Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of educational institutions has affected more than 1 billion students. Colleges rapidly adopted distance learning, which posed challenges for all parties, especially students. Although the majority of colleges and universities worldwide offered online education, transferring entire programs to online platforms may be challenging. Currently, a few colleges have employed robust online systems, but small institutions have encountered difficulties (Bolumole, 2020). One strategy for engaging students in online courses was the gamification of learning activities using systems that make learning more engaging (Çakıroğlu, 2017). For small educational institutions with limited infrastructure and technology facilities, possessing expensive, high-tech skills is not essential for implementing gamification-based instruction. Thus, utilizing a straightforward technological platform and allocating a modest budget were considered options that did not necessitate advanced technical skills (Zainuddin et al., 2019).

Against the background of the preceding context and problem description, the current study aims to evaluate the efficacy of deploying two affordable and user-friendly game testing platforms: Kahoot and Quizizz. These platforms are intended to stimulate student learning in online classes during pandemic crises and are game-based assessment and review tools for students (Goksün & Gürsoy, 2019). These platforms are similar to programs that assist students in having fun and enjoying online learning activities with an easy-to-use interface and a modest budget. They are excellent for engaging distant students in real-time collaboration on predetermined questions and obstacles (Chaiyo & Nokham, 2017). Numerous studies have been conducted on Kahoot and Quizizz as gamification platforms for student learning (e.g., Goksün & Gürsoy, 2019; Kapsalis et al., 2020). Thus, the current study seeks to extend previous work and fill the research gaps regarding their use during the pandemic and continued application to post-pandemic learning in different instructional settings.

To support the originality of the study, a discussion on the use of gamification platforms that are user-friendly and affordable for all students and instructors worldwide will support meaningful, equitable, and innovative instruction for educational programs designed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). In the future, scholars anticipate that other platforms that support low-tech skills and affordability will also be examined to support equitable and inclusive education on a global scale. In addition, the current study will provide previously unreported information regarding the pros and cons of the two platforms (Kahoot and Quizizz) from students’ perspectives.

Motivation and perceived learning in gamification instruction

Gamification adds game feature elements (e.g., points, badges, avatars, and leaderboards) to learning and intrinsically motivates students to execute desirable behaviors and accomplish essential tasks (Goksün & Gürsoy, 2019). Specifically, the concept of gamification includes three major elements, namely, game dynamics (e.g., progression, narrative, relationship, and emotion), mechanics (e.g., challenge, feedback, competition, and cooperation), and components (e.g., leaderboards, points, badges, quests, and gifting). Regarding theories, numerous studies primarily utilize self-determination and flow theories to support the motivation and engagement of students, particularly intrinsic motivation in learning using the gamification concept (Zainuddin et al., 2020).

In the current study, intrinsic motivation and perceived learning refer to various positive psychological behaviors in learning, such as increased fun; learning enjoyment and satisfaction, interest, confidence, and enthusiasm; a valuable and meaningful course, engagement, a relaxed atmosphere, more visible learning progress, and increased ownership of learning. Various studies employed the indicators of motivation and perceived learning, adapted to the current study as a guideline for measurement (Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018; Sarikoc et al., 2017; Stamov Roßnagel et al., 2021; Wichadee & Pattanapichet, 2018).

According to the literature, gamification increases students’ enthusiasm and perceived learning (Goksün & Gürsoy, 2019). This phenomenon demonstrates that tedious tasks, such as listening to lectures on Zoom, may be transformed into instructive activities using digital games. Using a weekly game assessment to measure the success of teaching and learning activities could be advantageous for adult university students and instructors. Prior to moving on to a new topic, determining whether or not learners require additional assistance is advisable. Weekly game assessments can dramatically improve students’ critical and creative thinking and information and technology literacy, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Amid a pandemic, persuading college students to become online adult learners (e.g., by listening to long lectures on Zoom, Google Meet, or WebEx) is challenging. Therefore, one of the responsibilities of educators is to motivate, inspire, and make learning exciting (Neiterman & Zaza, 2019). When teachers add activities that generate an engaging, appealing, enjoyable, and exciting learning environment, students are more prepared to participate and enjoy learning activities (Molinillo et al., 2018). In addition, engaging in fun learning activities may aid students in recalling more information due to the pleasant and memorable quality of the learning process (Su & Cheng, 2015).

