GAMIFICATION OF AN UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY STATISTICS LAB: BENEFITS TO PERCEIVED COMPETENCE

Authors

  • BELIZ HAZAN CUNY Graduate Center
  • WEI ZHANG New Jersey City University
  • ECEM OLCUM University of Central Florida
  • ROSE BERGDOLL CUNY Brooklyn College
  • EVAN GRANDOIT CUNY Brooklyn College
  • FAIGY MANDELBAUM CUNY Brooklyn College
  • GEORJEANNA WILSON-DOENGES University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
  • LAURA A. RABIN CUNY Brooklyn College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v17i2.169

Keywords:

Statistics education research, Intrinsic motivation;, Teaching strategies, Gamified learning, Game elements, Motivation

Abstract

Teaching undergraduate psychology statistics poses challenges to instructors and students due to the perceived complexity of the material and lack of student motivation. With the goal of boosting student competency and engagement in statistics, our study introduced a gamified learning environment into the laboratory portion of the undergraduate psychology statistics course in which the gamified learning group was compared to the traditional group. Changes in intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and objective pre- and post-test course content were assessed. Objective posttest scores were positively associated with perceived competence in statistics for the gamified learning group. Perceived competence is a strong predictor of achievement and
foundational prerequisite of intrinsic motivation, suggesting that in contrast with the traditional group, students in the gamified group were further on the path towards developing intrinsic motivation and improved scholastic achievement.

First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

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Published

2018-11-30

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2018)

Section

Regular Articles