Peer-reviewed journal article
Gamification as a transferable pedagogical innovation for technology education: developing 21st-century skills through collaborative game-based learning
Authors: Omid Mirmotahari, Helene Nordrum Grun, and Yngvar Berg
Published: 2025
Journal: Frontiers in Education
This article presents Universet as a transferable pedagogical framework for technology education. It reports findings from two pilot implementations in an introductory computer science course and examines engagement, motivation, collaboration, and learning outcomes.
Key findings reported in the article include:
- 100% completion in the first pilot
- 88–92% satisfaction across implementations
- Higher reported motivation and collaborative skill development in the gamified track
- Better exam performance associations in the second pilot, with the authors noting that these are associations rather than causal effects
- Evidence that platform consistency matters for participation and cognitive load
Direct link: Read the full article in Frontiers in Education
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1684459
Conference publication
Spillifisering for økt engasjement, fleksibilitet og alternativt læringsløp
Authors: Omid Mirmotahari, Yngvar Berg, Camilla Foss, and Håkon K. Stensland
Published: 2023
Venue: Norwegian ICT Conference for Research and Education (NIKT)
This Norwegian-language conference paper presents the early pilot implementation of gamification in the course IN1020 – Introduction to Computer Technology. The paper focuses on how game-inspired learning activities and the concluding Endgame assessment were used to increase flexibility, collaboration, and student engagement.
The paper reports that student feedback was strongly positive, especially among self-organized groups. It also highlights increased motivation, the value of group collaboration, and the potential of more practice-based and interactive approaches in higher education.
Direct link: Read the conference paper
Research themes
The Universet project contributes to research and practice in:
- gamification in higher education
- collaborative learning environments
- alternative and integrated assessment models
- technology literacy and digital competence
- course design for large and diverse student cohorts
How to cite Universet research
If you are citing the Universet framework in academic work, the 2025 Frontiers in Education article should be used as the primary reference.
Suggested citation
Mirmotahari, O., Grun, H. N., & Berg, Y. (2025). Gamification as a transferable pedagogical innovation for technology education: developing 21st-century skills through collaborative game-based learning. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1684459