Gamifying Analytics Education: The Impact of the Craft Beer League on Student Engagement, Problem-Solving Skills, and Collaboration

This article evaluates the students’ reactions to an experiential learning (EL) exercise, the Craft Beer League (CBL), designed to enhance student engagement and problem-solving skills in an analytics course. By integrating gamification elements and real-world data into the curriculum, the CBL aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and communication among students. Implemented across two different academic institutions, this study assesses the exercise’s effectiveness in improving engagement and perceived analytical skills through a survey of participants. The results of the survey indicate that the competitive nature of the exercise increased engagement and sparked curiosity among participants to try out different analytical approaches in an effort to improve their standing in the competition. The findings suggest that the CBL can be a valuable educational tool that is widely applicable to various student populations.