One strategy for motivating college students and promoting their engagement in class is to make lectures as enjoyable as possible (Wentzel, 2020). Multimedia-enhanced courses are typically more engaging, eye-catching, and interactive (Chen et al., 2019). If an online system is exciting and unique, many students are motivated and have an additional reason to attend these lessons (Camilleri & Camilleri, 2019). As such, utilizing interactive multimedia tools in online classes can enhance emotional and cognitive engagement, such as attention, curiosity, interest, enthusiasm, persistence, knowledge creation, and critical thinking skills (Zainuddin et al., 2020).

Anecdotal evidence suggests that numerous instructors are attempting to determine a method for making online classes more interactive during the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, the majority of online guidelines implemented during the pandemic are teacher-centered. Consequently, learners only passively pay attention to courses and ask questions without interactive activities. In this vein, the current study proposes that fun game activities be included directly in online courses. In this manner, students can be encouraged to learn and have more fun in the classroom using a gaming assessment as part of the formative assessment process (Caballé & Clarisó, 2016).

Utilizing game quizzes in the formative assessments can be an alternative resolution to stimulate students’ learning motivation and combat monotony in online classes (Zainuddin et al., 2020). It is a straightforward strategy that prompts learners to engage with learning tasks. By including weekly game assessments in online classes, instructors may need to assess students’ progress weekly. Nevertheless, they can also engage students in online training courses with fun challenges, friendly competition, and immediate feedback (McLaughlin & Yan, 2017). Most studies report the effectiveness of gamified learning in formative assessment (e.g., Arif et al., 2019; Ismail et al., 2019; Kapsalis et al., 2020; Kickmeier-Rust et al., 2014; Şad & Özer, 2019). In the meantime, research that empirically investigates how gamification implementation is an instructional and digital assessment intervention in online classrooms during the epidemic is scarce.

Based on the previous discussion, this study aims to answer the following research questions:

  1. 1.

    Do weekly gamification-based assessments during the pandemic positively influence the quiz performance of students in an institution of higher education?

  2. 2.

    To what extent do weekly game assessments influence the motivation and perceived learning of students during the pandemic in an online class at an institution of higher education?

Methods

This study employed a mixed-method approach by collecting quantitative data using online assessments or tests and questionnaire surveys. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. By combining quantitative and qualitative data in a single study, researchers may triangulate their findings and comprehensively interpret them (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).

Participants

The study recruited three groups of university students in Indonesia enrolled in an Economics course. All students were selected as samples for this study without randomization. This part conforms to Creswell and Creswell (2017), who noted that one of the distinguishing aspects of quasi-experimental research projects is preserving a natural setting without randomizing participants. The first class was assigned to experimental group I, which utilized Moodle for the pre-intervention and the Quizizz platform (n = 23) during the intervention. The second class was designated experimental group II, which also used Moodle during the pre-intervention and the Kahoot game quiz during the intervention period (n = 24). The third class was assigned as the control group (n = 21) and used a non-game examination on the Moodle platform during the pre-and post-intervention periods. The average achievement of the three groups was equally based on their ages, which ranged from 19 to 24 years. The students were instructed to participate in treatment and evaluation and to complete the pre-and post-intervention questionnaires about their perceived learning motivation before and after the intervention.

The interview samples were purposefully selected using the criterion-based sampling method (Patton, 1990). The samples were selected on the basis of the criterion of active students who could provide more detailed and thorough information during interviews. Five students from each group were invited for interviews regarding their game quiz learning experiences. A total of 15 students accepted the invitation.

Instructional activities

The three groups received comprehensive online instruction using Zoom as a synchronous video conferencing classroom. The instructional activities were separated into two phases: pre-intervention and intervention. During the pre-intervention phase, the same instructor provided the same instruction to the three groups. All groups utilized the Moodle platform and attended one class per week, in which meetings lasted approximately 100 min. Moreover, during the intervention period, the instructor and content remained comparable across the three groups, whereas the digital platforms utilized varied. Experimental group I switched from Moodle to the Quizizz platform, and experimental group II switched to the Kahoot platform. The control group continued to use the conventional Moodle e-quiz platform, similar to the pre-intervention period. Figure 1 provides an overview of the instructional intervention for the three groups.

