Design and implementation of an educational game in virtual business administration courses

Introduction: In distance higher education, student dropout remains a persistent challenge, largely associated with extra-pedagogical factors such as work or family responsibilities. Student motivation emerges as a central element for fostering persistence and academic achievement. Methods: This study proposes incorporating serious game mechanics as a strategy to stimulate motivation in self-paced online courses. Using Design and Development Research (DDR) methodology, we developed a prototype educational game inspired by "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" following a User-Centered Design and Development (UCDD) approach. The prototype was tested with students from the Financial Administration I (FIN 1020) course during Fall 2024. Data collection included perception questionnaires with Likert-scale items addressing four dimensions: perceived usefulness, engagement, motivation, and overall learning experience, complemented by analysis of SCORM interaction data. Results: Results indicate that the majority perceived the game as useful for understanding key course concepts, with high engagement levels and positive impact on motivation. The game-maintained student attention and fostered active participation. Behavioral analysis revealed a 65.5% completion rate, average session duration of 11 minutes, and peak usage on Mondays and between 13h-14h. Discussion: These preliminary findings demonstrate the positive impact of educational games in online financial courses, supporting their integration as motivational tools to enhance student persistence and learning outcomes in distance education contexts.