Quiz-Based Mechanics for Long-Term Retention in Game-Based Learning

Abstract

Quiz-based interactions are a common design pattern in digital game-based learning (GBL), appearing in platforms such as Duolingo and Kahoot and in many serious educational games. They reliably generate short-term engagement, but evidence that they support durable knowledge retention is weaker and less consistent. A recurring problem is that learning effectiveness in educational games is often evaluated through indicators of motivation and participation, such as points, streaks, completion rates, and in-game performance, rather than measures of retention beyond gameplay. Educational games are therefore often designed to maximize engagement rather than durable learning, and their reported effects are misinterpreted. This paper conducts a PRISMA-guided systematic review of 66 empirical studies on quiz-based mechanics in GBL environments and defines quiz-based mechanics as gameplay interactions in which progression depends on active knowledge retrieval rather than on recognition or passive exposure. Drawing on research in game-based learning, instructional design models, and findings from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing, and corrective feedback, the review examines how these mechanisms are implemented in quiz-based gameplay and the conditions under which they support long-term retention. Across the reviewed studies, retrieval, spacing, and corrective feedback tend to support durable retention most reliably when combined, whereas evidence on whether adaptive difficulty and novelty contribute to long-term retention remains limited and inconclusive. Based on this synthesis, the paper proposes a six-layer mechanism-based design framework connecting learning theory, cognitive mechanisms, quiz-based learning mechanics, surrounding game mechanics, and learning outcomes, with implications for how educational games are designed and evaluated.