Gamification, defined as the integration of game elements into non-gaming environments, is a promising approach to increase student engagement, motivation, and performance in Computer Science and Software Engineering education. This viewpoint encouraged the creation of QueryCompetition, a web system that allows students to practice SQL in a competitive environment. Our goal was to obtain empirical evidence on how gamifying elements, such as challenges, points, and leaderboards, integrated into QueryCompetition, affect student performance, motivation, and user experience. We carried out a quasi-experimental study with two groups in a Database course. One group used a gamified version of QueryCompetition having access to points and leaderboards, while the other used a non-gamified version with no access to the above mentioned elements. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through tests and a survey. The results showed that there was a statistically significant improvement in student performance in the gamified group as compared to the non-gamified group. In addition, a higher motivation was observed in the gamified group. The empirical evidence presented in this article supports the claim that inclusion of challenges, points, and leaderboards, together with the competitive nature of QueryCompetition, impacts positively on student performance and motivation to practice SQL.

中文翻译：

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游戏化和 SQL

游戏化，定义为将游戏元素集成到非游戏环境中，是一种很有前途的方法，可以提高计算机科学和软件工程教育中的学生参与度、积极性和表现。这种观点鼓励了 QueryCompetition 的创建，这是一个允许学生在竞争环境中练习 SQL 的网络系统。我们的目标是获得经验证据，证明挑战、积分和排行榜等游戏化元素如何集成到 QueryCompetition 中，从而影响学生的表现、动机和用户体验。我们在数据库课程中对两组进行了准实验研究。一组使用 QueryCompetition 的游戏化版本，可以访问积分和排行榜，而另一组使用非游戏化版本，无法访问上述元素。通过测试和调查收集了定量和定性数据。结果表明，与非游戏化组相比，游戏化组的学生表现有统计学意义的改善。此外，在游戏化组中观察到更高的动机。本文中提供的经验证据支持这样的说法，即包含挑战、积分和排行榜，以及 QueryCompetition 的竞争性质，对学生的表现和练习 SQL 的动机产生积极影响。