Game-Based Learning in Mathematics Education in Engineering Programs: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2026.8442Keywords:
Engineering Courses, Game-Based Learning, Gamification, MathematicsAbstract
Mathematics is essential for engineering education, but low student performance and high dropout rates reveal challenges in teaching and learning. Game-Based Learning (GBL), grounded in constructionism, emerges as an alternative to promote engagement and knowledge retention. This Systematic Literature Review analyzed the tools, applications, and effects of GBL in mathematics education for engineering, covering studies from 2019 to September 2026 retrieved from nine databases. Of the 1,430 studies identified, 16 were included. The studies converge in showing that digital strategies (escape rooms, card games, web platforms, and artificial intelligence) applied to Calculus, Algebra, and Statistics promote engagement, motivation, conceptual understanding, and performance through immediate feedback and active learning. However, time constraints may cause cognitive overload and anxiety, and an emphasis on rankings and points may undermine intrinsic motivation. The distinguishing contribution of this review is to make explicit the interdependence between the interactive features of the tools and their cognitive impacts, systematizing how to calibrate challenge and rewards to mitigate stress and guide the design of effective interventions in mathematics for engineering.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rhuan da Silva Nunes, Aline Maria Sousa de Sena, Francisco Wesley Pereira Mesquita, Kattiely Melo de Lima, Vanessa Siqueira de Castro Teixeira, José Claudio do Nascimento
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