Development and Evaluation of a Gamified Application for Environmental Education: coralQuest

Abstract

Environmental education plays a critical role in addressing current environmental challenges. However, it is challenging to effectively engage and motivate students to learn more and have a critical view about it. Therefore to enhance students learning experience in environmental education, this paper presents the development of a gamified app named coralQuest that aims to boost motivation, enjoyment and improve learning outcomes. To evaluate the interaction and user experience of coralQuest, data was collected from log data, questionnaires, and interviews, from 41 children aged 12–14 years old. The results indicate the positive effects of various game elements, like the leaderboard, while highlight that other, like the pedagogical agent, needs more attention for their appropriate inclusion. Further research is necessary on the development of gamified learning environments that effectively engage learners and cultivate positive attitudes in environmental education while catering different demands.