Universities are looking for solutions to engage more students in STEM
domains and enhance their learning performance (LP). In this context,
gamification is put forward as a solution to achieve this aim. The present
study examined the effect of gamification – building on leaderboards ‐ on LP.
Furthermore, mediating variables, such as intrinsic motivation, self‐efficacy,
engagement, and background variables, such as sex, previous gaming
experience, and undergraduate major, were considered. A pretest‐posttest
quasi‐experimental design with an experimental and a control condition was set
up (n = 89) in an Introductory Computer Programming course. We observed a
significant improvement in the LP of students in the gamified condition.
However, no interaction effect was detected, due to mediating and background
variables. The high learning gain is a favorable indicator that gamification
might be a promising approach to promote STEM programs