Blau, I. (2014). Scaffolding game-based learning: Impact on learning achievements, perceived learning, and game experiences. Computers & Education, 70, 65-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.08.003
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.0...
; Brom et al., 2014Brom, C., Buchtová, M., Šisler, V., Děchtěrenko, F., Palme, R., & Glenk, L. M. (2014). Flow, social interaction anxiety and salivary cortisol responses in serious games: A quasi-experimental study. Computers & Education, 79, 69-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.0...
; Chang, Wu, Weng, & Sung, 2012Chang, K.-E., Wu, L.-J., Weng, S.-E., & Sung, Y.-T. (2012). Embedding game-based problem-solving phase into problem-posing system for mathematics learning. Computers & Education, 58(2), 775-786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.10.002
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.1...
; Hung, Sun, & Yu, 2015Hung, C.-Y., Sun, J. C.-Y., & Yu, P.-T. (2015). The benefits of a challenge: student motivation and flow experience in tablet-PC-game-based learning. Interactive Learning Environments, 23(2), 172-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2014.997248
https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2014.99...
; Sabourin & Lester, 2014Sabourin, J. L., & Lester, J. C. (2014). Affect and engagement in game-basedlearning environments. IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, 5(1), 45-56. https://doi.org/10.1109/t-affc.2013.27
https://doi.org/10.1109/t-affc.2013.27...
).

Attitudes

Attitudes remains one of the main interests of research in the social sciences, as it is widely accepted that attitudes are relevant for understanding and foreseeing social behavior (Ajzen, 2001Ajzen, I. (2001). Nature and operation of attitudes. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 27-58. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.27
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52...
). An attitude is a behavioral pattern that shows an individual’s predisposition to adjust to designated social situations, a conditioned response to certain stimuli that lead to social experiences (LaPiere, 1934LaPiere, R. T. (1934). Attitudes vs. actions. Social Forces, 13(2), 230-237. https://doi.org/10.2307/2570339
https://doi.org/10.2307/2570339...
). Because it is a cross-cutting concept within the human and social sciences, it has been the subject of diversified and even competing approaches (Fredricks et al., 2004Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307400105...
; Libbey, 2004Libbey, H. P. (2004). Measuring student relationships to school: Attachment, bonding, connectedness, and engagement. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 274-283. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08284.x
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004...
; Poskitt & Gibbs, 2010Poskitt, J., & Gibbs, R. (2010). Student engagement in the middle years of schooling (year 7-10): A literature review. New Zealand: Ministry of Education.). In several studies, a behavioral component is usually mentioned (Beer, Clark, & Jones, 2010Beer, C., Clark, K., & Jones, D. (2010, December). Indicators of engagement. Proceedings of Ascilite 2010 Conference, Sydney, Australia, 27.; Fredricks et al., 2004Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307400105...
), while, in others, students’ attitudes towards education are discussed (Fredricks et al., 2004Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307400105...
).

Attitudes shape one’s behavior through a deliberate or spontaneous process; strong motivations can influence behaviors, attitudes, the subjective rules, and the perceived behavioral control (Albarracin & Vargas, 2010Albarracin, D., & Vargas, P. (2010). Attitudes and persuasion: From biology to social responses to persuasive intent. Handbook of Social Psychology, 57, 394-427. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy001011
https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.so...
; Banji & Heiphetz, 2010Banji, M. R., & Heiphetz, L. (2010). Handbook of social psychology. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 353-393). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.). Regardless of the rules concerning public opinion on changing educational procedures, one cannot expect to find homogeneous attitudes among individuals, due to people having different personalities (Eaves & Eysenck, 1974Eaves, L. J., & Eysenck, H. (1974). Genetics and the development of social attitudes. Nature, 249, 288-289. https://doi.org/10.1038/249288a0
https://doi.org/10.1038/249288a0...
).

Attitudes towards education can be either positive or negative. The latter usually occurs when students are not involved in the teaching process of which they are part. This is usually an indicator of school dropout, because, when students are involved in school activities, they tend to persevere in fulfilling their goals, despite the challenges and obstacles they may face (Saeed & Zyngier, 2012Saeed, S., & Zyngier, D. (2012). How motivation influences student engagement: A qualitative case study. Journal of Education and Learning, 1(2), 252-267. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v1n2p252
https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v1n2p252...
).

