Author: Ishmam, Class of 2025

Figure: “Gaming” the system has become a rising phenomenon of technology-based learning programs in education

Educational systems have started using new technology to keep up with the evolution of our learning spaces and culture. The surge in Computer-Based Learning Platforms (CBLPs) has also resulted in a rise in students “gaming the system”, a phenomenon that exploits system mechanics to progress without learning effectively. Researchers have referred to these students as “gamers” and conducted studies to test the efficacy of various approaches to address these behaviors, but successful interventions remain sparse. 

Recently, a 2024 study led by Vanacore et al. at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Carnegie Mellon University applied a causal moderation technique called Fully Latent Principal Stratification (FLPS) to evaluate how different interventions might impact students who tend to game the system. The study explored two primary interventions: gamification, or the process of exploiting a system to gain an advantage, and modified assistance access. They analyzed an efficacy study where students were assigned to 4 different CBLP programs: two gamified CBLPs  (“From Here to There!” and “DragonBox Algebra 12+”) and two traditional problem-solving programs with either immediate or delayed access to hints and feedback. The delayed condition prevented students from accessing assistance until they completed their problem sets, and it aimed to reduce opportunities for hint abuse and guesswork. Using the FLPS approach, researchers developed a rule-based detector to track gaming behaviors among students in the immediate condition, recording instances where students exploited hints or used guess and check tactics. The results showed mixed outcomes. The “From Here to There!” gamified program strongly negatively impacted students with high gaming propensities, suggesting that the game’s abstract nature might frustrate students, worsening gaming behaviors. On the other hand, “DragonBox Algebra 12+”, a more direct and artistic gamified program, showed more consistently positive results across different student propensities, indicating that certain gamification may support better engagement for students prone to gaming.

The delayed assistance condition showed a modest positive effect on students who typically game the system. However, the improvements were insufficient to overcome the negative impact of all gaming behaviors. This finding implies that while restricting on-demand hints may benefit some students, additional intervention is needed to suppress gaming behaviors and enhance learning outcomes meaningfully. The study underlines that, with further refinement in data processing and feature selection, current interventions can address the fundamental issues underlying gaming behaviors in CBLPs.

Works Cited:

Vanacore, K. P., Gurung, A., Sales, A., & Heffernan, N. (2024). Effect of Gamification on Gamers: Evaluating Interventions for Students Who Game the System: Evaluating Interventions for Students Who Gaming the System. Journal of Educational Data Mining, 16(1), 112-140