Design and Implementation of a Gamified JavaScript Course

Case Study: Enhancing Engagement Through Adaptive Gamification

Project summary

To enhance student engagement and tailor the learning process to their individual needs, I developed a JavaScript course with personalized gamification. The course is based on the Felder-Silverman learning styles model and implemented through PeGaM methodology – my custom-developed Instructional Design framework that blends the ADDIE model with the unique demands of gamification, online learning, and programming instruction.

  • Role: Instructional Designer & Gamified Curriculum Developer
  • Client: RWTH Aachen University, Germany
  • Target Audience: Third-year Computer Science students with varying levels of prior experience in JavaScript.

Goal: To enhance student engagement and motivation through personalized gamification strategies tailored to their individual learning styles.

Challenges & Solutions

  • Students often lost motivation in the traditional course, leading to low engagement and passive learning.
  • Classical approaches did not allow for individualized learning, leaving students with different prior knowledge levels struggling with unmet needs.
  • The lack of interactive elements made it difficult to grasp complex JavaScript concepts.

Solution? → The PeGaM methodology provided a structured and iterative gamification process, tailored to the individual needs of students. Using Moodle LMS with personalized tools such as IGAT and ILSA, course content and challenges were adapted based on students’ progress and learning styles. By gradually introducing concepts through interactive tasks, quizzes, and personalized games, student engagement and motivation significantly increased.

Conceptual Design of the PeGaM Model

Personalization Criteria

The PeGaM process begins with defining personalization criteria , where learning styles serve as the primary parameter. The goal is to understand how different learners respond to gamification and tailor the experience to their needs.

Purpose of Gamification

After defining the criteria, gamification objectives are set, determining why it is applied and which aspects of learning need improvement, such as participation, motivation, or interaction. These objectives are supported by measurable indicators tracked through engagement analytics.

Game Elements Selection

Game elements are carefully selected and aligned with learning styles, incorporating features such as XP points, levels, badges, puzzle systems, or leaderboards. The selection process considers how different learner groups respond to these mechanisms, ensuring an engaging and effective experience.

Meaningful Gamification Intervention

The selected elements are integrated into the learning system through interaction rules, defining point allocation, progression conditions, and the impact of personalization on the learner experience. The goal is to create a meaningful and motivating gamified environment.

Evaluation & Reflection

The final step involves tracking gamification outcomes, analyzing student behavior, and evaluating the design. By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the effectiveness of personalization is assessed, and improvements are defined for future iterations.

PeGaM in practice

01

Personalization Criteria

The goal of this step was to identify each student’s individual learning style, serving as the foundation for creating a personalized gamification approach. The personalization process involved the following steps:

  1. Students first logged into the Moodle LMS platform to access the JavaScript course.
  2. Each student was required to complete the ILS questionnaire, integrated through a specially developed ILSA plugin. This plugin automatically analyzed students’ responses and identified their dominant learning styles based on the Felder-Silverman model.
  3. The collected learning style data was then used to define personalized gamification strategies. For the JavaScript course, the focus was particularly placed on the active and reflective learning dimensions, ensuring that the selected gamification elements effectively enhance engagement and motivation for both learning types.
02

Purpose of Gamification

The goal of this step was to define clear objectives for the application of gamification, based on the previously identified needs of the course and students. The process of defining objectives included the following activities:

Together with the course professor, I analyzed the existing challenges of the JavaScript course and identified the key areas where it was necessary to improve the student experience. Through discussion and analysis, we recognized that the key areas we wanted to improve through the application of gamification were:

  • Academic Participation – increasing student activity in the online course by encouraging regular engagement and interaction with materials and assignments.
  • Student Engagement – improving overall student engagement (cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and general) to increase motivation and satisfaction with learning.
  • Gameful Experience – creating a positive user experience.
03

Game Elements Selection

Selection of Gamification Elements

In this phase, I first analyzed game elements commonly used to enhance engagement, academic participation, and user experience. Then, I mapped these elements to the specific needs of active and reflective students, selecting those most suitable for each group.

For the JavaScript course, the following elements were chosen:

  • XP points, badges, and levels – ideal for active students, as they provide visible progress and a sense of achievement.
  • Coins and puzzle pieces – suited for reflective students, supporting gradual exploration and rewarding consistency.
  • Getaway cards and extended test time – additional incentives for all students, offering clear, goal-oriented rewards.

The final selection was aligned with the technical possibilities of Moodle LMS and the project’s time and resource constraints, ensuring smooth implementation.

04

Meaningful Gamified Intervention

Gamification was implemented through several  aspects:

Programming Challenges via Moodle Workshop

  • Tasks were integrated using the Moodle Workshop activity, where students completed coding challenges.
  • Upon submission, students received badges or puzzle pieces as rewards.
  • The reward system was achievement-based – specific actions unlocked additional benefits.
  • A peer review system was included: after submitting their solution, students assessed their peers’ work, promoting collaboration and reflection.

Reward System and Benefits

  • Students earned XP points and coins for each completed task, which could be used to extend test time.
  • By collecting badges or puzzle pieces, students could unlock a getaway card, allowing them to skip one test.
  • At any moment, students could view their progress on the Leaderboard, showing total XP, badges, and level status.

Trading System (Coins and Puzzle Pieces)

  • Students had the option to trade coins and puzzle pieces with peers.
  • This system enabled strategic collaboration, allowing students to exchange rewards and unlock benefits faster.
  • A sidebar wallet displayed the current number of tradable items.


This approach to gamification not only rewarded individual achievements, but also stimulated group work, collaboration, and shared problem-solving. Reflective students—who are typically less inclined to engage actively—were especially encouraged to participate in practical tasks and peer interaction. As a result, gamification supported higher motivation and improved learning outcomes across the cohort.

05

Evaluation & Reflection

To assess the effect of gamification on student engagement and learning, data was collected from multiple sources and analyzed using different engagement metrics.

  • ILSA System – Analysis of Student Types
    • We used the ILSA system to gather data on students’ learning styles.
    • The data was used to analyze whether reflective students showed increased activity when exposed to gamified elements.
  • IGAT System – Interaction with Gamification
    • We tracked how students interacted with XP points, badges, coins, and the leaderboard through the IGAT system, which recorded all interactions with gamified elements.
    • The goal was to analyze which game elements had the greatest impact on engagement and whether they encouraged sustained activity.
  • Student Surveys – Measuring Cognitive, Emotional, Begavioral and General Engagement
  • Interviews and Focus Groups
    • Focus groups were organized to collect student feedback on their learning experience with gamification.
    • Interviews enabled an in-depth analysis of which aspects of the system were most useful and which could be improved.

Implementation of the PeGaM Model: Key Findings

The implementation of the PeGaM model demonstrated significant positive effects on academic participation and student engagement, while the collected data provided a deeper analysis of the impact of gamification elements on various aspects of learning.

Key Results of Gamification Evaluation:

  • Increased academic participation – On average, students spent more time on the course, completed a greater number of tasks, and accessed learning materials more frequently.
  • Higher engagement in interactive activities – Gamification encouraged participation in forums, peer-assessment tasks, and programming challenges.
  • Positive experience with gamification – Most students perceived the XP system, badges, and levels as motivating mechanisms that encouraged continuous learning.
  • IGAT system analytics revealed frequent interactions with gamification elements, with the progress bar and leaderboard being the most visited sections of the course.
  • Incentives such as getaway cards and extended test time were highly valued, as they provided tangible rewards for student effort and achievement.
  • Mixed reactions to the leaderboard – While some students found it motivating, others avoided it, feeling discouraged if they couldn’t reach the top of the rankings.