Gamification in International Supply Chain Management: Impact on Students’ Engagement and Performance

This study evaluates the effect of gamification on the engagement and performance of first-year students in the International Supply Chain Management course at a University of Applied Sciences. Several students were exposed to the pilot of The Fresh Connection compact, a simulation game which was implemented between May to June 2025. Based on 350 observations, students are categorized as control group (without exposure to game, n = 217) and treatment group (with exposure to game, n = 133). These groups were further divided based on individual’s final grade: pass (grade ≥ 5.5) or fail (grade ˂5.5). The dataset is supplemented by a survey of students that played the game. Results show significant difference between students who participate in the game and took both exams (78%) versus 44% of students who do not participate in the game (p-value = 9.39e−10), as well as between students’ participation in the game and their exam performance (p-value = 7.17e−13). Overall, the survey shows significant satisfaction of students in using TFC game (71%), although some students would like to see tighter integration of the game in course assessment. Learnings from this pilot will be used to improve student engagement and passing rate.