The Impact of Gamified Learning With Kahoot! on Student Motivation and Engagement

Introduction

The digital revolution has led to significant challenges in modern education, including issues related to student motivation and engagement (Lee & Hammer, 2011; Kumar & Khurana, 2012). This challenge becomes even more pronounced in higher education settings, particularly in large classes with limited opportunities for interaction (Wang & Tahir, 2020). Traditional methods have proven to be inadequate (Barata et al., 2015; Bell, 2014; Buckley & Doyle, 2016; Erhel & Jamet, 2013; Hamari & Koivisto, 2014; Jui et al., 2011; Karp, 2012; Montean, 2011; Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011), prompting the need for innovative solutions. Over the past two decades, gamification has gained popularity in education owing to its potential to enhance student engagement and academic performance (Luo, 2022; Sanchez et al., 2020).

Gamification is the process of integrating game design elements (such as leaderboards and points) and features (such as assessments and challenges) into non-game settings to achieve positive outcomes, such as improved learning. Studies have shown that gamification can be an effective educational tool (Deterding et al., 2011; Bedwell et al., 2012; Sanchez et al., 2020). One popular gamification platform used in education is Kahoot!. Originally created in 2012, Kahoot! is a game-based student response system that transforms the classroom experience into an engaging game show. With over 70 million active users per month and 50% of K-12 students in the US using it, Kahoot! has become one of the most popular game-based learning platforms (Lunden, 2018). It has a global reach, with over 2.5 billion players in 200 countries (Vick, 2019). However, some researchers have questioned its effectiveness as an educational tool (Zhang & Yu, 2021), and it is not widely used in non-Western countries, particularly China.

In parallel, studies investigating the impact of gamification on student performance in various educational contexts have yielded inconclusive findings (Fuster-Guilló et al., 2019). Therefore, there is a pressing need for further empirical research to ascertain gamification's true effectiveness, benefits, and drawbacks, especially in the context of platforms like Kahoot! understanding the implications of gamification on student motivation and engagement is vital for educators seeking evidence-based approaches to enhance the learning experience and achieve positive educational outcomes.

This paper makes an important contribution in several ways. First, it provides a comprehensive discussion of gamified learning through synthesizing the literature and how it differs from game-based learning. In particular, the article delves into four key game elements and the potential impact of gamified learning on learning engagement and motivation. In addition, the article provides a detailed description of the Kahoot! Platform, emphasizing its positive impact on learning engagement and motivation. Second, this study conducted an empirical assessment to verify the actual impact of Kahoot! The platform on student motivation and learning engagement. Through interviews with students and teachers, particularly in Chinese animation courses, we further validated the effectiveness of Kahoot! and identified its potential benefits and limitations.