Gamification in Online Adult Learning: A Systematic Literature Review
, George Koutromanos, Ioanna LagopatiThe purpose of this review is to investigate current research on gamification for adult lifelong learning, including tertiary education, work-based learning, and informal learning.
As teaching methods still rely on traditional methods, the necessity of a paradigm shift in teaching methods to foster motivation and leverage better learning outcomes remains a challenge. One of the proposed solutions is to make learning more attractive via contextualized designs that follow the principles of gamification.
To address the research questions, a systematic literature review was conducted, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. As part of the systematic literature review, articles published between 2014 and 2024 were sought. The search query consisted of the various Boolean operators and search terms. The search was conducted in ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, ERIC, and Scopus. Of the 232 articles identified, 141 were selected by applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. After reviewing the abstracts of the selected studies, 36 articles were included in the review.
This study contributes by providing a thorough review of the current state of gamified learning in the field of adult education. It synthesizes previous research and offers insights into technologies, theories, elements, and learning outcomes of gamified educational interventions. Moreover, this review highlights the potential of gamification to enhance learning experiences through the integration of game elements into educational design, resulting in more efficient and productive training models.
The study revealed that gamified learning is applicable in a variety of subjects, predominantly in areas related to business administration, economics, and pedagogical studies, as corroborated by prior research. It is diverse and depends on several factors, including the educational purpose, the learning profile, the established learning objectives, and the desired learning outcomes. Gamified learning yields significant learning outcomes for adult learners.
Gamification offers significant potential for enhancing motivation, engagement, and learning in various key areas, including formal education in higher education, corporate training, healthcare, workplace settings, and sustainability. Moreover, when a designer integrates game elements into non-gameful environments, it is crucial to consider specific design parameters. The research indicates that when game elements are thoroughly designed to align with the learning characteristics of adult learners and are based on learning theories related to gamified learning, they enhance the motivation to engage in learning activities. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the learners’ self-efficacy.
Further investigations into the application of gamified adult education through Learning Management Systems (LMS) are needed. This includes the effectiveness and sustainability of using advanced applications of adaptive and personalized gamification with embedded artificial intelligence in open learning environments, which appears to be a new trend.
The key outcomes are associated with the enhancement of learning performance and the acquisition of practical knowledge and skills that can be applied in real-world scenarios, such as work environments. In these environments, adults will be able to solve practical problems and enhance their work performance and productivity.
As research continues to verify the effectiveness of gamification in terms of learning benefits, further investigation is needed to explore different educational levels and span the continuum of lifelong learning, as well as to examine new emerging technologies, especially generative AI tools.
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