Gamification in Statistics Teaching
Published Oct 11, 2021 · Updated Feb 24, 2026
Can a short, game-like challenge improve how students learn statistical forecasting? In a study of 365 students at two Greek universities, adding gamification to a brief lecture increased mean evaluation scores by around 35%, with the largest gains when paired with an assigned reading task (compare with flipping the classroom for small group settings).
Gamification describes designing systems, services, or activities to evoke motivations and experiences similar to those found while playing games. It aims to influence user behaviour by borrowing game mechanics (Huotari and Hamari, 2017). Gamification has been applied in many fields and has the potential to improve learning outcomes (Koivisto and Hamari, 2019; Seaborn and Fels, 2015). It has been used across a wide range of subjects, as well as in settings such as informal language learning (for example, Duolingo has 300 million active users) and software learning (for example, Microsoft’s Ribbon Hero).
Below is a quick summary of how the researchers tested gamification in a forecasting lecture, and what their results suggest for educators.
Statistical literacy is increasingly important for making sense of the world we inhabit. The authors argue that limited competence in statistics and forecasting is one of the primary reasons the public struggle to respond to challenges like climate change, reach consensus on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, and generally comprehend science. As data production accelerates and storage capacity grows, students are increasingly expected to develop statistical and analytical forecasting skills. While there is a longstanding tradition of using educational games in business, gamification for the purposes of teaching statistical forecasting is rare.
To test this, the authors ran a study with 365 undergraduate and postgraduate students in computer engineering or business administration programmes at two Greek universities. All students attended a 15-minute statistical forecasting lecture based on research by Petropoulos et al. (2014). Students were then divided into four groups:
- Group Control: no treatment.
- Group Read: read the research paper that formed the foundation of the lecture content (Petropoulos et al., 2014).
- Group Play: used a gamified application specifically created around the lecture content. This application incorporated motivational aspects of gaming such as reward points, levels, challenges, and a participant leaderboard.
- Group Read & Play: completed the assignments of both Group Read and Group Play.
Students were given 15 minutes to complete the task for their assigned group, or 30 minutes (15 + 15) in the case of Group Read & Play. After completing their task, students spent 15 minutes completing an evaluation questionnaire on the lecture topic to assess their grasp of the content, a simple example of what student voice surveys are.
Based on the mean score achieved within each group, Group Read & Play performed best, followed by Group Play, Group Read, and Group Control, respectively. A mean improvement in evaluation scores of around 35% was seen when gamification was added to the learning experience. This increase was as high as 89.45% in some cases.
The authors report that the increase in evaluation score was independent of variables such as education level and computer expertise. However, for students studying computer engineering, the improvement was significantly higher than the improvement seen in business administration students. This may be due to this cohort finding the subject in question more manageable (Markopoulos et al., 2015). Female students also saw a higher level of improvement compared with male students. This may be due to female participants generally finding more motivation in challenge than in competition (McDaniel et al., 2012).
There are several important takeaways from this study. First, challenge-based gamification can improve learning outcomes in statistical forecasting courses. Second, the greatest improvement in student performance was observed when gamification was combined with the traditional teaching method of an assigned reading task. Third, female and engineering students were shown to benefit most from gamification.
The authors conclude that gamification could be employed in a range of different subjects, particularly those requiring high levels of motivation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), statistics, or software engineering.
If you are trialling gamification in your own teaching, consider collecting short open-text feedback alongside assessment results, so you can understand not just whether scores moved, but why (our guide to text analysis software for education covers practical options for turning comments into themes).
FAQ
Q: What is the impact of gamification on student motivation and engagement in learning?
A: The study suggests gamification can boost motivation and engagement by making learning activities feel more like games. Elements such as reward points, levels, challenges, and leaderboards can make tasks more interactive and encourage students to persist. In this experiment, those mechanics were associated with higher evaluation scores after the teaching session.
Q: How does gamification affect learning outcomes across different student demographics?
A: The authors report that the improvement from gamification was not explained by education level or computer expertise. However, the size of the improvement differed by cohort: students studying computer engineering improved more than those studying business administration, and female students improved more than male students.
Q: Can gamification be effectively applied to all subjects, and what are the potential challenges?
A: While the study concludes that gamification could be beneficial for a wide range of subjects, applying it effectively can be challenging. Game elements need to align with educational goals and support deep learning, rather than encouraging superficial engagement. It also helps to consider different student preferences and ensure the approach is accessible and fair, so the gamified elements enrich the learning experience without distracting from the content.
References
[1] Huotari, K., Hamari, J., 2017. A definition for gamification: anchoring gamification in the service marketing literature. Electron. Markets 27 (1), 21–31.
DOI: 10.1007/s12525-015-0212-z
[2] Koivisto, J., Hamari, J., 2019. The rise of motivational information systems: a review of gamification research. Int. J. Inf. Manage. 45, 191–210.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.10.013
[3] Markopoulos, A.P., Fragkou, A., Kasidiaris, P.D., Davim, J.P., 2015. Gamification in engineering education and professional training. Int. J. Mech. Eng. Educ. 43 (2), 118–131.
DOI: 10.1177/0306419015591324
[4] McDaniel, R., Lindgren, R., Friskics, J., 2012. Using badges for shaping interactions in online learning environments. 2012 IEEE International Professional Communication Conference. IEEE, pp. 1–4.
DOI: 10.1109/IPCC.2012.6408619
[5] Petropoulos, F., Makridakis, S., Assimakopoulos, V., Nikolopoulos, K., 2014. Horses for courses’ in demand forecasting. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 237 (1), 152–163.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2014.02.036
[6] Seaborn, K., Fels, D.I., 2015. Gamification in theory and action: a survey. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. 74, 14–31.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2014.09.006
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