Franz Coelho

Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde, Faculty Member

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Papers by Franz Coelho

The impact of educational gamification on cognition, emotions, and motivation: A randomized controlled trial

by Franz Coelho, Daniel Gonçalves, and Ana Maria Abreu

Journal of Computers in Education, 2025

This study examines the impact of gamification on education using a novel gamified digital learni... more This study examines the impact of gamification on education using a novel gamified digital learning platform and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocol. Following established research guidelines (CONSORT, Cochrane Collaboration, EVAT©), we assessed the individual and combined effects of points, badges, and challenges against a control group without gamification. The RCT evaluated participant characteristics (sociodemographics, game habits, player traits) and outcomes in cognition (learning, engagement, webcam-based eye-tracking for visual attention, cognitive load), emotions (affective states, webcam-based facial emotion recognition), and motivation (intrinsic motivation). Results showed significantly higher learning for participants using all game elements versus the control group, while badges alone increased cognitive load compared to the other gamification groups. These findings suggest that gamification is more effective when thoughtfully integrating game elements rather than applying elements in isolation, aligning goal-setting with feedback, and combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivational cues. The absence of significant results in other variables may reflect the novelty effect, emphasizing the importance of aligning gamification with pedagogical goals, considering individual and contextual factors, and designing systems that address usability and long-term impact. Educational implications and design recommendations are provided.

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A Comparative Study of Short-Term Social Media Use with Face-to-Face Interaction in Adolescence

by Franz Coelho, Belén Rando, and Ana Maria Abreu

Children, 2025

Background/Objectives: Previous research suggests that social media use can have immediate cognit... more Background/Objectives: Previous research suggests that social media use can have immediate cognitive effects, raising concerns about its impact on adolescent cognition. This study aimed to examine the short-term cognitive effects of acute social media exposure and screen time habits by comparing cognitive performance in adolescents (13-15 years old) following 30 min of social media interaction versus face-to-face conversation, according to their screen time habits (more or less time spent in front of a screen). Methods: A total of 66 participants were divided into four groups: a social media group who used to spend less than 540 min per week in front of a screen (n = 19, a social media group with a habit of more than 540 min per week of screen time (n = 14), a face-to-face conversation group with a habit of less screen time per week (n = 15), and a face-to-face conversation group who used to spend more time per week in front of a screen (n = 18). Cognitive performance was assessed through attention (D2 Test), working memory (Corsi Blocks), abstract reasoning (Abstract Reasoning Test Battery), and inhibitory control (Go/No-Go Task). Additionally, mental effort was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale. Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, no significant differences emerged between groups in any cognitive domain or mental effort, with interaction modality and screen time showing no impact on response variables. Also, we found no significant interaction effect between factors. This suggests that a single 30-min session of social media use does not immediately impair cognition, nor does face-to-face interaction enhance it, despite screen time spent per week (when it varies from 135 to 540 min and from more than 540 to 1320 min). Conclusions: The absence of cognitive effects may be explained by excessive screen time as a key factor in cognitive impact and by the cultural integration of social media, creating a "ceiling effect" that minimizes the impact of short-term exposure and resembles addictive behavior. These findings emphasize the importance of a holistic approach involving families, schools, and governments to address both acute and cumulative social media use in adolescents.

format_quoteNo significant cognitive differences observed between social media and face-to-face interaction groups, suggesting brief social media use doesn't impair cognition.format_quote

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The impact of game-based interventions on adult cognition: A systematic review

This 10-year systematic review examines the impact of game-based interventions (GBI) on adult cog... more This 10-year systematic review examines the impact of game-based interventions (GBI) on adult cognition, covering game-based learning and training, serious games, gamification, and exergames. The research followed PRISMA guidelines and Cochrane recommendations for bias assessment. We reviewed 1,398 articles and selected 42 studies (26 randomized trials, 16 non-randomized). Our findings highlight the influence of contextual factors on GBI, such as culture and individual traits. We emphasize the predominance of digital over analog applications, reflecting GBI’s connection to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This review underscores GBI’s interdisciplinary nature and the need for high-quality research standards. We examined 23 outcome categories and found positive effects in areas like Satisfaction, Flow, Learning, Motivation, and Perception, though with varying bias risks. On average, GBI designs incorporated nine game elements. Most interventions used Puzzle and Simulation genres, were single-player, 2D, and computer-based. Innovations in neurophysiological tools, movement monitoring, and virtual reality offer promising HCI research avenues.

Systemic Gamification Theory (SGT): A Holistic Model for Inclusive Gamified Digital Learning

by Franz Coelho and Ana Maria Abreu

Gamification has emerged as a powerful strategy in digital education, enhancing engagement, motiv... more Gamification has emerged as a powerful strategy in digital education, enhancing engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes. However, most research lacks theoretical grounding and often applies multiple and uncontextualized game elements, limiting its impact and replicability. To address these gaps, this study introduces a Systemic Gamification Theory (SGT)-a comprehensive, human-centered model for designing and evaluating inclusive and effective gamified educational environments. Sustained in Education, Human-Computer Interaction, and Psychology, SGT is structured around four core principles, emphasizing the importance of integrating game elements (1-Integration) into cohesive systems that generate emergent outcomes (2-Emergence) aligned synergistically (3-Synergy) with contextual needs (4-Context). The theory supports inclusivity by accounting for individual traits, situational dynamics, spatial settings, and cultural diversity. To operationalize SGT, we developed two tools: i. a set of 10 Heuristics to guide and analyze effective and inclusive gamification; and ii. a Framework for designing and evaluating gamified systems, as well as comparing research methods and outcomes across different contexts. These tools demonstrated how SGT enables robust, adaptive, and equitable gamified learning experiences. By advancing theoretical and practical development, SGT fosters a transformative approach to gamification, enriching multimedia learning through thoughtful system design and reflective evaluation practices.

