Improving Student Engagement Through Gamification in a Systems Security and Cryptography Course

This innovative practice full paper describes the impact of gamification as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student engagement in a second-year Systems Security and Cryptography course. In response to historically low attendance and participation, a gamified revision practical was introduced in the second week of the semester. The session incorporated cryptographic puzzles, ciphers, and a collaborative crossword challenge designed to reinforce prior knowledge while fostering interaction and motivation. A mixed-methods evaluation, including comparative attendance data and student feedback, revealed a significant increase in engagement. Attendance during the gamified session reached 62.5%, compared to 25.5% in the equivalent session of the previous academic year. Furthermore, 100% of student respondents rated the experience as good or excellent, and reported feeling engaged or very engaged. The findings support the efficacy of cooperative, game-based learning in cybersecurity education, particularly when implemented early in the course. Future work will explore the scalability of this approach across additional sessions and its long-term influence on academic outcomes.