Student engagement is an increasing priority in higher education. Newer pedagogical approaches emphasise interaction, autonomy, and active participation—positioning students as co-creators in the learning process rather than passive recipients of information. Within this context, many educators are exploring gamification, the use of game-inspired elements, to enhance course structure, motivation, and the learning environment, particularly in large-scale or flexible learning environments. While early uses of gamification focused on external rewards, recent research highlights its potential to support intrinsic motivation, student autonomy, and formative learning (Rao, 2024; Sánchez et al., 2025).

Before exploring teaching applications, it’s helpful to clarify the term and how it differs from related approaches. One common point of confusion is the distinction between gamification and game-based learning. While the two are connected, they serve different purposes in educational design.

What's the difference between gamification vs. game-based learning?

Gamification

Gamification refers to using game-inspired elements to create motivation, mastery and progress in learning.
It does not necessarily mean that students play games, but that you as a teacher use game logic/game elements in teaching – for example with points, levels, missions, challenges or a story that ties the subject together.

Examples of gamification include:

A teacher using a point system for seminar contributions
A course design with assignments as "missions" with levels of complexity
A course-long narrative in which students advance through stages of inquiry or practice

Game-based learning

Game-based learning involves using actual games—digital or physical—as the primary vehicle for learning. The game itself serves as a learning activity, and students learn through the experience of "playing" the game.

Examples of game-based learning include:

Using a simulation game to explore environmental policy in a political science course
Role-playing ethical dilemmas in a healthcare program
Using Kahoot or another game-based quiz platform to reinforce key concepts through repetition and competition

In short:

Gamification: uses game mechanisms to make learning more motivating. Gamification starts in the teaching design – you take an existing activity and give it a game-like feel to increase motivation and engagement.
Game-based learning: uses or creates an entire game to make learning more experiential – that is, through experience and action, not just information. In game-based learning, you develop or use a game that will create academic understanding through action and experience.

Reflections

Have you previously used strategies that incorporate game-like elements—intentionally or unintentionally—in your teaching?
Which aspects of your course design currently support active participation or a sense of progression? Where might there be room to experiment?
How might game-inspired design align—or conflict—with your teaching values, subject matter, or assessment practices?

Sources

Rao, H. (2024). Gamification in Higher Education Instruction (HEI) and student outcomes. Journal for Leadership and Instruction, 23(1), 29–38. https://www.scopeonline.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SCOPE-JLI-Vol23-1-Spring-2024-Web.pdf

Sánchez, F., Martínez, R., & González, M. (2025). Gamification in Higher Education: A Case Study in Educational Sciences. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22(2), 115–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-025-01056-2