Source:Journal of Information Technology Education: Research
(2025)
Aim/Purpose The purpose of this review is to investigate current research on gamification for adult lifelong learning, including tertiary education, work-based learning, and in-formal learning.Background As teaching methods still rely on traditional methods, the necessity of a para-digm shift in teaching methods to foster motivation and leverage better learning outcomes remains a challenge. One of the proposed solutions is to make learn-ing more attractive via contextualized designs that follow the principles of gami-fication.Methodology To address the research questions, a systematic literature review was conducted, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Anal-yses (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.Contribution 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 po-tential of gamification to enhance learning experiences through the integration of game elements into educational design, resulting in more efficient and pro-ductive training models.Findings The study revealed that gamified learning is applicable in a variety of subjects, predominantly in areas related to business administration, economics, and peda-gogical studies, as corroborated by prior research. It is diverse and depends on several factors, including the educational purpose, the learning profile, the es-tablished learning objectives, and the desired learning outcomes. Gamified learning yields significant learning outcomes for adult learners.Recommendations for PractitionersGamification offers significant potential for enhancing motivation, engagement, and learning in various key areas, including formal education in higher educa-tion, corporate training, healthcare, workplace settings, and sustainability. More-over, when a designer integrates game elements into non-gameful environ-ments, 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.Recommendations for Researchers Further investigations into the application of gamified adult education through Learning Management Systems (LMS) are needed. This includes the effective-ness and sustainability of using advanced applications of adaptive and personal-ized gamification with embedded artificial intelligence in open learning environ-ments, which appears to be a new trend.Impact on Society The key outcomes are associated with the enhancement of learning perfor-mance 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 perfor-mance and productivity.Future Research 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. (CC BY-NC 4.0) This article is licensed to you under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Aim/Purpose The purpose of this review is to investigate current research on gamification for adult lifelong learning, including tertiary education, work-based learning, and in-formal learning.Background As teaching methods still rely on traditional methods, the
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Keywords:
GamificationSystematic reviewlifelong learninggamified digital applicationsonline adult learn-ing
Objectives: This study examines the impact of surrealist thinking on graphic design, particularly in graphic design education. Surrealism’s unconventional approach and emphasis on illogical, dream-like visuals offer new creative perspectives and techniques, cate
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Keywords:
Art DesignCase AnalysisGraphic DesignSurrealist ThinkingTraining Practice
This thesis seeks to present a STEM educational model suitable for the countries of the Arab region with their different circumstances by implementing a descriptive and analytical study of the education systems in the Arab region and the extent of their response
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Keywords:
STEM educationeducation 4.0-Based LearningArab region
The rapid development of technologies leads to changes in the requirements of modern employers for vocational training; therefore, there is a need to apply pedagogical technologies and approaches to teaching that would ensure the formation of competitive specialists. The research is devoted to the a
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The integration of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) in E-Commerce education aims to address the challenges of fostering academic help-seeking behaviors, which are often hindered by traditional teaching methods. Help-seeking is essential for acade
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While entrepreneurial self-efficacy is heavily researched, marshalling self-efficacy, a crucial aspect for mobilizing resources, remains understudied. Similarly, while research has examined the relationship between personal resilience and entrepreneurial intention, there is a lack of understanding r
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The increasing adoption of student-centered learning environments by the institutions of higher education in business has led to new mechanisms and methodologies such as Simulation-Based Learning (SBL), Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and Challenge-Based Learning
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This research paper examines the effects of a gamified educational application on student engagement and academic performance, focusing particularly on gender differences in response to gamification. Employing a blend of quantitative methods—including independent samples t-test, Analysis of Variance
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This article examines the theoretical frameworks crucial for developing equitable and sustainable curriculum designs in the context of post-pandemic education in Jordan. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing disparities within the
Keywords:
curriculum designequity in educationJordanian education SystemPost-Pandemic educationSocial Justice Pedagogy
Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered and experiential approach that encourages active learning by involving students in the examination of real-world problems within a collaborative environment. This study aims to develop a PBL environment based on information and communication technol
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Keywords:
Experiential learningVocational studentsProject based learninglearning experiencetourism education