Digital Game-Based Learning’s (DGBL) Effect on Students’ Academic Performance

The most common computer activity at home for children and adolescents is playing computer games ( Harris, 2002 ). Digital games have a significant impact on young people’s lives by generating a strong sense of excitement and connection ( Kirriemuir and McFarlane, 2004 ). A vast selection of games and instructional apps are continuously being updated on the mobile market. As a result, youth encounter a multitude of educational programs that provide various approaches to comprehension, instruction, and the integration of information, science, math, and artistic creativity ( Liao et al., 2019 ). Statistics on the global game-based learning industry income show that this market has expanded from 3.5 billion USD in 2018 to 24 billion USD in 2024 ( Clement, 2021 ). This market is anticipated to develop at an exponential rate during the next years. At a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 27%, it will reach nearly $55 billion in 2029 ( Thebusinessresearchcompany, 2025 ).

Students’ social conduct and academic performance have been found to be impacted by digital gaming ( Rahayu, 2021 ). According to the National School Boards Association (NSBA), students who join esports programs have better attendance (+10%) and grades than their peers who do not participate in esports ( Intenta.digital, 2021 ). From a theoretical standpoint, there are a number of benefits to using games for education. First of all, games can offer problem-based, active, and multisensory learning. Gamers may engage with wider communities in game worlds and receive responses instantly. Last but not least,

• ^*Corresponding author: radoslav@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

  
  
  

  © 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).

Digital educational games are computer programs that mimic real-world situations to provide an engaging learning environment ( Kapp, 2014 ). The “stimulus-response” theory, another name for behaviorist theory, is used in digital educational games. These games gradually provide clues from simple to complicated, offering students a variety of learning opportunities at varying levels of difficulty. Scores that serve as feedback encourage students to meet the instructor’s expected response by acting as a stimulant ( Fokides, 2018 ). Digital games are advantageous due to their multimodal nature, variety in terms of the authentic environments and experiences they can replicate, autonomy, feedback and reward systems, scaling of difficulty and progression, chances for experimentation, and alignment with constructivist learning theories ( Yu et al., 2021 ). Digital games and educational content are combined in digital game-based learning (DGBL) to pique students’ attention and give them the chance to improve the efficacy of their learning. Students consequently have a favorable lifelong perspective on education and information ( Cheng et al., 2013 ). Digital games can assist in molding students’ emotions and behaviors by positively impacting their perceptions of control and benefit, as well as their affective and behavioral components. Actually, the goal is to entertain the students and encourage both behavioral and emotional engagement in the activities ( Sarıgöz et al., 2018 ). Furthermore, games may improve students’ capacity for problem-solving and analysis as well as their social abilities ( Kirikkaya et al., 2010 ).

Although different scholars may have different definitions of DGBL, most of them concur that it offers a motivating learning environment to improve student performance by utilizing the benefits of digital games ( Byun and Joung, 2018 ). Numerous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of DGBL on a wide range of student learning outcomes, including information acquisition, cognitive and perceptual abilities, affective and motivational outcomes, and behavior modification outcomes ( Hussein et al., 2022 ). According to a study by Li et al., students who played educational digital games showed greater motivation to learn. Therefore, these games can be viewed as “stimuli” that have the potential to enhance students’ motivation for learning ( Li et al., 2024 ). A major move toward more effective, individualized, and interesting learning experiences is represented by the incorporation of 3D games, virtual worlds, and cutting-edge AI into the classroom. Teachers can construct immersive learning environments that catch students’ attention and promote a deeper comprehension of difficult subjects by strategically organizing instructional content around potent gaming dynamics and utilizing the most recent technological breakthroughs ( Axon Park, 2024 ). With technology playing a key part in changing students’ learning, the future of DGBL is becoming increasingly fascinating. AI-driven personalization is one of the most exciting developments. In this approach, learning is dynamically tailored to each student’s performance and learning preferences, making learning more interesting and enhancing retention as it goes ( Paradisosolutions, 2025 ).

The consistent and repetitive use of the Internet to play games with other players on a regular basis is known as digital game addiction, and it can have detrimental effects on many facets of life. Since gaming is now easily accessible on a wide range of devices thanks to recent technology advancements, digital game addiction has grown in frequency and severity as a major public health concern (Mohammad et al., 2023). Mental tension, poor academic performance, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, a decline in sociability and self-efficacy, and a drop in life satisfaction are all consequences of gaming. The negative effects of excessive gaming extend to a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health (Mardian and Hastono, 2019). Due to students’ neglect of healthy food and sleeping patterns, digital gaming addiction has had a negative impact on their health. When students spend too much time playing online games, they become distracted and may engage in harmful behaviors like gambling, stealing, threatening others, or even considering suicide (Hanafie and Makassar, 2022). The usage of digital education-based games in communities and schools has grown in popularity in recent years; however, this has also caused families to worry about the creation of uncertainties over the detrimental effects of these games on youth (Konok et al., 2021). Notwithstanding all of the benefits, some experts think that educational games may worsen motor skills, develop addiction, and raise hostility. To better understand how and what factors influence children’s use of digital games, the majority of researchers have called for additional research (Lazarinis et al., 2020).