Fig. 1
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Course design of the three intervention groups

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Procedures and data analysis

Figure 2 indicates that the pre-intervention and intervention activities were completed in 11 weeks. The students were introduced to learning, instruction, and each assessment platform during the first week. The pre-intervention period spanned from weeks 2 to 5. As formative assessments, typical e-Moodle quizzes were administered to the three groups. From weeks 7 to 10, both experimental groups received gamification-based assessments using the Quizizz and Kahoot platforms.

Fig. 2
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Flowchart of data collection

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In contrast to the two experimental groups, the control group continued to use the pre-intervention e-quiz on the Moodle platform. The study administered four formative assessments for four meetings during the pre-intervention period using Kahoot and Quizizz for the experimental groups and Moodle for the control group. The separation of the pre-intervention and intervention periods enabled the comparison of the student’s achievements, motivations, and learning perceptions before and after using the game quiz platforms.

Additionally, the study used pre- and post-intervention questionnaires to determine the students’ perceived motivation for getting quiz questions per class meeting. The pre-intervention questionnaires were given at week 6 or after completing the pre-intervention. The post-intervention questionnaire was administered after the intervention or after the completion of the lesson for week 10 to ascertain whether or not the student’s behavior changed due to the shift from traditional Moodle quizzes to gamification quizzes. In other words, the pre-intervention questionnaires were given to students online after the pre-intervention, whereas the post-intervention questionnaires were presented at the end of the intervention period.

The questionnaire items were focused on motivation and perceived learning and were adapted from various sources (i.e., Makransky & Lilleholt, 2018; Wichadee & Pattanapichet, 2018). All items were rated using a five-point scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree (1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree). The instrument developers tested all items for reliability (Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient: 0.819 > 0.8). They found that all items were reliable for assessing the actions and responses of the participants to changes in their learning outcomes. Furthermore, the study used the Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) to validate the instrument by inviting three experts to provide checklists and comments per item. Specifically, the study employed the I-CVI proposed by Davis (1992) with four scales, namely, (1 = not relevant, 2 = somewhat relevant, 3 = quite relevant, and 4 = highly relevant). The experts rated each item from 1 to 4. If the given rating for an item is 1 or 2, then the item is considered not relevant. If the given rating for an item was 3 or 4, it was considered relevant. The minimum value used in this study was 0.80 (I-CVI > 0.80), as recommended by Davis (1992). Moreover, we provided ample writing spaces to enable the raters to provide optional written comments and feedback on individual items. The ratings of the three experts on the 25-item scale demonstrated that the mean expert proportion was 0.95, and the mean I-CVI was approximately 0.98 (> 0.80). Therefore, the I-CVI was considered valid. Examples of the items are “I enjoyed this class because of the gamification quiz activities,” “This game quiz mode increased my interest in the course,” “When I answered questions on the game quiz, I felt curious about the correct answers and my progress scores,” and “The class activities were not boring; I felt enthusiastic about participating in this class.”

The study examined the differences in the quiz performance of the three groups due to variation in quiz form using one-way analysis of variance. Meanwhile, it evaluated the responses of the students to motivation and perceived learning in the questionnaires using a non-parametric test (Mann–Whitney U test) due to the non-normal distribution of data. Lastly, the study applied IBM SPSS Statistics 25 to the analysis of all quantitative data.

In terms of the collection of qualitative data, the study conducted semi-structured interviews to elicit additional details regarding the students’ learning accomplishments, motivations, and experiences, which were not adequately captured through quantitative analysis. In addition, the study used thematic analysis to analyze the interview data to identify potential themes or categories (Braun et al., 2019).

Results

Quiz performance on the weekly gamification assessments

The study examined the weekly gamified quiz performance of the three groups to answer the first research question. During the pre-intervention period (weeks 2–5), we employed a similar platform (Moodle quiz) for the three groups. In summary, analysis of the four tests (Table 1) indicated no significant difference in scores among the three groups (F(2) = 0.617, p = 0.543 > 0.05). This finding may be because the students per group used similar instructions, quiz types, materials, learning platforms, and assessment tools (Moodle) during the pre-intervention period. Meanwhile, descriptive statistics reported progress in the scores for tests I–IV in the pre-and post-quizzes. The mean scores indicated the average correct answers to the quizzes, which reached a total score of 100.

