Beyond Points and Badges: How Mobile-Based Gamification Drives Multidimensional Engagement to Improve Learning Outcomes in Engineering Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v22i10.61757Keywords:
Quality Education, mobile-based gamification, learning engagement, learning outcomes, engineering educationAbstract
Gamification and mobile-based learning have become popular innovative approaches in education. However, empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness in engineering education, particularly in electrical engineering, remains fragmented, with a critical gap in understanding the mediating mechanisms through which gamification drives outcomes in this uniquely demanding context. This study examines the impact of mobile-based gamification (MobGam) on learning engagement (LE) and learning outcomes (LO) among electrical engineering students. Research data were collected through standardized questionnaires from 121 students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that the Usage Intensity of MobGam (UI) has a positive and significant effect on all dimensions of students’ LE, namely Behavioral Engagement (BE), Cognitive Engagement (CE), and Emotional Engagement (EE). UI also positively associated with LO, as measured by perceived learning effectiveness (PLE) and perceived academic performance (PAP). Moreover, LE mediates the relationship between UI and LO. Crucially, EE emerged as the strongest mediating pathway, underscoring the paramount importance of affective factors in overcoming the cognitive demands of engineering coursework. Specifically, EE showed the most substantial mediating effect on PLE (β = 0.326) and PAP (β = 0.314). These findings extend beyond electrical engineering education by providing evidence that emotionally resonant gamification is associated with higher persistence and more positive perceived LO, particularly in contexts with high cognitive load. This study offers a theoretically grounded, empirically validated model that redefines the success of educational gamification in electrical engineering education, shifting focus from mere usage to the cultivation of deep, emotionally resonant engagement.
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