Gamifying Learning with AI: A Pathway to 21st-Century Skills

Abstract

This systematic review examines how gamification and artificial intelligence (AI)can converge to foster essential 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration,and critical thinking in education. The review followed the main PRISMA state-ment guidelines, resulting in 175 articles for qualitative content analysis andbibliometric network visualization using VOSviewer. Key findings emerged: 1)Priority skills included creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical think-ing. 2) Gamification enhances motivation, engagement, and skill acquisition viagame elements. 3) AI personalizes learning experiences, provides feedback, andadapts gamified content. 4) Social interactions in virtual gamified environmentspromote collaboration. Gamification taps into motivational aspects of games,while AI enables personalized, adaptive learning experiences. Together, theyoffer innovative strategies for transforming education into an engaging, perso-nalized process for developing vital competencies. This review provides valuableinsights for teachers, instructional designers, and policymakers seeking to pre-pare students for future challenges through leveraging gamification and AI infostering 21st-century skills.