Perceived learning

As important agents of the teaching-learning process, instructors play an important role in their students’ education, identity acquisition and development as members of a society and future professionals (Willemse, Lunenberg, & Korthagen, 2005Willemse, M., Lunenberg, M., & Korthagen, F. (2005). Values in education: A challenge for teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(2), 205-217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2004.12.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2004.12.0...
). Students’ positive thinking about which of the methods used by instructors are the most experiential and interactive (Brown & Lee, 1994Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (1994). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.; Frontczak, 1998Frontczak, N. T. (1998). A paradigm for the selection, use and development of experiential learning activities in marketing education. Marketing Education Review, 8(3), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.1998.11488641
https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.1998.11...
; Mayer, 2003Mayer, R. E. (2003). The promise of multimedia learning: using the same instructional design methods across different media. Learning and Instruction, 13(2), 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0959-4752(02)00016-6
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0959-4752(02)00...
) is a precious indicator of a pedagogy of affection that helps students understand theoretical and practical knowledge they depend on to improve their learning (C. H. C. Hsu, 1999Hsu, C. H. C. (1999). Learning styles of hospitality students: Nature or nurture? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 18(1), 17-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0278-4319(98)00045-0
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0278-4319(98)00...
; Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan, & Willingham, 2013Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266
https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266...
; Rust, Price, & O’Donovan, 2003Rust, C., Price, M., & O’Donovan, B. (2003). Improving students’ learning by developing their understanding of assessment criteria and processes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(2), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930301671
https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930301671...
; Tynjälä, 1999Tynjälä, P. (1999). Towards expert knowledge? A comparison between a constructivist and a traditional learning environment in the university. International Journal of Educational Research, 31(5), 357-442. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0883-0355(99)00012-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0883-0355(99)00...
). The use of teaching methods that are aligned with the students’ preferences and needs thus helps them develop more favorable attitudes to acquiring knowledge, feel more fulfilled, and reach higher levels of performance (Paswan & Young, 2002Paswan, A. K., & Young, J. A. (2002). Student evaluation of instructor: A nomological investigation using structural equation modeling. Journal of Marketing Education, 24(3), 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475302238042
https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475302238042...
; Sendaug & Odabacsi, 2009Sendaug, S., & Odabacsi, H. F. (2009). Effects of an online problem based learning course on content knowledge acquisition and critical thinking skills. Computers & Education, 53(1), 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.01.008
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.0...
; Young, Klemz, & Murphy, 2003Young, M. R., Klemz, B. R., & Murphy, J. W. (2003). Enhancing learning outcomes: The effects of instructional technology, learning styles, instructional methods, and student behavior. Journal of Marketing Education, 25(2), 130-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475303254004
https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475303254004...
). This way, higher education institutions that possess a clear and innovating view of education and well-defined learning goals are better equipped to help their students become more productive and increase their interest, effectiveness and learning (Kolb & Kolb, 2005Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2), 193-212. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.17268566
https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2005.172685...
; Pritchard, 2013Pritchard, A. (2013). Ways of learning: Learning theories and learning styles in the classroom. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.; Silins & Mulford, 2004Silins, H., & Mulford, B. (2004). Schools as learning organisations - Effects on teacher leadership and student outcomes. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15(3-4), 443-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450512331383272
https://doi.org/10.1080/0924345051233138...
; Young et al., 2003Young, M. R., Klemz, B. R., & Murphy, J. W. (2003). Enhancing learning outcomes: The effects of instructional technology, learning styles, instructional methods, and student behavior. Journal of Marketing Education, 25(2), 130-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475303254004
https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475303254004...
). That is why perceived learning analysis is so important, in so far as it has a positive impact on how students value what they are learning - although one can never be too careful when interpreting their opinions about the quality and usefulness of the teaching they have been offered (Frenzel, Pekrun, & Goetz, 2007Frenzel, A. C., Pekrun, R., & Goetz, T. (2007). Perceived learning environment and students’ emotional experiences: A multilevel analysis of mathematics classrooms. Learning and Instruction, 17(5), 478-493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2007.09.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2...
; Marks, 2000Marks, R. B. (2000). Determinants of student evaluations of global measures of instructor and course value. Journal of Marketing Education, 22(2), 108-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475300222005
https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475300222005...
).

Relationships among Constructs

Of the 244 articles included in the current study, the ones entailing an empirical analysis were selected (n=104) and results of empirical models were looked into in order to understand their relationship. The 104 empirical articles revealed statistically significant relationships among gamification’s four main constructs. Some were obtained individually in one construct (n=25), some in two constructs (n=57), and some in three (n=20) and in four (n=2) constructs simultaneously (Table 1). The analysis showed the existence of cause-effect relationships among various constructs, most of which were statistically significant.

