The city as a gamified learning environment: designing and testing a prototype for Art and Cultural Studies students

Abstract

Art and Cultural Studies lecturers often find traditional classroom settings challenging in fostering engaging and immersive learning experiences (Wang & Lv, 2018). Outdoor learning and exploration of physical surroundings present an opportunity to enhance students' curiosity and engagement in learning activities. Several studies suggest that cities offer vast, untapped potential as a learning environment, providing dynamic and experiential spaces for students to explore and connect with Art, Culture, and historical narratives (cf. Gordillo et al., 2013). However, there is a gap in the literature regarding studies on integrating gamified digital tools into the curriculum. This research investigates the effectiveness of gamified location-based mobile applications as learning tools for BA students in Visual Art and Cultural Studies through in-depth interviews with educators from practical and theoretical courses related to various forms of Art. Findings from the first course of interviews informed the development of a quest-like educational mobile application prototype, which was, in turn, tested to assess students' perceptions of the prototype's quality alongside learning and engagement enhancement. The testing confirmed the potential use of location-based mobile applications for educational purposes. Both educators and students reported high engagement, active learning, interaction with a city and overall satisfaction, suggesting further improvements in multimedia performance and accessibility features. Few educators expressed interest in collaborating for future development and integrating the application into their practical and theoretical courses for outside classes.