Digital learning platforms in aircraft maintenance technology: Evaluating the effectiveness of gamified learning approaches

  • Arthur Dela Peña Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Philippine State College of Aeronautics, Pampanga, Philippines
Keywords: Aircraft Maintenance Technology, digital learning, gamification, Kahoot, student engagement

Abstract

Traditional teaching methods in Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) often struggle to maintain student engagement, motivation, and knowledge retention. While gamification has been recognised as a potential solution, its application in AMT education remains underexplored, particularly in bridging theoretical knowledge with practical skill acquisition. This study investigates the effectiveness of Kahoot-based gamification in enhancing student engagement, motivation, knowledge retention, and practical skills development. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating quantitative surveys, pre- and post-assessments, and qualitative interviews with students and instructors. The study assessed 120 participants, revealing statistically significant improvements: engagement increased by 43.8%, motivation by 55.2%, knowledge retention by 41.2%, and practical skills by 51.6%. Qualitative findings supported these results, with students reporting higher participation, improved concept recall, and greater enthusiasm. Instructors observed enhanced confidence in applying theoretical knowledge. Despite these benefits, challenges such as internet connectivity issues, time constraints, and question format limitations were identified. The study recommends a blended learning approach integrating gamification with hands-on training, scenario-based exercises, and emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Beyond AMT, these findings highlight gamification’s potential in technical and vocational education, emphasising the need for future research on adaptive gamification models and AI-driven learning platforms.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References


Ardiny, H., & Khanmirza, E. (2018). The role of AR and VR technologies in education developments: Opportunities and challenges. In Proceedings of the 2018 6th RSI International Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (ICRoM) (pp. 482–487). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRoM.2018.8657615




Banfield, J., & Wilkerson, B. (2014). Increasing Student Intrinsic Motivation And Self-Efficacy Through Gamification Pedagogy. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 7(4), 291–298. https://doi.org/10.19030/cier.v7i4.8843




Bigdeli, S. et al. (2023). Underpinning learning theories of medical educational games: A scoping review. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 37, 26. https://doi.org/10.47176/mjiri.37.26




Borges, S.S., Durelli, V.H.S., Reis, H.M., & Isotani, S. (2014). A systematic mapping on gamification applied to education. In Proceedings of the 29th Annual ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (pp. 216–222). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2554850.2554956




Botte, B., Marinensi, G., & Romero Carbonell, M. (2022). Gamification in higher education: A self-determination theory perspective on the reward system. Quaderni di Comunità. Persone, Educazione e Welfare nella Società 5.0, (1), 81–110. https://doi.org/10.61007/QdC.2022.1.43




Bozkurt, A., & Durak, G. (2018). A systematic review of gamification research: In pursuit of Homo Ludens. International Journal of Games Based Learning, 18(3), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGBL.2018070102




Chapman, J. R. et al. (2023). Maybe we’ve got it wrong. An experimental evaluation of self-determination and flow theory in gamification. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 57(2), 417–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2023.2242981




Dichev, C., & Dicheva, D. (2017). Gamifying education: What is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: A critical review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(1), 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5




Ertan, K., & Arkün Kocadere, S. (2022). Gamification design to increase motivation in online learning environments: A systematic review. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age, 7(2), 1020044. https://doi.org/10.53850/joltida.1020044




Félix da Silva, A., Sánchez-Prieto, J.C., García-Peñalvo, F.J., & Oliveira, A.A. (2022). The use of self-determination theory in the context of gamification: A literature review. RELATEC: Latin American Journal of Educational Technology, 21(2), 59. https://doi.org/10.17398/1695-288x.21.2.59




Fitria, T. N. (2023). The impact of gamification on students’ motivation: A systematic literature review. LingTera, 9(2), 56616. https://doi.org/10.21831/lt.v9i2.56616




Fromann, R. (2016). Gamification and gameful approaches in education, business, and IT. https://www.academia.edu/71581148




Gorshenin, A. (2018). Toward modern educational IT-ecosystems: From learning management systems to digital platforms. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1806.11154




