Impact of Game Design-Based Learning on Student Engagement, Achievement, and Motivation in Undergraduate Geotechnical Engineering Classes
Date
2025-02-27
Authors
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Abstract
Active learning techniques have been previously shown to engage students. This study investigates the use of game-design based learning (GDBL) as a method to enhance student engagement and learning. The objective of the proposed work is to improve students' knowledge of geotechnical engineering principles, employability skills (leadership, cooperation, and communication), and attitudes (perceptions of engineering, engagement and motivation) by involving them in a game-development project. A robust literature in game-based learning was used to develop a new approach to engaging and teaching geotechnical engineering coursework to students. Few studies have examined student motivation and the development of key engineering employability skills alongside student learning outcomes. Alongside assessing student learning of course content, student perceptions of their motivation and content mastery was investigated using validated surveys were from students during their game development process and during game play was also collected. Preliminary findings indicated that the new curriculum led to increases in students’ development of communication and goal-setting skills, both of which are key to success in engineering jobs. Interviews found that students enjoyed the game design aspect of the curriculum in a traditionally technical course.
Series Number
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Academic or Administrative Unit
Type
Presentation
Comments
This is a manuscript of a proceeding published as Rutherford, Cassandra, Beena Ajmera, Alenka Poplin, Alyssa Emery, Justin W. Sabrowsky, and Paul Chung. "Impact of Game Design-Based Learning on Student Engagement, Achievement, and Motivation in Undergraduate Geotechnical Engineering Classes." In Geotechnical Frontiers 2025, pp. 69-78.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784486009.008.
Rights Statement
This material may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the American Society of Civil Engineers.