Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile
Gamification, or the introduction of game elements to non-game contexts, has the potential to improve learning by increasing student motivation. However, there is little rigorous evidence about its effectiveness. In this paper, we experimentally evaluate an innovative technology program that uses gamification to increase math learning in low-performing primary schools in Chile. The ConectaIdeas program involves two weekly sessions in a computer lab during which students use an online platform to solve math exercises. The platform tracks how many exercises students perform and features different types of individual and group competitions to promote student motivation. Results indicate large positive effects on math learning of about 0.27 standard deviations on the Chilean national standardized exam (no effects were found on language). The program also affected several non-academic outcomes in both positive and negative ways. On the one hand, it increased students’ preference to use technology for math learning and promoted the idea among students that study effort can raise intelligence. On the other hand, the program increased math anxiety and reduced students’ preferences to collaborate in teams. These results suggest that gamification could be an important tool to boost student learning, but that it may bring unintended consequences.
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Other Authors: | |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Inter-American Development Bank
|
Subjects: | Primary Education, Educational Technology, Teaching of Mathematics, Gamification of Learning, Impact Evaluation, Randomized Controlled Trial, I21 - Analysis of Education, I28 - Government Policy, |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0001777 https://publications.iadb.org/en/does-gamification-education-work-experimental-evidence-chile-0 |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
id |
dig-bid-node-19272 |
---|---|
record_format |
koha |
spelling |
dig-bid-node-192722022-06-23T18:59:32ZDoes Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile 2019-07-15T00:00:00+0000 http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0001777 https://publications.iadb.org/en/does-gamification-education-work-experimental-evidence-chile-0 Inter-American Development Bank Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy Gamification, or the introduction of game elements to non-game contexts, has the potential to improve learning by increasing student motivation. However, there is little rigorous evidence about its effectiveness. In this paper, we experimentally evaluate an innovative technology program that uses gamification to increase math learning in low-performing primary schools in Chile. The ConectaIdeas program involves two weekly sessions in a computer lab during which students use an online platform to solve math exercises. The platform tracks how many exercises students perform and features different types of individual and group competitions to promote student motivation. Results indicate large positive effects on math learning of about 0.27 standard deviations on the Chilean national standardized exam (no effects were found on language). The program also affected several non-academic outcomes in both positive and negative ways. On the one hand, it increased students’ preference to use technology for math learning and promoted the idea among students that study effort can raise intelligence. On the other hand, the program increased math anxiety and reduced students’ preferences to collaborate in teams. These results suggest that gamification could be an important tool to boost student learning, but that it may bring unintended consequences. Inter-American Development Bank Roberto Araya Elena Arias Ortiz Nicolas L. Bottan Julian P. Cristia application/pdf IDB Publications Chile en |
institution |
BID |
collection |
DSpace |
country |
Estados Unidos |
countrycode |
US |
component |
Bibliográfico |
access |
En linea |
databasecode |
dig-bid |
tag |
biblioteca |
region |
America del Norte |
libraryname |
Biblioteca Felipe Herrera del BID |
language |
English |
topic |
Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy |
spellingShingle |
Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy Inter-American Development Bank Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
description |
Gamification, or the introduction of game elements to non-game contexts, has the potential to improve learning by increasing student motivation. However, there is little rigorous evidence about its effectiveness. In this paper, we experimentally evaluate an innovative technology program that uses gamification to increase math learning in low-performing primary schools in Chile. The ConectaIdeas program involves two weekly sessions in a computer lab during which students use an online platform to solve math exercises. The platform tracks how many exercises students perform and features different types of individual and group competitions to promote student motivation. Results indicate large positive effects on math learning of about 0.27 standard deviations on the Chilean national standardized exam (no effects were found on language). The program also affected several non-academic outcomes in both positive and negative ways. On the one hand, it increased students’ preference to use technology for math learning and promoted the idea among students that study effort can raise intelligence. On the other hand, the program increased math anxiety and reduced students’ preferences to collaborate in teams. These results suggest that gamification could be an important tool to boost student learning, but that it may bring unintended consequences. |
author2 |
Roberto Araya |
author_facet |
Roberto Araya Inter-American Development Bank |
topic_facet |
Primary Education Educational Technology Teaching of Mathematics Gamification of Learning Impact Evaluation Randomized Controlled Trial I21 - Analysis of Education I28 - Government Policy |
author |
Inter-American Development Bank |
author_sort |
Inter-American Development Bank |
title |
Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
title_short |
Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
title_full |
Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
title_fullStr |
Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
title_full_unstemmed |
Does Gamification in Education Work?: Experimental Evidence from Chile |
title_sort |
does gamification in education work?: experimental evidence from chile |
publisher |
Inter-American Development Bank |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0001777 https://publications.iadb.org/en/does-gamification-education-work-experimental-evidence-chile-0 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT interamericandevelopmentbank doesgamificationineducationworkexperimentalevidencefromchile |
_version_ |
1809107936196165632 |