Efficacy of Gamification on Introductory Architectural Education: A literature review

Due to their recent popularity and success in fields such as engineering and business, gamification and by extension game design principles demonstrate the ability to teach complex, multi-disciplinary skills in an engaging, entertaining, and effective way. Architectural education especially introductory architectural education is a foundational and fundamental part of a budding architecture student’s career and oftentimes requires the understanding of dynamic systems, spatial reasoning, and experiential learning. The paper posits that gamification and game design principles can utilize certain components such as augmented reality, narrative design, and fun in order to create tools, gamify existing curriculum, and increase retention, engagement, and mastery of the difficult high-tech skillsets required of introductory architects. The paper focuses on reviewing and systematically analyzing research on gamification in education. In particular, it focuses on systematically reviewing and analyzing data from multiple relevant case studies chosen based on the application of technology such as augmented reality, the integration of game design, and the feasibility of gamification in educational environments. This data is examined based on feasibility, accessibility, and effects on information retention and the findings are outlined in a comparative table of methods, tools, and technologies organized based on their suitability. Ultimately, the paper aims to establish a framework for gamifying introductory modules in architectural education and hopes to create a future architectural augmented reality game meant to utilize gamification to help new architectural students.