Gamifying worked examples in software engineering: effects on engagement and workload in testing and refactoring education

Background and Context: Teaching Software Engineering (SE) requires combining theory with practice. Worked examples from Open Source Software (OSS) projects connect SE education with real-world practice by offering accessible scenarios that reduce cognitive load and reflect industry standards. Yet, their effectiveness depends on student engagement, for which gamification is a promising strategy. This study was conducted in Brazil, providing insights into gamified worked examples in this context. Objective: This study examines how gamifying OSS-based worked examples affects SE students’ learning, focusing on whether it increases situational cognitive engagement–defined as task-specific cognitive involvement–thus improving understanding of complex content. We evaluated a custom-built gamified prototype designed around OSS-derived worked examples and explored potential effects across different learner profiles. Method: We conducted an experiment comparing gamified and non-gamified versions with SE students. A quantitative analysis assessed engagement and perceived workload, including stratified analyses by prior knowledge and player profile. Findings: The results show a modest but statistically significant difference, with slightly higher engagement in the non-gamified condition. However, the gamified approach benefited specific groups of students, such as novices and certain player profiles. Gamified examples also reduced workload, particularly among novice students. Implications: Gamification can support SE learning by enhancing engagement and lowering workload, especially for new students. Differentiated effects highlight the need for tailoring interventions to learner characteristics. The platform shows potential for expansion with adaptive difficulty, feedback, and collaborative features.