Competition as Playful Pedagogy: Student-Led Evaluation and Learning in the ESEIC International Design Challenge

Abstract

Competitions are widely used in higher education and industry to stimulate innovation and engagement, yet they are rarely examined through the lens of games-based learning. This paper conceptualises competitive design challenges as structured playful environments, where rules, roles and feedback mechanisms shape participation and learning. The study draws on the Enhancing Science Education through International Collaboration (ESEIC) project, a multi-institutional initiative involving universities in the UK, Indonesia and Kazakhstan. Students are invited to design a prototype website to support international collaboration and community engagement, producing both a front-end prototype and an accompanying design report. A distinctive feature of the competition is the use of international student panels as first-stage reviewers, positioning learners as both participants and evaluators. Adopting a design-based research approach, the paper examines how competition structures and student-led evaluation function as mechanisms of playful pedagogy. Analysis draws on competition submissions, participant responses, rubric-based evaluation and the collective judging process, providing early evidence of engagement with comparison, criteria and evaluative judgement. The paper argues that competitions can be understood as pedagogical systems in which evaluation operates as a core mechanic. By integrating student-led evaluation, the design aligns participation, critique and application, contributing to discussions of games-based learning, authentic assessment and inclusive assessment in international and interdisciplinary contexts.