Game-Based Learning: A Scoping Review of Research in Higher Education

Abstract

In higher education, game-based learning (GBL) has been implemented across disciplines to enhance learning and to foster peer-to-peer connections (Jääskä & Aaltonen 2022). In the Canadian context, GBL has been embedded into curricular, co-curricular, and research initiatives, but challenges exist in GBL promotion, department affiliation, and staffing (Garbati & Skrepnek 2024). To advocate for GBL, we turn to the literature in learner motivation where scholars have noted GBL as a pillar of differentiated pedagogy (Tsami 2022) as well as a mechanism of learner motivation (Eltahir et al. 2021). While literature intersecting GBL and learner motivation exists, a systematic review of this literature does not. As such, we conducted a scoping review of the literature intersecting GBL and learner motivation in higher education. In educational research, scoping reviews synthesize existing evidence (Gómez Suárez, M. & Jesús Yagüe 2021) and are useful in determining the “scope" and volume of literature on a topic (Munn et al. 2018). To conduct this scoping review, we first searched our university library database (the largest in Canada) and other major databases (e.g., Web of Science, ERIC) using “game-based learning,” “motivation,” and “higher education” as key words. Inclusion criteria included: English peer reviewed journal articles published between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2025. Our search yielded 166 results. Second, we systematically reviewed each article to identify number of authors, university affiliation, study type (e.g., qualitative, quantitative), context (curricular, co-curricular or research), research fields, program level(s), game genre (e.g., digital, analog), theoretical foundations, and learner motivation categories. Findings point to a positive connection between GBL and motivation as well as enhanced motivation and academic performance through digital GBL. Authorship composition trends toward multiple authors. This scoping review provides a comprehensive understanding of the landscape of GBL as a motivating factor in higher education, particularly in relation to student-centered initiatives, differentiated assessment strategies, and study tools. Given the current and increasing interest in GBL as both a differentiated pedagogical tool and a mechanism for fostering student motivation, this review provides a foundation for future research and offers insights for educators, scholars, and institutional leaders seeking to implement or expand GBL initiatives within higher education.