Enhancing Motivation in Software Engineering Education through Gamified Agile Project-based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL), e.g., student software development projects, is an essential part of today's Software Engineering (SE) education. They allow students to work on real-world projects and gain practical experience as a team. However, several challenges arise in such projects, including learning new technologies and dealing with communication and coordination issues within the team. These factors can lead to a lack of motivation to contribute to the project and a decrease in productivity, potentially resulting in an insufficient project outcome. This paper aims to promote student motivation in PBL and increase team productivity by applying gamification. We conducted a user and requirements analysis to identify the needs of students and supervisors of such projects. Based on the insights, we designed and implemented DinoDev, a gamified project management tool that combines project management features with gamification elements. The DinoDev concept was evaluated in a student project, indicating increased motivation and team productivity. The findings are valuable for advancing research on using gamification in PBL and for lecturers to improve their students' motivation and team productivity in SE education.