Do game-based assessments improve team formation? Evidence from a multidisciplinary intervention in undergraduate courses

Purpose This study examines whether game-based assessment (GBA) can improve multidisciplinary team formation in undergraduate project courses. Specifically, it tests whether composing teams using competency profiles from a brief video-game diagnostic of applied mathematics and problem solving (Go Timmy Go, GTG) yields better project outcomes than convenience-based grouping, under normal course conditions. Design/methodology/approach A feasibility-focused, course-embedded intervention compared seven GBA-informed teams with twenty-seven convenience-grouped teams across two paired undergraduate courses (Medicine and Engineering) at a Colombian university. All teams completed the same multidisciplinary project and were evaluated by a panel using a common rubric. Pre-specified, team-level analyses assessed three outcomes (disciplinary performance, interdisciplinary integration (I-level), and transdisciplinary attainment (T-level)) using difference-in-proportions tests, Fisher's exact tests, and standardized effect sizes. Findings GBA-informed teams showed no statistically or practically significant advantage on any outcome. These null results are interpreted through two mechanisms: (a) misalignment between what GTG measures (taskwork competencies) and what transdisciplinary outcomes require (socio-relational capacities such as coordination and communication), and (b) limited diagnostic coverage (19.75% of students received deep profiles), which constrained both the teaming space and statistical power. Qualitative indicators suggest GBA functioned as a formative catalyst (supporting self-efficacy and strengths recognition) rather than as a standalone team-assignment optimizer. Originality/value This is among the first pre-specified evaluations of GBA-informed team assignment under authentic course conditions. By reporting and interpreting null effects transparently, the study reframes GBA from an optimization tool to a formative resource for role negotiation, coaching, and feedback. It offers actionable guidance (including a decision checklist, integration heuristics, and cost–benefit considerations) for educators and administrators considering GBA adoption in higher education teamwork.