Table 1
Relationships among gamification's construct

The construct that stood out the most was motivation, tested in 94 of the 104 empirical articles, followed by perceived learning (76/104), attitudes (29/104) and, finally, flow (8/104). Motivation and perceived learning were more often flagged up (69/104), ahead of motivation with attitudes (27/104) and motivation with flow (7/104). Only in two articles was a relationship tested (attitudes with perceived learning) without motivation having been analyzed. It follows, then, that motivation is gamification’s main construct, and that perceived learning, attitudes and flow come next.

As per the relationships among three constructs, the most researched triad is motivation-attitudes-learning (16/104), followed by motivation-flow-attitudes (4/104) and motivation-flow-learning (3/104). In only two articles, there is a relationship among the four constructs simultaneously.

Most of the relationships that were observed were statistically relevant, and most empirical articles show the following main relationships: motivation has a positive influence on perceived learning (Attali & Arieli-Attali, 2015Attali, Y., & Arieli-Attali, M. (2015). Gamification in assessment: Do points affect test performance? Computers & Education, 83, 57-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.12.012
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.1...
; Buckley & Doyle, 2017Buckley, P., & Doyle, E. (2017). Individualising gamification: An investigation of the impact of learning styles and personality traits on the efficacy of gamification using a prediction market. Computers and Education, 106, 43-55 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.11.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.1...
; C.-H. Chen et al., 2016Chen, C.-H., Liu, G.-Z., & Hwang, G.-J. (2016). Interaction between gaming and multistage guiding strategies on students’ field trip mobile learning performance and motivation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(6), 1032-1050. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12270
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), and flow (Ahmed & Sutton, 2017Ahmed, A., & Sutton, M. J. D. (2017). Gamification, serious games, simulations, and immersive learning environments in knowledge management initiatives. World Journal of Science Technology and Sustainable Development, 14(2-3), 78-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-02-2017-0005
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). In turn, flow has a positive influence on perceived learning (Ahmed & Sutton, 2017Ahmed, A., & Sutton, M. J. D. (2017). Gamification, serious games, simulations, and immersive learning environments in knowledge management initiatives. World Journal of Science Technology and Sustainable Development, 14(2-3), 78-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-02-2017-0005
https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-02-2017-0...
; Betts et al., 2013Betts, B. W., Bal, J., & Betts, A. W. (2013). Gamification as a tool for increasing the depth of student understanding using a collaborative e-learning environment. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 23(3-4), 213-228. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijceell.2013.055405
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), attitudes (Browne et al., 2014Browne, K., Anand, C., & Gosse, E. (2014). Gamification and serious game approaches for adult literacy tablet software. Entertainment Computing, 5(3), 135-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2014.04.003
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), and motivation (Ahmed & Sutton, 2017Ahmed, A., & Sutton, M. J. D. (2017). Gamification, serious games, simulations, and immersive learning environments in knowledge management initiatives. World Journal of Science Technology and Sustainable Development, 14(2-3), 78-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-02-2017-0005
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). Finally, attitudes have a positive influence on perceived learning (Adukaite et al., 2017Adukaite, A., Zyl, I. van, Er, S., & Cantoni, L. (2017). Teacher perceptions on the use of digital gamified learning in tourism education: The case of South African secondary schools. Computers & Education, 111, 172-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.04.008
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).

Conceptual Model

We developed a conceptual model to ground future studies in the field (Figure 2).

Figure 2
Conceptual model

The model shows the state of the art of gamification, its applicability, the main constructs, target audiences, and the type of organizations that use it. The main stakeholders using gamification in an educational context were identified, and the application of this tool to higher education was highlighted. Figure 2 presents the dimensions of education-applied gamification resulting from the literature review.

From the systematic literature review, we verify that most relationships were statistically relevant, and most empirical studies show the following main relationships: motivation has a positive influence on perceived learning, on attitudes, and on flow. In turn, flow has a positive influence on perceived learning, on attitudes, and on motivation. Finally, attitudes have a positive influence on perceived learning. The proposal of this conceptual model will be important for researchers studying the effect of game-based resources on education in general and, in particular, on Management education, as this is an area where such teaching methodologies are clearly beneficial.