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Game On: A Pilot Study of a Gamified Digital Learning Platform and Protocol

by Ana Maria Abreu and Franz Coelho

Proceedings of the ICDTE 2024 , 2024

Gamification use in educational contexts impacts learning performance, engagement, motivation, co... more Gamification use in educational contexts impacts learning performance, engagement, motivation, cognition, and emotions. However, limited theoretical support, heterogeneous results, and lack of objective measures or validated questionnaires hinder gamification research. Via descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis, this pilot study aimed to assess the usability and functionality of the gamified digital learning platform, validate the study protocol through platform usage, gauge the presence of promising evidence regarding its effectiveness, and gain insights into hypotheses. A digital course was nested within different versions of a gamified digital learning platform with embedded game elements alongside a version without game elements. Eight students completed the course (6 participated in the embedded versions and 2 participated in the version without game elements), watching video lectures and doing exercises, while we measured affective states, motivation, user experience, and feedback through questionnaires. Furthermore, we assessed learning performance by analyzing the exercises and gathered webcam-based eye-tracking and facial emotion recognition data to gauge student attention and emotional states. Participants adeptly executed the established protocol, and the gamified digital learning platform (coupled with both webcam applications for eye-tracking and facial emotion recognition) functioned properly, capturing all requisite data. Due to the small sample size and limited statistical power in this pilot study, the other results across all measurements were further discussed to derive insights, formulate hypotheses, and identify potential enhancements for the forthcoming randomized control trial, which will involve a larger sample size. Our results will allow us to refine the experimental design to further evaluate the influence of gamification in a digital learning setting and thoroughly investigate, via scientific inquiry, how it can significantly enrich the field of education. Moreover, the platform’s potential for controlled experimental research augments
its usefulness for diverse other studies, delving into the impact of
game elements on educational outcomes.

The Corporate (Magic) Circle: Fun Work or Controlled Play?

TechTrends, Sep 16, 2022

Entertainment games have traditionally been articulated as leisure. However, they have also been ... more Entertainment games have traditionally been articulated as leisure. However, they have also been used in the work context, in the form of serious games or gamification. In this qualitative research, we aimed to investigate the purpose of games used in the work context. To accomplish this, we conducted six semi-structured interviews and analyzed the discourses of the heads of the companies that produce serious games or gamification projects for work environments. Based on these statements, we assessed the views of the work context, the workers, and the projects the companies produce. We found that games have acquired different purposes, such as employee control to increase organizational results or enhance workers’ happiness and wellbeing. Although these purposes seemed to stand out in all the analyzed speeches, several other different purposes emerged, according to the conditions of entry into the market and the type of projects produced.

Telework and Mental Health during COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

COVID-19 has come to change societal organization. Due to lockdowns, work typologies have been re... more COVID-19 has come to change societal organization. Due to lockdowns, work typologies have been rethought and telework has gained strength. However, the impact of the constant use of information and communication technologies on the mental health of workers needs to be considered. We aimed to investigate the impact of different work conditions on mental health, to which end we disseminated an online questionnaire during lockdowns to assess imagined surveillance, mobile maintenance expectation, communication overload, feelings of entrapment, depression, anxiety, stress, and flourishing in four groups (employed in telework, employed on-site, employed in layoff, and unemployed). We computed mean comparisons and serial mediations. We show that depression and anxiety were more prevalent in women; parents flourished more than people without children; and people with a higher level of education feel more entrapment. Crucially, we show that telework was associated with imagined surveillance ...

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The Corporate (Magic) Circle: Fun Work or Controlled Play?

TechTrends

A autonomização do jogo e o fenômeno do gamification na contemporaneidade: do lazer ao trabalho

O objetivo deste estudo e analisar os jogos e o recente fenomeno do gamification, tomando como re... more O objetivo deste estudo e analisar os jogos e o recente fenomeno do gamification, tomando como referencia o ambiente do trabalho. Parto da hipotese de que os jogos, antes estreitamente vinculados a esfera do lazer, dela se autonomizaram e passaram a constituir um campo proprio de conhecimento voltado a producao de disposicoes e habilidades especificas nos individuos em varios contextos sociais, entre os quais esta o do trabalho. A pesquisa concentrou-se em analisar especificamente as empresas responsaveis pelo planejamento e desenvolvimento de jogos voltados ao ambiente de trabalho e, com base nos depoimentos delas, compreender como entendem o mundo do trabalho, o trabalhador e as habilidades que consideram ser concebidas por meio dos jogos que produzem

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