Table 1 Comparison of group differences on quiz scores for each group based on one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests
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In terms of the post-test intervention, four formative tests were repeatedly given to the students after completing each topic (weeks 7–10). The questions during the intervention differed from those offered during the pre-intervention. The overall result of the four tests indicated a significant difference among the three groups (F(2) = 6.26, p = 0.003, < 0.05, Table 1). Post hoc Tukey’s test was performed to identify the mean pairs with significant differences. Tukey’s test aimed to identify differences among the three groups. The result demonstrated a substantial difference in the quiz scores between experimental groups I (Quizizz) and III (Moodle) and between experimental groups II (Kahoot) and III (Moodle; p < 0.05; Table 1). Meanwhile, the study detected no significant difference between experimental groups I and II.

Analysis suggested that using game quizzes (i.e., Quizizz and Kahoot) significantly evaluated the students’ quiz performance during the pandemic, particularly as formative assessment instruments. We found that integrating gamification into formative assessment activities or quizzes could potentially increase the engagement and motivation of students to complete the quiz assessment and identify the weaknesses of each form of assessment. Furthermore, analysis of the questionnaire and interview data reflected the perceived motivation and learning of the students toward the game quiz.

Motivation and perceived learning

After determining that all constructs were non-normally distributed (skewed) using histograms, the study conducted a further non-parametric test (Mann–Whitney U test) at a 0.05 level of significance to identify the differences between the two questionnaire responses (pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, Table 2).

Table 2 Tests of Normality
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The Mann–Whitney U test revealed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in the control group, which took Moodle quizzes throughout the study period (Table 3, Fig. 3). This finding indicates that the students’ responses to the pre-and post-intervention questionnaires were comparable or non-significantly differed. This result was distinct from those of the two experimental groups, which used the Moodle quiz during the first and fourth meetings, then switched to a game quiz during the second and fourth meetings (i.e., Quizizz and Kahoot). Moreover, the study observed significant variations in pre- and post-intervention questionnaire responses (p < 0.05, Table 3). The post-intervention questionnaire survey revealed increased positive comments about using game quizzes in Quizizz and Kahoot.

Table 3 Mann–Whitney U Test Results comparing each pre- and post-questionnaire survey responses of the three groups regarding motivation and perceived learning
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Fig. 3
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Independent-sample Mann–Whitney U Test

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Additionally, the study conducted a post hoc test to determine the variations in the responses to the pre-and post-intervention questionnaire surveys across the three groups. Furthermore, the study employed the Kruskal–Wallis and post hoc tests to identify disparity in quiz performance. The result revealed no significant differences among the three groups during the pre-intervention questionnaire. At the same time, a significant difference was detected in the post-intervention questionnaire only between experimental group I (Quizizz) and the control group (Moodle) (p < 0.05; Table 4). The Quizizz group reached an M-rank of 42.76, whereas the Moodle group obtained 23.67 (Fig. 4).

Table 4 Comparison of group differences on academic performance for each gamified e-quiz based on descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis, and post hoc test
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Fig. 4
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The Pairwise Multiple Comparison of Mean Ranks

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The result demonstrated that the experimental groups displayed high levels of acceptance of the game quiz technique (average means: 4.52 and 4.29, respectively; Table 4). Numerous factors contributed to the favorable responses to Quizizz and Kahoot, including enjoyment, curiosity, motivation, friendly competition, and participation in online classes, notably during feedback sessions following the quizzes. Further, an examination of the qualitative report (interviews) corroborated the findings of the quantitative report. Thematic analysis was used to decipher familiar themes from the interview data. The study used a six-step thematic analytical method: familiarization, coding, generation of themes, review of themes, definition, and naming of themes, and writing of themes (Kiger & Varpio, 2020). The research identified five major themes: student participation, user-friendliness, emotional engagement, ability to learn independently, and (5) the cons of the platforms.

Student participation

The majority of students in the three groups reported being bored during the first four meetings in which typical Moodle exams were administered. Their classroom engagement decreased because their activities consisted solely of listening to lectures and answering questions via Zoom meetings. Moreover, when switching activities to focus more on answering and discussing questions on the Quizizz and Kahoot platforms during the intervention, the two experimental groups reported that the class was more interactive, in which students responded to questions and received instant feedback from the system and instructor. A student from the Quizizz group responded, “I believe using the Quizizz platform to answer quiz questions is more entertaining and participatory, and it features fascinating music and humorous memes.” In addition, a student from the Kahoot group noted, “I prefer studying through the Kahoot game and want more and more questions to answer because it is so fun and challenging.”

