Exploring the Effects of Progression Mechanics in Competitive and Collaborative Gamified Learning

This study examines how competitive and collaborative gamification, combined with visible progression mechanics, affects primary school children's engagement and learning outcomes in an e-learning context. Conducted at the University of Central Lancashire with 54 children aged 8 to 9, the research used a quasi-experimental design comparing a control group that watched four short Big Data tutorial videos and answered recall questions against two experimental groups. In the experimental conditions, correct answers powered up frogs racing toward a princess (competition) or accelerated castle missiles that pushed frogs back (collaboration), with each lesson lasting roughly five minutes.

The authors frame their work around a Progression Embodiment Graph, which proposes that engagement depends on the time between an action and its feedback and on how clearly progress is represented. Results showed that both gamified groups scored significantly higher than the control group on the final three sets of recall questions, while the first set showed no initial differences between groups. The competitive group achieved slightly higher average scores than the collaborative group, but this difference was not statistically significant. Roughly 80 percent of children in the gamified conditions reported that the game motivated them to pay attention, and survey comments indicated a general preference for the competitive version.

The study's scope is limited to a single topic, a short intervention window, and a small sample drawn from four schools in one region, which the authors acknowledge restricts generalisability. The researchers also note that the cause of the observed improvement remains unclear, as it could reflect motivational effects or simply the benefit of a break within the lesson. The findings are presented as preliminary evidence supporting further investigation into how collaboration and competition might be combined in digital learning environments.