Inclusive Gamification: Designing Educational Games that Integrate All Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/ASCE/65.86/2025Keywords:
Inclusive gamification; Educational accessibility; Universal Design for Learning (UDL); usability (SUS); Equitable participation.Abstract
This study evaluated an inclusive gamification intervention in higher and continuing education designed to integrate all learners through accessibility-driven, usability-aware, and multi-path achievement decisions. A mixed-methods design was implemented (quantitative quasi-experimental pretest–posttest without control group, plus qualitative components) with 117 valid participants across four cohorts. Six core instruments were administered: a motivation/engagement survey, System Usability Scale (SUS), an operational accessibility checklist, criterion-referenced learning tests, a DUA–MDA analytic rubric (multiple means of engagement/representation/action aligned with game mechanics–dynamics–aesthetics), and a structured classroom observation guide. Results showed significant improvements in motivation (global Δ = +0.67 on a 1–5 scale), perceived usability (SUS = 76.5), operational accessibility (final compliance 88–96% across domains), and achievement (mean gain +11.5 points), alongside higher equitable participation (+0.7 rubric levels). Posttest correlations indicated positive associations between accessibility–usability, usability–motivation, and motivation–achievement. Qualitative analyses corroborated greater rule clarity, reduced interaction frictions, and stronger perceptions of evaluative fairness. Overall, the intervention appeared to operate via a functional chain—accessibility → usability → motivation → effective practice → achievement—with structured cooperation moderating equity. Practical recommendations include protocolizing accessibility checks from early prototyping, standardizing immediate feedback and penalty-free retries, and guaranteeing multiple demonstration pathways with transparent rubrics to enhance sustainability and transfer.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Germán Hermógenes Rivadeneira Manrique, Diana Carolina Sangacha Moyano, Ángel Gabriel Campuzano Rojas, Patricio Fernando Castro Viteri
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