Effect of New Technologies with Gamification Elements for Enhancing Employability Skills on Engineering Graduates' Perceived Performance

Abstract

Gamification has the potential to play a pivotal role in fostering the employability skills of engineering graduates. Although prior research suggests it may be instrumental in enhancing the skills of engineers, no in- depth empirical study has investigated the effect of new technologies with gamified elements/ gamified training on for enhancing employability skills among engineering graduates and their perceived performance, particularly in developing countries such as India. The current paper proposes to study the effect of gamified training for enhancing Communication skills, Adaptability and flexibility, Interpersonal skills, Teamwork and relatedness, Competitiveness, Need for Achievement, Creativity, and Problem-solving skills on Self-Perceived Performance. Using data from 289 participants, the present study examines the relationships between the effect of gamified training for enhancing each of these skills and engineering graduates' self-perceived performance. To test the hypotheses formulated, a structured online questionnaire comprising of 30 items, based on prior studies was used, which quantified the effect of gamified training on skills and perceived performance. Data was analysed using SPSS v26. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's Alpha, and Multiple Linear Regression analysis were used. The gamified training for enhancing communication skills, Teamwork and relatedness, Competitiveness, Need for Achievement, Creativity, and Problem-solving skills contributed significantly to the prediction of the self-perceived performance of the engineering graduates, indicating the affirmative role of new technology with gamification features. However, the results indicated that gamified training had no statistically significant effect on enhancing interpersonal skills, adaptability and flexibility on the self-perceived performance of the engineering graduates. Implications of the findings were discussed.