A Gamified Experiential Learning Intervention for Engaging Students through Satisfying Needs

A field experiment was conducted across an academic semester to test the impact of a gamified learning intervention informed by self-determination theory, which framed classroom technology use. Participants (n=123) aged 9 to 16 were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. The Experimental intervention fostered a need-supportive climate that we anticipated would promote intrinsic motivation. To do so, it utilized teamwork, made friendly competence-enhancing competition salient, and created choice (students selected whether to participate and could collaborate in teams before answering to a friendly competitive game). The Comparison condition involved working alone and anonymously, and by doing so held the nature of the task constant but created a need-neutral motivational climate. Students were surveyed at three-time points.  Over time, the Experimental intervention reported increasing psychological need satisfaction for autonomy (i.e., perceived choice), competence, and relatedness. Students in this condition also reported greater academic well-being across the semester. An observer rating demonstrated more classroom behaviors indicative of intrinsic motivation as compared to the Comparison condition. The effects of the condition on greater perceived academic well-being self-reported by students and observed academic well-being in classroom behaviors rated by observers across time was due to the more immediate beneficial effects of motivation on basic psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence.