Research Article

Does gamification improve university learning? A correlational meta-analysis between serious games and learning outcomes

Alejandro Valencia-Arias 1 * , Jesús Alberto Jimenez Garcia 2 , Lelis Grabiel Palacios Silva 3 , Sebastián Cardona-Acevedo 4 , Sebastián Arias García 4 , Jackeline Valencia 5 , Luisa Yepes Ospina 6
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1 Escuela de Ingeniería, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, PERU2 Dirección de Planificación y Desarrollo Institucional, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, PERU3 Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo, PERU4 Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Medellín, COLOMBIA5 Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Los Lagos, Santiago, CHILE6 Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Corporación Universitaria Americana, Barranquilla, COLOMBIA* Corresponding Author
Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(4), October 2026, ep688, https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/19237
Published: 09 September 2026
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ABSTRACT

Gamification and serious games are two such strategies that have seen a surge in popularity as pedagogical approaches in higher education. These strategies incorporate game elements and playful environments, with the aim of enhancing student motivation, engagement, and participation in digital and diverse learning settings. In this context, the present research aims to estimate the overall relationship between gamification, serious games, and university learning outcomes through a correlational meta-analysis of the available empirical evidence. The study employs a quantitative approach and is structured in accordance with international reporting standards, with explicit criteria for data search, selection, extraction, and synthesis that ensure analytical consistency and methodological transparency. The findings indicate that the relationship between gamification, serious games, and university learning is not a homogeneous effect, but rather a complex phenomenon conditioned by the educational context, pedagogical design, and methodological decisions in primary studies. The analysis emphasizes the significance of estimating global associations, accompanied by stability and robustness assessments. It also demonstrates the limitations of broad classifications of results in explaining the observed variability.
Keywords: gamification, serious games, university learning, correlational meta-analysis, learning outcomes

CITATION (APA)

Valencia-Arias, A., Jimenez Garcia, J. A., Palacios Silva, L. G., Cardona-Acevedo, S., Arias García, S., Valencia, J., & Yepes Ospina, L. (2026). Does gamification improve university learning? A correlational meta-analysis between serious games and learning outcomes. Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(4), ep688. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/19237

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