Special Session 4

Gamification of Education and Game-Based Learning

Description
This special session, themed "Gamification of Education and Game-Based Learning", addresses critical challenges in modern pedagogy, including declining student engagement, insufficient intrinsic motivation for mastering complex subjects, and the persistent gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. By integrating principles from game studies, instructional design, and learning sciences, this session explores how playful approaches can transform educational experiences across disciplines and levels.
The session examines gamification and game-based learning through multiple theoretical and practical lenses. It considers classical models rooted in extrinsic motivation (points, badges, leaderboards) alongside emerging approaches that foster intrinsic motivation through autonomy, competence, and relatedness. It investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) enables adaptive and personalized game experiences, how immersive technologies (VR/AR) create new possibilities for situated learning, and how narrative and aesthetic design shape learner engagement. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of social interaction (e.g., Goffman's concept of involvement), the session also analyzes how games and gamified systems create deep, focused, and meaningful educational experiences, moving beyond simple engagement metrics toward a richer understanding of learner participation.
Six interconnected themes guide the discussion:
-Theoretical foundations of gamification and game-based learning in game studies and educational research.
-Evolution from extrinsic to intrinsic motivational models in gamified design.
-AI-empowered innovation in adaptive and personalized game-based learning.
-Integration of immersive technologies (VR/AR) into playful learning environments.
-Game design principles: mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and storytelling.

Session organizer
Assoc. Prof. Anton Sukhov, The Ural Federal University, Russia

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
▪ Gamification and Game-Based Learning as Applied Educational Discourses of Game Studies
▪ The Use of Classical (based on the principles of extrinsic motivation) and the Latest (based on the principles of intrinsic motivation) Models of Gamification in Education
▪ AI-Empowered Innovation in Gamification and Game-Based Learning 
▪ Integration of Immersive Technologies (VR/AR) into Game-Based Learning Environments
▪ Game Design Principles: Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics, and Storytelling in Learning Contexts
▪ Adaptive Gamification: Personalizing Learning Paths Based on Player Behavior and Data
▪ Assessment and Evaluation of Learning Outcomes in Game-Based Contexts
▪ Ethical Issues of Gamification and Game-Based Learning

Submission method
Submit your Full Paper (no less than 5 pages with two colums) or your paper abstract-without publication (200-400 words) via Online Submission System, then choose Special Session 4 (Gamification of Education and Game-Based Learning)
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Introduction of session organizers

Assoc. Prof. Anton Sukhov
The Ural Federal University, Russia

Dr. Anton Sukhov is an associate professor (since 2012) at the Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia, and a PhD in Cultural Studies (2008). He is one of the founders and leading researchers in game studies in Russia. In 2012, he created (the first in Russia) an electronic educational course on game studies. Dr. Anton Sukhov has been awarded numerous Russian and international scientific awards and honorary diplomas. Dr. Anton Sukhov regularly attends and chairs sections of international scientific conferences on e-education, game studies, game-based learning, gamification, and virtual reality (in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Macedonia, France, UK, Denmark, Japan, China, Russia, and other countries). His research papers were ranked in the Top 2% on Academia.edu. In 2022, his article was awarded the “Best Paper” status at the e-Education Conference in Japan. Dr. Anton Sukhov was an invited speaker and chairman of the section at the ISETM 2025 conference at Guangzhou University. His main areas of research are game studies, educational, ethical, religious and aesthetic discourses of video games, cultural studies, visionary experience, game-based learning and gamification.