Gamification in Education: Why, Where, When, and How?—A Systematic Review

Abstract

Defined as the utilization of game elements in nongame environments, gamification has been frequently used in education in recent years. The aim of the present study is to summarize the studies previously conducted on the use of gamification in education through a systematic literature review. When the studies conducted in 2000–2021 were examined, four main dimensions came to the fore: (i) the aim of gamification studies, (ii) the learning fields where gamification studies were carried out, (iii) the level of education at which gamification studies were carried out, and (iv) how gamification was integrated into the learning environment. The results showed that gamification is used for various educational purposes, at many learning levels in various environments, and in a wide variety of learning fields. In most of the studies, the positive effects of gamification and its potential to solve problems in education were reported.