Engagement, edugame and learning: a systematic literature review

Serious games and other edugames have demonstrated significant potential in fostering the teaching-learning process across educational levels, promoting inclusion and enhancing students' motivation and engagement. These interactive environments serve as effective vicarious teaching tools (Sibilio, 2017, 2023), boosting prosocial skills and collabo- rative problem-solving (Di Tore et al., 2020; Ghanouni et al., 2021). However, as Hookham & Nesbitt (2019) emphasize, understanding the dimensions of engagement—behavioral, affec- tive, and cognitive—is essential to design or select educational video games that ensure active participation. A prior systematic review (1970–2015) identified these engagement dimensions and evaluation methods, including interviews, questionnaires, physiological metrics, and performance data. This study builds on those findings, focusing on contributions published from 2015 to February 2024, considering recent advancements in technology (e.g., virtual, augmented, and mixed reality), methodological developments, new measurement tools, and contextual changes driven by the pandemic. By exploring these updates, the review aims to analyze the evolving interconnections between engagement dimensions (O'Brien & Toms, 2018) and reflect on the implications for integrating these tools into classrooms. The goal is to support teachers in leveraging serious games to enhance learning processes and ensure in- clusion for all students.