Gupta, P., & Goyal, P. (2022). Is game-based pedagogy just a fad? A self-determination theory approach to gamification in higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(3), 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2021-0126




Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2014). Does gamification work? – A literature review of empirical studies on gamification. In, 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, IEEE, 3025–3034. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6758978




Hammerschall, U. (2019). A gamification framework for long-term engagement in education based on self-determination theory and the transtheoretical model of change. In Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 95–101). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2019.8725251




Hung, A.C.Y. (2018). Gamification as design thinking. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(3), 549–559. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/




Iosup, A., & Epema, D.H.J. (2014). An experience report on using gamification in technical higher education. In Proceedings of the 45th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE ‘14) (pp. 27–32). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2538862.2538899




Jantjies, M., Moodley, T., & Maart, R.D. (2018). Experiential learning through virtual and augmented reality in higher education. In Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Education Technology Management (ICETM 2018) (pp. 93–97). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3300942.3300956




Jaramillo-Mediavilla, L. et al. (2024). Impact of gamification on motivation and academic performance: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 14(6), 639. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060639




Kam, A.H.T., & Umar, I.N. (2018). Fostering authentic learning motivations through gamification: A self-determination theory (SDT) approach. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 13(Special Issue), 1–9. https://jestec.taylors.edu.my/i-Cite%202018/i-Cite_01.pdf




Kok, D. L. et al. (2022). Virtual reality and augmented reality in radiation oncology education – A review and expert commentary. Technical Innovations & Patient Support in Radiation Oncology, 24, 25–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tipsro.2022.08.007




Krath, J., Schürmann, L., & von Korflesch, H. F. O. (2021). Revealing the theoretical basis of gamification: A systematic review and analysis of theory in research on gamification, serious games and game-based learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 125, 106963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106963




Manzano-León, A. et al. (2021). Between level up and game over: A systematic literature review of gamification in education. Sustainability, 13(4), 2247. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU13042247




Marasco, E., Behjat, L., Eggermont, M., Rosehart, W. D., Moshirpour, M., & Hugo, R. (2016). Using gamification for engagement and learning in electrical and computer engineering classrooms. In Proceedings of the 2016 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 1–5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2016.7757352




Mao, J., & Lucas, T. (2024). Gamification elements and their impacts on education: A review. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(5), 2025155. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025155




Ratinho, E., & Martins, C. (2023). The role of gamified learning strategies in student’s motivation in high school and higher education: A systematic review. Heliyon, 9(8), e19033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19033




Rupasinghe, T., Kurz, M., Washburn, C., & Gramopadhye, A. (2011). Virtual reality training integrated curriculum: An aircraft maintenance technology (AMT) education perspective. International Journal of Engineering Education, 27(4), 778–788. https://tinyurl.com/wuzufsnj




Sawarkar, D., Sharma, A., Patel, R., & Verma, S. (2024). The impact of gamification across different educational contexts. In Proceedings of the 2024 4th International Conference on Innovative Practices in Technology and Management (ICIPTM) (pp. 112–118). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIPTM59628.2024.10563427




Sophia, D. L. et al. (2024). The role of virtual and augmented reality in enhancing educational experiences. Journal of Computers, Mechanical and Management, 3(5), 24171. https://doi.org/10.57159/jcmm.3.5.24171




Subhash, S., & Cudney, E. A. (2018). Gamified learning in higher education: A systematic review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 192–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.028




Xanthidis, D., Manolas, C., Paul, S., & Xanthidou, O. K. (2020). Virtual and augmented reality: Enhancing the learning experience in higher education in the U.A.E. Current standing & research directions. In Proceedings of the 2020 7th International Conference on Information Technology Trends (ITT 2020) (pp. 206–211). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITT51279.2020.9320882




Zainuddin, Z. et al. (2020). The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Educational Research and Reviews, 15(12), 748–758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326
Published
2025-07-04
How to Cite
Dela Peña , A. (2025). Digital learning platforms in aircraft maintenance technology: Evaluating the effectiveness of gamified learning approaches. Research in Learning Technology, 33. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v33.3373
Section
Original Research Articles