The students were enthusiastic because they all wanted to top the leaderboard after the quizzes and received feedback per question to be discussed critically. Through the leaderboard competition, the scoring system increased the students’ perseverance. After responding to each question, the students could verify their progress on the scoreboard and compare their performance to that of their peers. Everyone could engage in Kahoot, which enriched the learning environment in the online classroom. Kahoot also displayed a graph of the responses after submission, which enabled instructors to determine the number of students that struggled with a particular idea. This feature permits instructors to elucidate the question for the student’s experiencing difficulty and the rest of the class.

User-friendliness

All interviewees acknowledged that the two platforms were user-friendly and convenient. However, they could have needed more technical knowledge to access the platforms. One user commented, “It is exceptionally user-friendly and enables users to receive immediate responses and feedback from their intended audience.” Interviewees from both experimental groups also received immediate feedback after the quiz session. Another reason Quizizz and Kahoot piqued their interest was that the students could track their progress on a scoreboard immediately after answering a question. Another feature included is the simplicity of comprehension and management. In addition, the students noted that responding to an inquiry was as simple as clicking the correct option and that the interface needed to be more apparent. Students in the Quizizz group remarked that the platform’s intuitive interface makes it extremely enjoyable. In addition, the music is entertaining, and the meme is humorous, as stated by the students: “The memes and music were entertaining and humorous.” Students in the Kahoot group mentioned that they could also select a color corresponding to the answer choices displayed on the board. The two platforms were also accessible via smartphone for students. A typical response was, “We did not need to bring a laptop to class because we could access the quiz on our smartphones.” Another student stated, “We were only required to enter the password, after which we were taken directly to the quiz questions.”

Emotional engagement

The platforms generate enthusiasm among users. They believed that answering the quiz questions felt more like playing games than responding to critical questions. In an interview, a student commented, “The game quiz (Kahoot) is interesting and not boring but very enjoyable.” Although many tests make students anxious, the gamification concept has made answering many quiz questions during class more enjoyable and engaging. One of the typical responses was, “Although its concept (gamification) is simple, it feels more like a game show than a test and is entertaining.” This statement that these gamification systems transform a class day into an exciting and engaging one, especially since winners are given rewards, which essentially motivates students to participate in learning activities.

Moreover, the availability of avatars, intriguing themes, and music, which made studying more enjoyable and fascinating while inspiring and emotionally engaging students, attracted them to the two platforms. In addition, the Quizizz group noted humorous memes following each response. Their remarks hinted that the Quizizz system included engaging activities in scores, points, and leaderboards, which encourage competition, and in funny images or memes displayed after each response (Fig. 5). The friendly competitions in the game were interesting, and they were constantly eager to share their knowledge during the class.

Fig. 5
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An example of meme appears for a correct answer

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Independent learning

The students also demonstrated positive behavior through their ability to learn independently. They responded to questions independently of one another. The students were asynchronously given questions with a time limit to self-manage and respond to the quizzes. In addition, the students randomly received queries, which required them to work autonomously without copying from classmates. In addition to the questionnaire survey, the students who participated in the interviews recommended that Kahoot and Quizizz be frequently utilized in future classes, in the online course during the pandemic, and in the face-to-face classroom environment following the pandemic. Students in the Quizizz group could work independently throughout the synchronous examinations because they received different questions simultaneously and lacked time to confer with colleagues.

Cons of the platform

The students cited several drawbacks to these platforms. Due to the platform’s flaws, room unquestionably remains for growth. For instance, if a student presses an incorrect answer accidentally, they can edit the response after the allotted time has elapsed. In addition, a feature that enables the participants to input text responses and multiple-choice answers would be advantageous. Currently, no measurement function exists for open-ended questions. The software supports only multiple-choice and true or false responses. In addition, individuals who interact with the platforms tend to prioritize speed over precision. In contrast to Quizizz, Kahoot enables all players to simultaneously answer the same question. Therefore, students could engage in cheating or could ask their peers for answers.

