Development of ZooPedia Based on Gamification and Evaluation of Changes in Learning Outcomes of Animal Recognition in Elementary School Students
Keywords:
Learning assessment, Gamification, Learning media, Animal recognition, Elementary schoolAbstract
Animal recognition lessons in elementary schools require learning resources that help students identify animals and understand the characteristics used to classify them. This study developed ZooPedia, a gamified learning application, and evaluated its functionality, content relevance, student perceptions, learning activities, and changes in test performance. The development followed the ADDIE framework, and the evaluation involved 16 sixth-grade students using a single-group pretest–posttest design. Data were collected through a 20-item test, three raters' assessments, student questionnaires, and observations across three learning sessions. All 14 reported functional testing scenarios produced the expected outputs. Mean test scores increased from 49.06 to 69.06, a difference of 20.00 points (95% CI: 10.42–29.58; p < 0.001). Scores increased for 13 students and decreased for three. Aiken's V coefficients ranged from 0.444 to 1.000, identifying instructional clarity and gamification mechanisms as improvement priorities. Mean observed learning activity did not increase across sessions. The study contributes empirical evidence by distinguishing changes in test performance from student perceptions and observed learning activities, highlighting the value of evaluating gamified media through multiple indicators. However, measurement limitations and the absence of a comparison group prevent causal attribution of the observed changes to ZooPedia.
Downloads
References
Agarwal, P. K., Nunes, L. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2021). Retrieval Practice Consistently Benefits Student Learning: a Systematic Review of Applied Research in Schools and Classrooms. In Educational Psychology Review (Vol. 33, Number 4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09595-9
Aldalur, I., & Perez, A. (2023). Gamification and discovery learning: Motivating and involving students in the learning process. Heliyon, 9(1), e13135. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13135
Almeida, C., Kalinowski, M., Uchôa, A., & Feijó, B. (2023). Negative effects of gamification in education software: Systematic mapping and practitioner perceptions. Information and Software Technology, 156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2022.107142
Bai, S., Hew, K. F., & Huang, B. (2020). Does gamification improve student learning outcome? Evidence from a meta-analysis and synthesis of qualitative data in educational contexts. Educational Research Review, 30(December 2019), 100322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100322
Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. In Nature Reviews Psychology (Vol. 1, Number 9). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00089-1
Dehghanzadeh, H., Farrokhnia, M., Dehghanzadeh, H., Taghipour, K., & Noroozi, O. (2024). Using gamification to support learning in K-12 education: A systematic literature review. In British Journal of Educational Technology (Vol. 55, Number 1). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13335
Hooykaas, M. J. D., Schilthuizen, M., Albers, C. J., & Smeets, I. (2022). Species identification skills predict in-depth knowledge about species. PLoS ONE, 17(4 April). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266972
Howard, J. L., Bureau, J., Guay, F., Chong, J. X. Y., & Ryan, R. M. (2021). Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6). https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789
Kaya, O. S., & Ercag, E. (2023). The impact of applying challenge-based gamification program on students’ learning outcomes: Academic achievement, motivation and flow. Education and Information Technologies, 1–26. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11585-z
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106963
Lakens, D. (2022). Sample Size Justification. In Collabra: Psychology (Vol. 8, Number 1). https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.33267
Langenberg, B., Janczyk, M., Koob, V., Kliegl, R., & Mayer, A. (2023). A tutorial on using the paired t test for power calculations in repeated measures ANOVA with interactions. Behavior Research Methods, 55(5). https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01902-8
Li, L., Hew, K. F., & Du, J. (2024). Gamification enhances student intrinsic motivation, perceptions of autonomy and relatedness, but minimal impact on competency: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 72(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10337-7
Li, M., Ma, S., & Shi, Y. (2023). Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1253549. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253549
Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3801_6
Merino-Soto, C. (2023). Coeficientes V de Aiken: diferencias en los juicios de validez de contenido. MHSalud: Revista En Ciencias Del Movimiento Humano y Salud, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.15359/mhs.20-1.3
Mertens, U., Finn, B., & Lindner, M. A. (2022). Effects of Computer-Based Feedback on Lower and Higher-Order Learning Outcomes: A Network Meta-Analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(8). https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000764
Oliveira, W., Hamari, J., Shi, L., Toda, A. M., Rodrigues, L., Palomino, P. T., & Isotani, S. (2023). Tailored gamification in education: A literature review and future agenda. Education and Information Technologies, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11122-4
Reynolds, J. J. (2022). Improving the Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness With the Nonequivalent Dependent Variables Approach. Teaching of Psychology, 49(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283211022390
Sailer, M., & Sailer, M. (2021). Gamification of in-class activities in flipped classroom lectures. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12948
Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1). https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307313795
Spatioti, A. G., Kazanidis, I., & Pange, J. (2022). A Comparative Study of the ADDIE Instructional Design Model in Distance Education. In Information (Vol. 13, Number 9, p. 402). https://doi.org/10.3390/info13090402
Yusri, A. A., & Zainal, M. Z. (2025). Unleashing gamification: a systematic review in primary schools. Journal of Education and Learning, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v19i4.22009
Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S. K. W., Shujahat, M., & Perera, C. J. (2020). The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Educational Research Review, 30(March 2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100326
Zeng, J., Sun, D., Looi, C. K., & Fan, A. C. W. (2024). Exploring the impact of gamification on students’ academic performance: A comprehensive meta-analysis of studies from the year 2008 to 2023. In British Journal of Educational Technology (Vol. 55, Number 6). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13471
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Bella Nitaliya, Nabila Felisia Ikhtiaranata

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.