An empirical investigation on the benefits of gamification in communication within university development teams

Abstract

AbstractThe field of software management recognizes communication as a fundamental aspect, which has garnered significant attention in recent years. In response, scholars have advocated for the implementation of innovative pedagogical approaches to foster students' engagement in communication. One such approach is the utilization of gamification, the integration of game design elements into nongame contexts, which has been demonstrated to be an effective teaching technique across various fields of education. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of gamification on in‐team communication quality within the context of software development. To this end, an experimental design was employed with four teams of third‐year students enrolled in software development courses. The results of the study indicate that the introduction of gamification significantly enhances communication quality among the students. Furthermore, our findings indicate that a specific gamification strategy, feedback, plays a crucial role in guiding the students toward desired communication behaviors. On the basis of the results of this study, it can be concluded that gamification presents a promising approach to enhance communication quality within software development teams.