Discussion

This study found that weekly gamification-based assessments stimulated students in online classes during the pandemic. The study convinced students and instructors that online learning instruction can be engaging if it is well-planned, designed, implemented, and evaluated. This finding is consistent with those of recent studies, which concluded that a well-managed instruction with innovative tactile resources could increase the immersion and satisfaction of students in online learning (Darling-Hammond and Oakes, 2021; Ozdamli & Ozdal, 2018; Scull et al., 2020). Online teaching and learning can be accomplished in various ways, such as by incorporating entertaining game activities with various interactive multimedia technologies (Huizenga et al., 2019), which makes classes user-friendly while costing little money (Zainuddin et al., 2021).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, gamification-based assessment systems, such as Quizizz and Kahoot, were utilized to motivate students in completing formative tests. This initiative positively influenced the learning motivation of students and decreased their boredom with remote learning. Addiction is one of the advantages of the games, which can be adopted into the learning system. Students acknowledged that the game quiz made them want to play it multiple times during the interview. This finding suggests that although game addiction can lead to severe negative consequences, it can also be a positive addiction when adequately integrated into the learning process. This insight is consistent with the theory that describes the positive side of game addiction in learning activities that increase the self-confidence, mood, enjoyment, and curiosity of students (Cruz-Cunha, 2012; Huizenga et al., 2019; Sa’adah, 2017).

The findings indicate that the gamification-based assessment system improved the motivation and learning of students. Moreover, this study illustrated the manner in which digital games transformed monotonous tasks, such as listening to lengthy Zoom or WebEx lectures, into interactive and fun activities. In addition, a significant number of participants cited friendly competition and challenges in game quizzes as the primary reasons for their improved quiz performance. In this vein, Goksün and Gürsoy (2019) noted that digital game assessment could make students enjoy class and engage in the learning process due to the utilization of fun competition and a reward system for the winner.

The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the post-intervention scores of the three groups. Specifically, the study observed a significant improvement for both experimental groups. Similarly, in the post-intervention questionnaire survey, the two groups demonstrated significantly greater motivation than the control group (Moodle). This finding indicated that weekly game assessments with rich game elements for grading students in online classes could result in more remarkable achievements than those produced through non-game quiz interventions, which provide only scores for grading students. Compared with non-game quiz platforms with only scores and rankings, Çakıroğlu et al. (2017) discovered that experimental group students could compete with others through game-like quiz play and desire to be superior over others on a leaderboard. This result is consistent with those of other experiments on game quiz implementation. Goksün and Gürsoy (2019) found that game-based quizzes increased learner motivation and learning achievement in experimental groups compared with control groups.

Similar to Kahoot and Quizizz, the Moodle platform does not provide leaderboard elements in the quiz assessment feature. The Moodle platform currently offers the option of incorporating game-based assessment tools such as Kahoot and Quizizz. In the meantime, the Moodle platform can incorporate game-based elements. Consequently, Moodle users may incorporate game-based components into this learning management system (LMS). Furthermore, instantaneous leaderboard feedback influences student motivation and learning. The Quizizz and Kahoot platforms made the class more engaging by providing students with immediate feedback or results. While answering the questions for the game quiz, the students could identify the provisional leader on the leaderboard. Alternatively, while taking a Moodle quiz, the students could not track the accomplishments of other students and may not receive immediate feedback. In addition, the Quizizz and Kahoot systems facilitated the observation and evaluation of student participation in learning activities. This outcome is consistent with that of Moon and Ke (2020), who identified digital games as generating a more enjoyable learning environment and increased engagement with learning materials. The competitive nature of the games encouraged students to participate, which bolstered their interest and engagement in learning.

Moreover, all students today are digital natives; thus, integrating innovation with generation-appropriate classroom pedagogy can motivate them to perceive the learning process. However, applying technologies to online classes will only occasionally engage students in learning if the activities are active and exciting such as listening to lengthy video conference talks followed by questions. Digital games are highly motivating, because they are entertaining and challenging. During difficult times, incorporating games into online instruction can increase student engagement, encourage creativity, stimulate imagination, and enhance content knowledge. Game-based quizzes introduce video game components that are highly relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis. Thus, uniting students through games during physical separation is a valuable factor. Although students and instructors are not physically present during a pandemic, game activities will maintain a sense of community through play, laughter, and enjoyable learning.

