Gamification to foster student engagement: a mixed methods study in higher education

Gamification has gained prominence in higher education, involving the combination of game elements into non-game contexts to capture attention and influence behavioral dynamics. While scholars agree on its conceptualization, empirical studies reveal conflicting results on its impact on student motivation, engagement, and academic performance. This paper addresses this duality by examining the influence of gamification on key dimensions, such as students' engagement and perceptions of gamified experiences. The goal is to contribute to the scholarly discourse on gamification in higher education, offering insights to design more engaging learning experiences, particularly in the context of declining motivation observed during the pandemic.