Gamification: What’s in it for engineers? Comparison of two study courses in Germany

Among engineering students, rather high drop-out rates can often be observed, which usually can be attributed to overburdening. To enhance the students’ learning outcomes and their motivation to learn, cognitive activating methods are used. In this study, structural gamifying interventions were integrated into a computer science module shared by two engineering courses. Effects on exam pass rates and subjective skills acquisition were compared pre-/post-gamification. The results showed positive effects for participants from a more economics-oriented engineering course, but no effects for those from a more technically oriented course. This disparity cannot be explained directly and requires further research.