Practical impacts: an easy-to-use and affordable gamification instruction implementation

During the pandemic, the digital divide has become a problem within the global education system. Certain schools and universities in industrialized nations are geared toward digital learning and e-learning training. In contrast, several colleges in developing nations lack advanced technological infrastructure such as high-speed Internet connections. Another problem is the need for more teachers who can utilize digital concepts in their teaching practice. Thus, this study is expected to provide at least a simple idea for educational practitioners in impoverished countries, particularly universities, regarding providing digital pedagogy with accessible settings and a modest budget. Adopting accessible digital platforms like Kahoot and Quizizz may not be prestigious for a few developed colleges.

Moreover, this concept may be novel to developing countries due to insufficient access to high-tech educational platforms. This concept can promote educational equality because all institutions have access to creative pedagogy in various contexts. Instructors and students may leverage these gamification platforms in teaching and learning without needing expensive technological expertise. In addition to these two platforms, instructors may also use aEdApp, Qstream, Unlock: Learn, Tovuti LMS, Gametize, Engagement, Hoopla, Centrical, and Archy Learning. COVID-19 has launched the future of education and learning by showcasing how academic institutions, students, and instructors may thrive in the digital age, particularly in universities. The study demonstrated that we could teach and acquire knowledge in unique ways, given that everyone has the right to access them and assist in improving outcomes.

On the one hand, the COVID-19 outbreak has affected instructional efforts in all fields, including the communication of digital gaps among students. On the other hand, the pandemic has inspired academic institutions to believe in and pursue ideal and innovative techniques for instruction through remote learning. In addition, the pandemic has enabled teachers to deviate from old, non-technology methods and toward technical approaches such as integrating game-based examination into online classes. Numerous university students and staff members desire to return to face-to-face classroom instruction in 2020 following an abrupt shift in remote learning in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic that occurred this year.

When students return to the regular classroom or a blended learning course after the outbreak, the instructor can continue to use some of the technology and ideas that have become customary during remote learning to explore new territory in student interaction under this brand-new standard. Using gamification-based evaluation in a post-pandemic mentor’s face-to-face or blended learning course can be a straightforward, unique innovation. Instructors can use a free or low-cost platform to synchronize the gamification-based evaluation in class or after class with a predetermined due date. Effective and innovative learning is independent of high-tech competence. Still, it depends on the instructor’s ability to make the course more enjoyable and engaging, even when using standard gamification media such as Kahoot and Quizizz. Rural students can study using primary media and teaching to supplement the digital pedagogy equity initiative.

Providing equality in creative learning and education will enable all students in the world, whether in developed or developing nations or urban or rural locations, to study utilizing unique and engaging concepts. As a result, everyone will be able to achieve educational success. In order to promote the SDGs program on equity and inclusion in education, this study asks for future research to examine more in-depth pedagogical equity implementation for school or university students worldwide.

Conclusion

In online education amid the pandemic, numerous educators are experimenting with interactive learning methods. Instructors presented lengthy lectures on video conferencing tools, such as Zoom or WebEx, and students listened attentively and responded to questions until the end of class. Consolidating game-based examinations into online courses may be a promising method for increasing student engagement and making online classrooms more dynamic and fun. This study finds that incorporating gamification-based assessments into online systems helped improve the students’ learning motivation and perceived learning, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. During the post-pandemic phase, the game quiz could also be used in blended learning or traditional face-to-face classes despite its simple setting, ease of use, and modest budget.

Limitations and recommendations for future work

This research has several drawbacks. A sample size of 68 is considered non-significant. Consequently, subsequent investigations may employ bigger sample sizes. Similarly, additional participants could be recruited for information collected through focus group discussions to boost interaction and enable students to voice their thoughts on critical problems. Questionnaires and interviews may introduce bias through various means during collecting psychological data. Therefore, we recommend that future studies exploring psychological engagement or affective learning adopt an objective and complicated methodology, such as using devices based on artificial intelligence.

The present techniques for social separation will endure; educational institutions must thoroughly reconsider their services. Universities should establish strategies for digital learning and provide learning environments, resources, and support systems. Students, instructors, and administrators must collaborate to create an inclusive learning environment that encourages pleasurable learning, fosters collaboration, and honors students’ contributions through gamification activities. In the aftermath of the pandemic, educational institutions in developing countries with insufficient high-tech infrastructure may further examine alternate teaching and learning methodologies.