Leveraging Gamification to Sustain Student Motivation and Emotional Resilience in Higher Education During Wartime: Case Studies from Ukraine

Abstract

In the conditions of war in Ukraine, the educational process underwent profound transformations, accompanied by a decrease in student motivation and an increase in emotional exhaustion. The relevance of the topic was due to the need to find effective psychological and pedagogical tools to support student engagement in times of crisis. The purpose of the study was to find out the impact of gamification on student motivation; the object was the educational process in higher education institutions during the war. The research methodology was based on a questionnaire, comparative analysis, qualitative interviews, and empirical observation of gamified educational practices in three higher education institutions. The results of the study showed that team gamification, the use of adaptive online platforms, and instant feedback mechanisms were the most effective in wartime. Gamification was shown to increase academic engagement, reduce anxiety, and raise satisfaction with the learning process. Particularly high rates were recorded among psychology and engineering students. Gamified elements, such as virtual rewards, interactive missions, and cooperative tasks, proved to be effective not only in terms of learning but also in providing emotional support. The practical significance of the results lay in the possibility of adapting the cases to other educational contexts and developing strategies to overcome motivational decline during a crisis. The findings could be useful for teachers, educational administrators, and content developers who were looking for innovative solutions in the face of uncertainty.