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The Impact of Gamification-Based Platforms on Improving the Need for Cognition among Higher Education Students

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Title: The Impact of Gamification-Based Platforms on Improving the Need for Cognition among Higher Education Students
Language: English
Authors: Rania Yousef Saleem (ORCID 0000-0002-9737-1857)
Source: International Journal of Technology in Education. 2026 9(2):361-378.
Availability: International Society for Technology, Education, and Science. ISTES Organization, Monument, CO 80132. e-mail: istesorganization@gmail.com; e-mail: ijteoffice@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.ijte.net/index.php/ijte/about
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Gamification, College Students, Cognitive Processes, Foreign Countries, Electronic Learning
Geographic Terms: Saudi Arabia
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Need for Cognition Scale
ISSN: 2689-2758
Abstract: Gamified learning platforms enhance university education methodologies through diverse motivational techniques and fostering more engaging learning patterns than conventional methods. The need for cognition is regarded as a significant cognitive variable in higher education, as it embodies the learner's inclination to investigate, contemplate, and engage thoroughly in information processing. This study aims at evaluating the effect of a gamified educational platform on enhancing the need for cognition among university students, by contrasting its efficacy with that of a comparable platform devoid of gamification elements. The research employed a quasiexperimental design including two groups of university students, comprising a total of (63) participants, who were randomly allocated. The initial experimental group, that includes 31 students, engaged with a platform augmented with gamification elements (points, badges, levels, and leaderboards), whereas the subsequent experimental group that includes 32 students, accessed the identical content via the platform without the activation of the gamification features. The Cognition Need Scale, validated for reliability, was employed to assess the influence of gamification on augmenting cognitive engagement among students. The results indicated that the group utilizing the gamified platform surpassed the others in the post-assessment, accompanied by a substantial effect size that substantiates the efficacy of gamification aspects in fostering the need for cognition and augmenting cognitive engagement. The study results demonstrate that the incorporation of gamification into university digital platforms signifies a favourable development in higher education, as it fosters the creation of engaging and more motivating learning environments.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506335
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Impact of Gamification-Based Platforms on Improving the Need for Cognition among Higher Education Students
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rania+Yousef+Saleem%22">Rania Yousef Saleem</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9737-1857">0000-0002-9737-1857</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Technology+in+Education%22"><i>International Journal of Technology in Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 9(2):361-378.
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  Data: International Society for Technology, Education, and Science. ISTES Organization, Monument, CO 80132. e-mail: istesorganization@gmail.com; e-mail: ijteoffice@gmail.com; Web site: https://www.ijte.net/index.php/ijte/about
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Saudi+Arabia%22">Saudi Arabia</searchLink>
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  Data: Gamified learning platforms enhance university education methodologies through diverse motivational techniques and fostering more engaging learning patterns than conventional methods. The need for cognition is regarded as a significant cognitive variable in higher education, as it embodies the learner's inclination to investigate, contemplate, and engage thoroughly in information processing. This study aims at evaluating the effect of a gamified educational platform on enhancing the need for cognition among university students, by contrasting its efficacy with that of a comparable platform devoid of gamification elements. The research employed a quasiexperimental design including two groups of university students, comprising a total of (63) participants, who were randomly allocated. The initial experimental group, that includes 31 students, engaged with a platform augmented with gamification elements (points, badges, levels, and leaderboards), whereas the subsequent experimental group that includes 32 students, accessed the identical content via the platform without the activation of the gamification features. The Cognition Need Scale, validated for reliability, was employed to assess the influence of gamification on augmenting cognitive engagement among students. The results indicated that the group utilizing the gamified platform surpassed the others in the post-assessment, accompanied by a substantial effect size that substantiates the efficacy of gamification aspects in fostering the need for cognition and augmenting cognitive engagement. The study results demonstrate that the incorporation of gamification into university digital platforms signifies a favourable development in higher education, as it fosters the creation of engaging and more motivating learning environments.
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