DOI: 10.21950/knekwj
title: The Educational Impact of a Comprehensive Serious Game within the University Setting
title: Improving Learning and Fostering Motivation
title: Impacto de los Juegos Serios en la Motivación para el Aprendizaje y el Rendimiento Académico en Estudiantes Universitarios

description: The dataset includes survey responses, academic performance records, and engagement metrics collected from 575 university students enrolled in a spreadsheet course. Data is categorized into control and experimental groups, with further division into subgroups based on the type of serious game used. The dataset is designed to provide comprehensive insights into how serious games affect student outcomes in an educational setting.
description: SPSS
description: Microsoft Excel
description: Description of the project:

The integration of technology in higher education has transformed teaching, making students active participants in their learning. Faced with the limitations of conventional methods, there is a push to integrate technological and creative methods adapted to current demands.

Proficiency in word processing and spreadsheets is crucial in university education, especially in social sciences and law, where the lack of specialized technical training affects academic performance. This study analyzes the impact of incorporating serious games with technological tools and active teaching methods on students' motivation, engagement, and academic performance.

The research study suggests using active serious game approaches for learning spreadsheets. Two dynamic group games were designed: one with a closed structure and one in which students actively contribute to the creation of the game. A classroom experiment was conducted with a pre-post design, two experimental groups, and a control group.

The control group used lectures and practical work, while the two experimental groups used two different types of games. A total of 575 students participated in the study, and their academic performance, motivation levels, and engagement were assessed using an SIMS questionnaire.

There were three main findings from the study. First, students who used serious games showed a significant improvement in their learning outcomes compared to the control group that used traditional methodology. Moreover, students who used serious games and had the opportunity to co-design certain aspects of the games showed a higher level of learning improvement. Secondly, at a motivational level, there was a difference in the external regulation motivation of the students when they used various serious games, considering their gender and academic year. Thirdly, the level of students’ engagement dramatically increased among those who used serious games compared to those who used a traditional teaching method.
4. Description of the dataset
The dataset includes survey responses, academic performance records, and engagement metrics collected from 575 university students enrolled in a spreadsheet course. Data is categorized into control and experimental groups, with further division into subgroups based on the type of serious game used. The dataset is designed to provide comprehensive insights into how serious games affect student outcomes in an educational setting.

The data has been anonymized to protect the privacy of the participants.
Ethical approval was obtained from the University's Ethics Committee.
The dataset includes both pre- and post-intervention data to assess changes over time.