In a global scenario where education seeks to reinvent itself, gamification emerges as a strategic tool to engage students, increase motivation, and renew teaching methods. Introducing game-like dynamics — such as scoring, badges, challenges, and rankings — within educational contexts is no longer an experimental trend; it is becoming a central element of innovation in classrooms and learning platforms.
To better understand this movement, it is worth looking at the numbers: the global gamification in education market, estimated at around USD 1.97 billion in 2024, is projected to reach approximately USD 6.55 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 27%.
According to research from Teaching.com, about 90% of instructors report that gamification significantly enhances students’ motivation and creativity, demonstrating the positive impact these tools have on how learners interact with educational content.
In short, global data and trends indicate that the time for gamification is now. However, for its full potential to be realized, it is essential to invest strategically in infrastructure, teacher training, and adaptation to the specificities of each educational context. Gamification is not just a tool for engagement — it is a path to transforming learning into a more interactive, creative, and meaningful experience.
In this context, we invited an expert who has been applying this approach consistently: Dinah Kaija, an educator and monitoring and evaluation professional who currently serves as an officer at the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs in Uganda, while also pursuing a master’s degree in Administration and Management.
“When students see that each task has a ‘level,’ a real challenge, and immediate feedback, their engagement rises — and with it, their performance,” says Dinah Kaija. “Gamification is not about turning everything into a game, but about using game logic to bring meaning, visible progress, and recognition to learning.”
Dinah Kaija’s Perspective
With over two decades of teaching experience and having developed tutoring, mentoring, and learning club projects in Uganda, Dinah brings a practical and refined perspective on how gamification can transform educational environments.
Sharing part of her professional journey, Dinah began as a tutor at a young age, gradually establishing herself as an Economics teacher in secondary schools. She led initiatives that resulted in a 60% reduction in school dropout rates among female students and nearly eliminated early pregnancy cases during her tenure as senior woman teacher.
“At Kasawo Secondary School, I introduced gamification elements when we noticed many students simply couldn’t keep up. By introducing challenges with symbolic rewards and progress rankings, we saw 85% of our students achieve grades high enough for university admission,” Dinah recounts.
Beyond the classroom, Dinah has also made significant community contributions: she founded the Straight Talk Club for sexual and life skills education and led five child rights clubs in rural districts in partnership with World Vision Uganda. Today, she serves as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs (Uganda) and is pursuing her master’s degree at the Uganda Management Institute.
On gamification, she cautions:
“It’s important to be careful — gamifying doesn’t simply mean adding points or badges. In fact, there are cases where that approach worsened motivation.”
She refers to studies highlighting “adverse effects” when elements such as leaderboards hinder individual progress perception or emphasize excessive competition.
Professional Contributions
Dinah’s work stands out for its practical and transformative results across various fields of education and social development. Her efforts have produced measurable impacts — improving students’ academic performance while promoting equality, citizenship, and opportunities for vulnerable communities.
Her commitment to holistic student development is also evident in the learning and rights clubs she founded and led. These include peer educator clubs and child rights clubs, which foster self-esteem, youth leadership, and community engagement. Such initiatives have helped create a more participatory, aware, and compassionate school culture.
With a keen eye on early childhood education, Dinah also founded the Oxbridge International Preschool and Day Care, aimed at children in vulnerable situations — particularly those whose parents work at a local landfill. The project’s goal is to ensure access to education from an early age, breaking cycles of exclusion and providing families with a solid foundation for their children’s future development.
Currently, Dinah works in monitoring and evaluating social programs, applying methodologies focused on measuring impact in initiatives benefiting youth, the elderly, former abducted children, and vulnerable populations. In this role, she combines practical experience and technical expertise to ensure that projects generate real, sustainable outcomes — reaffirming her commitment to social transformation through education and human-centered management.
Knowing How to Use Gamification
Gamification is no longer seen as a passing fad but as an evidence-based methodology capable of transforming “learning by doing” into “living the learning experience.” At the same time, as the specialist points out, the success of this transformation depends on careful, contextualized implementation with clear engagement, progress, and meaning goals for each student.
Around the world, as education systems strive to bring students back to the center, adapt to hybrid and digital contexts, and foster not just memorization but critical thinking, gamification offers a bridge between the playful and the serious.
And as Dinah’s trajectory shows, it’s not enough to simply adopt games — it’s crucial to invest in the how, why, and for whom these elements are used. The truth is that the game does not replace teaching — but when well-structured, it can indeed redefine how we learn.
The article was written by journalist and corporate communication specialist Mainara Screpanti.
