The effects of wagering and iterative feedback on engagement and performance in a MySQL learning context

Academic engagement is an essential part of learning, because high levels of engagement increase levels of satisfaction, motivation and performance for students. The benefits of increased engagement may overcome common difficulties in learning, specifically learning abstract, difficult topics. Gamification can improve engagement in learning by offering features that leverage the engaging aspects of video games. The wagering of points, like betting in casino, and the availability of immediate, supportive feedback when students answer a difficult question incorrectly, and the chance to repeat the attempt, are proven gamification features. These features were tested as part of a learning system to measure their ability to increase engagement and performance in a computer programming education context. Sixteen engineering students played two versions of the learning system for 15 minutes each. Engagement was measured with the experience sampling method which uses repeated surveys to track the engagement of the participant over time, while performance was measured as the percentage of questions answered correctly. Results show that both wagering and feedback have positive effects on most aspects of engagement. Effects of wagering and feedback may be improved by further incorporating them into the learning system or applying them in a voluntary use context. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that gamification can be used to make the learning of complex and frustrating topics more engaging.