Gamification in Software Engineering Education: a Tertiary Study

TL;DR

This study systematically reviews how gamification is applied in Software Engineering education, highlighting its benefits in engagement and skill development, while warning of potential negative effects if misapplied.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive tertiary review of gamification applications in SE education, identifying common elements, focus areas, and potential impacts.

Findings

Gamification is most used in Software Testing and Quality.

Competition and cooperation are the main gamification elements.

Most studies focus on structural gamification without content changes.

Abstract

As the significance of Software Engineering (SE) professionals continues to grow in the industry, the adoption of gamification techniques for training purposes has gained traction due to its potential to enhance class appeal through game-derived elements. This paper presents a tertiary study investigating the application of gamification in Software Engineering (SE) education. The study was conducted in response to recent systematic literature reviews and mappings on the topic. The findings reveal that the areas of SE most frequently gamified are Software Testing and Software Quality, with competition and cooperation being the most commonly utilized gamification elements. Additionally, the majority of studies focus on structural gamification, where game elements are employed to modify the learning environment without altering the content. The results demonstrate the potential of gamification to improve students' engagement and motivation throughout the SE learning process, while also impacting other aspects such as performance improvement, skill development, and fostering good SE practices. However, caution is advised as unplanned and incorrectly applied gamification measures may lead to significant declines in performance and motivation. (English Version of the paper in Portuguese available here: HTTP://doi.org/10.1145/3613372.3614193