Improving instruction and sexual health literacy with serious games and gamification interventions: an outlook to students’ learning outcomes and gender differences

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the effect of game mechanics by employing serious games and gamification for improving learning outcomes. This is done by considering the performances of the students in terms of the test scores. In the quasi-experimental set-up, which consists of 108 students in their intact three classes attended a series of lessons on sexual health course that was delivered using serious games, gamification, and conventional training elements. The test scores were analysed and compared based on the defined methodology of this paper using SPSS statistical tool version 24. This study found that the students learning outcomes improved after the interventions as the results indicated that there was a statistically significant increase in the test scores from pre-test (M = 24.65, SD = 6.38) to post-test (M = 74.96, SD = 15.89), t(107) = 32.48, p < .001 (2-tailed). Also, there were statically significant differences in the mean scores across the three classes of game mechanics in the post-test F(2,105), 71.86, p <.001, of which serious game and gamification outperformed conventional training students. Moreover, the overall results demonstrated that there were no substantial statistical significance differences among boys and girls who participated in the serious game and gamification for all tests (p > .05). Thus, this study suggests that employing a combination of game elements such as leaderboard, points system, competition, badges, levels, and immediate feedback can serve as a recipe for interactive learning, hence, improves learning outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Educational innovation
• game elements
• gamification
• gender differences
• learning outcomes
• serious game

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the technical support of Writing Lab, Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, in the publication of this work. We also acknowledge the generous support from Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Tom Hall Small Global Health Education Grants for the development of the gamified learning materials. Also, we would like to recognize the advisers, stakeholders, teachers in the host secondary schools, and students who have contributed to the success of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hussein Haruna

Hussein Haruna is an Education Innovation Researcher. His research interest includes game-based learning, gamification, technology-enhanced learning, participatory design research, design-based research and information technology in education.

Zamzami Zainuddin

Zamzami Zainuddin is a Research Assistant and PhD Candidate in Educational Technology at the Division of Information and Technology Studies, the Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong. His research interest include Flipped Classroom, Gamification, Inquiry-based Learning.

Kingsley Okoye

Kingsley Okoye is currently a Data Architect at Tecnologico de Monterrey. His research interest includes educational innovation, digital technologies in education, process mining, learning analytics and design, business process management, semantic web technologies, internet applications and ontology.

Robin R. Mellecker

Robin Mellecker received her PhD at the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong. Her research interest includes Physical activity promotion and development of technology-driven applications to improve child lifestyle behaviours and health and game-based learning.

Xiao Hu

Xiao Hu is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education (Academic Unit of Human Communication, Development, and Information Sciences), the University of Hong Kong. Her research interest includes Applied Data Mining, Learning Analytics, Music Information Retrieval, Digital Cultural Heritage, User Information Interaction.

Samuel Kai Wah Chu

Samuel Chu is an Associate Professor at the Academic Unit of Teacher Education and Learning Leadership, Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong. His research interest include Web 2.0 technologies for teaching and learning, Inquiry-based learning, Learning technologies, Information retrieval systems, Web usability and interaction design and Human–computer interaction, Game-based Learning, Gamification in Education, twenty-first Century Skills, Social Media in Education.

Samira Hosseini

Samira Hosseini is a Research Professor and Director of Writing Lab in the Centre for Educational Innovation at which several lines of research related to Educational Innovations are developed.