Webquest “Educational path. revolution” as a gamified tool for teaching pedagogy: implementation design and pilot evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28925/2312-5829/2026.1.11Keywords:
gamification, webquest, higher education, pedagogy, design research, digital learningAbstract
The article presents the results of the development and pilot testing of the author's multi-user webquest "Educational Path. Revolution", intended for studying the history of pedagogy, theory and methods of education, as well as pedagogical communication in higher education institutions. The relevance of the study is due to the growing role of digital and gamified forms of learning in higher education, especially in the conditions of a blended and distance education process. The purpose of the work is to describe the design of the implementation of the webquest and the initial evaluation of its perceived didactic value. The study was carried out in the design-based research format, which combined the stages of conceptualization, iterative design, technical implementation and product testing in real conditions of an educational session. 14 higher education applicants from the Faculty of Psychology of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University participated in the pilot study. An author's questionnaire with 6 quantitative indicators and an open question was used for evaluation. The results showed high levels of cognitive interest (M = 4.6), task clarity (M = 4.6), and intention to reuse the product (M = 4.7). The lowest level was related to the effectiveness of team interaction (M = 3.0), which indicates the need for further development of cooperative mechanics. The practical significance of the study is to substantiate the possibilities of using a webquest as an interactive digital tool to increase student engagement, activate cognitive activity, and diversify teaching methods of pedagogical disciplines. The conclusion is made about the conceptual potential of a webquest as a tool for increasing engagement, supporting learning motivation, and meaningful learning of pedagogical material.
Downloads
References
Alahmari, M., Jdaitawi, M. T., Rasheed, A., Abduljawad, R., Hussein, E., Alzahrani, M., & Awad, N. (2023). Trends and gaps in empirical research on gamification in science education: A systematic review of the literature. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(3), Article ep431. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13177
Barroso-Tristán, J. M., García-Lázaro, I., & Reyes-de-Cózar, S. (2025). Gamification in digital environments and the development of teachers’ digital competence: A systematic review. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, Article 1834. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06115-w
Bilgin, C. U., Baek, Y., & Park, H. (2015). How debriefing strategies can improve student motivation and self-efficacy in game-based learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 53(2), 155-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633115598496
Dobroskok, I., Nalyvaiko, O., Masych, V., Vasyuchenko, P., Melnyk, T., & Zhernovnykova, O. (2023, December). Development of quest games in the process of teaching students of technical specialties. In AIP conference proceedings (Vol. 2889, No. 1, p. 090006). AIP Publishing LLC. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0172914
Hanus, M. D., & Fox, J. (2015). Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom: A longitudinal study on intrinsic motivation, social comparison, satisfaction, effort, and academic performance. Computers & Education, 80, 152-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.08.019
Khaldi, A., Bouzidi, R., & Nader, F. (2023). Gamification of e-learning in higher education: A systematic literature review. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00227-z
Kreydun, N., Nalyvaiko, O., Ivanenko, L., Zotova, L. ., Nevoienna, O., Iavorovska, L., Kharchenko, A., & Sevostianov, P. (2022). The Quality of Education in the Conditions of Forced Distance Learning Caused by COVID-19. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 14(4), 423-448. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/14.4/649
Li, L., Hew, K. F., & Du, J. (2024). Gamification enhances student intrinsic motivation, perceptions of autonomy and relatedness, but minimal impact on competency: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Educational Technology Research and Development, 72(2), 765-796. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10337-7
Li, M., Ma, S., & Shi, Y. (2023). Examining the effectiveness of gamification as a tool promoting teaching and learning in educational settings: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1253549. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253549
Liang, W., & Fung, D. (2020). Development and evaluation of a WebQuest-based teaching programme: Students’ use of exploratory talk to exercise critical thinking. International Journal of Educational Research, 104, Article 101652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101652
Nalyvaiko, O. (2021). Model of students’ project activity in the digital space on the example of disciplines of the pedagogical cycle. Electronic Scientific Professional Journal “Open Educational E-Environment of Modern University”, (10), 166-179. https://doi.org/10.28925/2414-0325.2021.1014
Niemiec, C. P., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom: Applying self-determination theory to educational practice. Theory and Research in Education, 7(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878509104318
Polly, D., & Ausband, L. (2009). Developing higher-order thinking skills through WebQuests. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 26(1), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402454.2009.10784628
Sailer, M., Hense, J. U., Mayr, S. K., & Mandl, H. (2017). How gamification motivates: An experimental study of the effects of specific game design elements on psychological need satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 371-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.033
Sánchez-Martín, J., Cañada-Cañada, F., & Dávila-Acedo, M. A. (2017). Just a game? Gamifying a general science class at university: Collaborative and competitive work implications. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 26, 51-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2017.05.003
Subhash, S., & Cudney, E. A. (2018). Gamified learning in higher education: A systematic review of the literature. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 192–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.028
Villegas-Dianta, C. A., Sepúlveda-Irribarra, C. A., & Alcorta-Ramírez, I. J. (2025). Webquest methodology in university and school education: A systematic review. Revista Electrónica Educare, 29(1), 212-230. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.29-1.18580
Yechkalo, Y. V., Tkachuk, V. V., Shurupova, K. A., Zinchenko, V. M., & Puhach, A. V. (2024). Gamification in higher education: methodology. CEUR Workshop Proceedings, 3844, 96-106. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3844/paper13.pdf
Zheng, R., Perez, J., Williamson, J., & Flygare, J. (2008). WebQuests as perceived by teachers: Implications for online teaching and learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 24(4), 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2007.00261.x
Published
Versions
- 2026-07-01 (2)
- 2026-06-30 (1)
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Educological discourse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Автори зберігають за собою всі авторські права та одночасно надають журналу право першої публікації на умовах лізенції Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, що дозволяє розповсюджувати даний матеріал із зазначенням авторства та первинної публікації в даному журналі.
