Pilot project points to gamification improving student engagement in technical modules
The STADIO School of Commerce has successfully completed a nationwide pilot of Kahoot!, a gamified learning tool commerce educators hope can help transform the way students engage with technical modules. The initiative, launched in the first semester of 2025, formed part of the school’s broader strategy to embed innovation, AI, and digital fluency into its curriculum.
According to Kurt Naicker, Acting Academic Manager for the School of Commerce, the pilot was deployed across all STADIO campuses and levels, from first year to third year, and was aimed at enhancing content delivery, sparking critical thinking, and helping to prepare students for a world increasingly shaped by the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR).
“We wanted to expose our students to world-class gamification and AI-embedded tools that could serve as a catalyst in their learning journey,” says Naicker. “By integrating Kahoot! into commerce tutorials and lectures, we created an interactive and responsive environment where students could test their knowledge in real-time, receive instant feedback, and sharpen their conceptual understanding.”
Designed around weekly learning outcomes, the Kahoot! quizzes served as informal formative assessments, offering lecturers immediate insights into student comprehension and allowing them to adjust content delivery accordingly.
Encouraging feedback
Although Naicker says formal analysis is still underway, observational feedback and student reflections point to significantly increased engagement levels. “We noticed a tangible shift in energy – even typically quiet students became animated and eager to participate. Many students reported feeling more comfortable testing their knowledge in a low-stakes, game-based environment, which encouraged them to actively participate and think critically rather than passively absorb information.”
Crucially, debrief sessions after each quiz turned every question into a teaching moment. “Rather than just revealing the right answer, we unpacked each option together,” explains Naicker. “This helped surface common misconceptions and enabled students to recalibrate their understanding in real time.”
Small incentives, such as Takealot vouchers, were also introduced to reward top performers, which Naicker believes added excitement and motivation without compromising the academic purpose of the activity.
Targeting future-ready graduates
The Kahoot! pilot aligns with STADIO’s commitment to producing “future-ready graduates”. “To thrive in the workplace of tomorrow, graduates must be comfortable operating at the intersection of human and machine intelligence,” says Naicker. “Gamification has been an entry point to that conversation, helping students experience how technology can enhance learning and decision-making. A future-ready graduate is comfortable with ambiguity and change, and who can learn, unlearn, and relearn throughout their career. Through initiatives like this pilot, we’re exploring how to cultivate these mindsets by embedding interactive, adaptive learning experiences that go beyond the passive consumption of information.”
This approach feeds into STADIO’s broader efforts to blend AI and ethical thinking into the accounting and business curriculum. Students are introduced to tools like AI-assisted auditing platforms and cloud-based systems, but also challenged to think critically about algorithmic bias, data privacy, and professional accountability.
Driving change in commerce education
While the pilot marks a promising start, STADIO is proceeding with care. “We’re committed to maintaining academic rigour while embracing innovation,” Naicker notes. “Curriculum changes in technical fields like accounting must meet professional body standards and national benchmarks.”
To that end, STADIO engages regularly with industry stakeholders, alumni, and professional bodies through its External Programme Stakeholder Committee and industry seminars that take place every semester. The next seminar, The Future of Accounting: Career Paths and Articulation Routes, will take place at STADIO Waterfall on 28 May 2025.
Following the success of the Kahoot! pilot, STADIO is now exploring options to scale the programme across additional modules and campuses. “Our students have told us loud and clear that they want more of this,” says Naicker. “We’re listening, and we’re building a framework for sustainable, long-term integration.”
