Digital platforms are one of the educational resources that were used in education prior to Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the pandemic has led to a complete shift to learning via digital platforms, and therefore they have become a strategic alternative for sustainable education. Given that previous studies regarding the impact of digital platforms on learning outcomes have yielded conflicting results, the present study aims to determine whether or not digital platforms improve learning outcomes. To achieve this aim, meta-analysis approach was used through the examination of the overall effect size of these platforms on the learning outcomes besides the examination of the effect size of a set of mediating variables including study period, subject area, student rating, and publication type. Thirty studies published between 2015 and 2021 comparing learning via digital platforms and learning in traditional classrooms were accounted for. The focus on this period of time was because the fourth industrial revolution took place in that time where the use of digital platforms in teaching was prosperous. Findings showed that the overall effect size using the random effect model (g = 0.278; p < 0.001; α = 0.05) was small and positive, from (0.123–0.433) in favor of learning via digital platforms, and so no evidence regarding publication bias could be discovered in these data. The result of the current study may be useful to universities and e-learning centers on how to use digital platforms to improve learning outcomes.

Gamification is one of the basic components that enhance the sustainability of learning management systems (LMSs) in improving learning outcomes and motivating learners to face challenges and continue effectively in implementing educational tasks. Some of the LMSs do not have an integrated structure for gamification, but there are some simple tools that can be relied upon in managing gamification processes, and among these is the Blackboard system. Blackboard is witnessing a high level of use in the educational process within King Abdulaziz University, as it has been the main e-learning system at the university since the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the present study was an attempt to identify the motivators and obstacles of employing gamification through the Blackboard system from the faculty members’ point of view. The study relied on the interpretive paradigm, where a phenomenological approach was used to find out the motivators that encourage 12 faculty members at King Abdulaziz University to use gamification via Blackboard, and to identify the obstacles that might dissuade them. The results of the study were as follows: the main motivators included attracting attention, engaging in learning, motivation, and entertainment, while the main obstacles included time, digital skills, technical issues, lack of resources, contentment, and indifference. The results of this study suggest that while there are motivators for faculty members to employ gamification in electronic courses, there are still the same number of obstacles facing staff members in employing gamification in digital learning environments.

Gamification systems on digital platforms are among the essential systems that can motivate learners towards achieving educational gains and goals. Self-regulated learning skills (SRLS) have become one of the most important learning requirements in the COVID-19 pandemic context so that the learner can plan and manage their learning tasks. The current research examines the impact of using Digital Platform Based Gamification (DPBG) on SRLS during the pandemic. A blended research approach based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used to better understand the impact of gamification on digital platforms for SRLS during the pandemic. The descriptive approach was used to analyze the previous literature and develop SRLS. The quasi-experimental approach was used to compare the first experimental group that used the DPBG (G1-DPBG) and the second experimental group that used the same Digital Platform without Gamification (DPWG) (G2-DPWG). The phenomenological approach was used to gain a better understanding of how gamification affects SRLS. The research sample in the quantitative study consisted of 60 students from the tenth-grade students in Jeddah who were randomly distributed to the two research groups. The participants in the qualitative research were eight students who were intentionally selected from students who use gamification. A scale of SRLS was developed that included four themes: Goal Setting and Planning, Monitoring, Rehearsing and Memorizing, and Seeking Social Assistance with a total of 28 items. A qualitative tool was developed that includes a set of open-ended questions for semi-structured interviews that were carried out after completing all quantitative data collection. The quantitative results demonstrated the superiority of gamification via digital platforms in developing SRLS. The outputs of the objective analysis of the qualitative data also provided more in-depth explanations and insights from the students’ perspective on the role of DPBG in enhancing SRLS during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The expansion of the use of electronic games has led to a surge in the rates of gaming addiction among adolescents. Electronic games addiction (EGA) presents, of course, psychological, hygienic, social, educational, and moral dangers. Therefore, it is very important to educate adolescents and enhance their awareness of the dangers of electronic games addiction (DEGA). Given the unique characteristics of augmented reality technology, the present study aims to develop a sustainable environment based on augmented reality (SEBAR) within educational institutions to educate adolescents about the DEGA. The SEBAR in the present study is based on the possibility of using the applications of augmented reality (AR) technology to generate digital objects of some images and barcodes projected on the school walls, classroom doors, school yards, and computer labs, in addition to specially developed missions to educate adolescents on the DEGA. In the present study, the embedded design as one of the mixed research methods was used to examine the effect of AR on adolescents’ awareness of the DEGA. Research treatments were applied to seventy-five high school students in two different schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The experimental processing was carried out in a school where it was possible to develop a sustainable environment while the other schools were assigned to the control group. For comparing the experimental group that used the SEBAR and the control group that used the normal environment based on a set of articles and tasks without any link to AR, the quasi-experimental approach was used. In addition, to gain a deep understanding of the effects of AR on the awareness of the DEGA, the phenomenological approach was used. Furthermore, an electronic gaming addiction scale (EGAS) and an awareness test for the DEGA were developed as study instruments. The findings showed an increase in the adolescents’ knowledge and awareness regarding the DEGA in the experimental group that used the SEBAR in comparison with the awareness of their peers in the control group.

Gamified platforms have a great role in motivating students to proceed with enthusiasm in learning events and activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated some tensions and pressures that were reflected on students’ engagement in learning when studying through digital platforms. Accordingly, this research examines the impact of using gamified platforms on engagement in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quasi-experimental approach was used to compare the first experimental group that used the G1-Gamified platforms and the second experimental group that used the same platform but not gamified and was referred to as G2-Non-gamified platforms. The research sample in the quantitative study consisted of 60 students from the tenth grade in Jeddah, who were randomly distributed to the two research groups. A measure of engagement in learning has been developed and consisted of three themes with a total of 24 items. The results showed the preference of the first experimental group, which used gaming platforms, in improving indicators of engagement in learning through educational platforms during the pandemic. The research recommended the need to employ digital incentives such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards in digital platforms to increase the effectiveness of these platforms in improving learning outcomes.

Gamification-based learning is a recent trend that has received increasing attention in the last few years due to digital development. Gamification has emerged as a vital aspect of the educational setting, with gamified elements playing a crucial role in e-learning environments. The current study is motivated by the need to address a gap in the existing research on the utilization of gamification in education. This gap exists due to a lack of studies that monitor the developments and effects of gamification in the educational environment. It is important to conduct such studies to provide guidance for future research in the field of gamification. A bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review were conducted to understand and describe gamification and its potential for learning. The results of the bibliometric analysis revealed that the most frequently used keywords in the studies were gamification, game-based learning (GBL), motivation, and engagement. The majority of research published in this field was conducted in the United States, followed by Spain and Britain. The Journal of Computers in Human Behavior and the Journal of Computers and Education were the two journals that focused primarily on the field of GBL. The most famous authors in this field are Hamari, Juho, Patel, Mitesh S., Landers, and Richard N. The field is experiencing significant growth, with the number of studies increasing from 7 in 2012 to 917 in 2021. The systematic review has found that undergraduates are the most frequent participants in gambling activities. The game elements that are most utilized are points, leaderboards, and badges, while the learning outcomes most addressed are achievement, engagement, and motivation. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive guide to scholars and research institutes, outlining the key areas of emphasis related to the subject of gamification. The systematic research also identified the key components of gamification that instructors and e-learning designers may rely on most frequently.