Conclusions

The main purpose of the present study was to develop a research conceptual model of Management-applied gamification through a systematic literature review. An overview of the most relevant literature on the subject led to the identification of the topics more frequently approached by the authors, namely: GBL supporting theories, gamification; serious games and Game-based Learning, gamification’s main constructs, gamification applied to education, and gamification applied to management education.

The systematic literature review points to gamification having become more and more an object of scientific research, besides being a field with huge potential, but in need of expanding, since the available studies have their limitations and many of them are not robust enough nor do they have the capacity to extrapolate to the surrounding reality. The present research is a contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge on the field that may help future research. Furthermore, it has led to a holistic systematizing of studies already conducted, identifying the most relevant authors who have approached the subject and continue to be a reference in the area. Although other analysis methods might have been used, resorting to various types of analysis has proven to be extremely useful in describing, systematizing and relating contents, given the diversity of the topics under study.

The present study’s main contribution is to systematize the literature on game-based learning, filling in a gap as regards summarizing gamification’s main basic theories and proposing a conceptual model that will enable further research, resulting from several studies on this field of knowledge.

The present article provides the reader with information on relevant publications included in the main scholarly databases, as well as on how they have contributed to this field of knowledge, the dimensions they have addressed, and the theories they draw on. The conceptual model that we propose allows future researchers to test empirical relationships besides suggesting others that may contribute to the advancement of literature

Contributions

Previous studies have stated that gamification in education can help promote learning in several areas, although its application in management has not been extensively addressed. The present study does a general review of the literature on game-based education in general, but looking especially into the case of Management as part of the administrative studies. In fact, this is the first study to extensively address this subject in a macro and micro dimension, contributing to advancing knowledge in this field and giving a detailed account of how the literature is organized.

The present systematic review provides an organized and structured starting point to the study of how the literature is sequenced, what has been done, what has been achieved, and the results and contributions of it for future research.

One of the major contributions is, no doubt, a systematic rigorous and complete review of the most relevant literature on gamification that made it possible to identify and look into how it has been generally applied, especially to education, its impact on learning, the type of teaching aids that have been used, how they have been used, and their contribution to the teaching-learning process in the various areas of management. In addition, the conceptual model that was created, stemming from the literature review, can help future researchers, providing them with a starting point that will lead the way of their research, by showing them which topics to approach and how to do it.

The extensive analysis of scientific articles also revealed the topics that still raise researchers’ interest, namely those that can be controversial like the application of such theories as gamification, flow, self-determination, and planned behavior to show that gamification is not only a useful tool, but it can also actually help the learning process, regardless of the field in which it is applied.

Also important in this study is the way it refers to limitations that still persist when one tries to apply gamification to education. There is still much to do. Based on the present study, future research can expand in the study of applicability and effectiveness of game-based education, and, in particular, Management education. Finally, this has been a contribution to show gamification’s increasingly important role in the evolution of education by way of the effect it has on students and instructors, distinguishing them in the traditional educational system.

Limitations and future research

This study has a limitation due to the fact that the systematic literature review is limited to ISI Web of Knowledge and Scopus databases, although these are also the two most well-recognized databases in scholarly fields. An additional limitation concerns the validation of findings, as it was limited do the authors’ own analyses.

In terms of future research, we suggest that other empirical quantitative and qualitative studies be done on applying gamification to management education, as well as the impact of using game-based resources on students’ motivation, flow, attitudes and learning. Also, new games with different mechanics and principles as compared to those previously tested should be created and analyzed in terms of impacts. Another line of inquiry is to study more instructors and students in different contexts, as well as research methodologies that include control groups and game-adopting groups for comparison.

As regards to advancing theory, it is vital that the existing theories continue to be tested and, if possible, improved so that the true impact of gamification on education may be explained. Longitudinal studies are, thus, welcome to establish medium- and long-term impacts of gamification, allowing researchers to make more viable conclusions about the robustness of this type of studies, while developing the existing gamification theories and, eventually, creating new ones that will provide a more complete explanation of the phenomenon.

  • This paper was with the authors for three revisions.

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Rodrigo Baroni de Carvalho was the associate editor for this article.
Editorial assistant: Luciane Kato Kiwara
Editor-in-chief: Carlo Gabriel Porto Bellini

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    18 July 2019
  • Date of issue
    2019

History

  • Received
    06 Sept 2018
  • Accepted
    29 May 2019
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