Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: a longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation, social comparison, satisfaction, effort, and academic performance
Hanus and Fox compared two university courses across a 16-week semester, surveying 71 students at four points. One course used a gamified curriculum with a leaderboard and badges, and the other taught the same content without game elements. Students in the gamified course became less motivated, satisfied and empowered over time, and lower intrinsic motivation mediated a drop in their final exam scores. The authors conclude that reward-heavy gamification can backfire in education.
Hanus and Fox compared two university courses across a 16-week semester, surveying 71 students at four points. One course used a gamified curriculum with a leaderboard and badges, and the other taught the same content without game elements. Students in the gamified course became less motivated, satisfied and empowered over time, and lower intrinsic motivation mediated a drop in their final exam scores. The authors conclude that reward-heavy gamification can backfire in education.
Written from the abstract, Computers & Education record, 2026-10-31.
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Hanus, M. D., & Fox, J. (2015). Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: a longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation, social comparison, satisfaction, effort, and academic performance. Computers & Education, 80, 152-161. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.08.019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.08.019