Aug 2026· Proceedings of the 2026 International Conference on Game Jams Hackathons and Game Creation Events· pp. 14-22· 0 citations· 36 references
TL;DR
A repeated cross-sectional, survey-based study comparing data from two years of Global Game Jam participants at a Dalhousie University site, examining the development of AI integration through the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT).
Abstract
Game jams are intense, collaborative learning environments where rapid skill acquisition occurs. The introduction of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has challenged traditional notions of creative ownership and learning struggle. This research offers a repeated cross-sectional, survey-based study comparing data from two years of Global Game Jam (GGJ) participants at a Dalhousie University site (N = 112, 2025; N = 67, 2026), examining the development of AI integration through the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Reflexive thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and non-parametric group comparisons are used to compare participants’ perceptions of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. In 2025, AI use was distributed broadly across coding and ideation; by 2026 it had concentrated in troubleshooting and debugging. Our data suggest an ownership paradox, where AI appears to improve technical self-efficacy while potentially reducing the productive difficulty associated with creative ownership and the desirable difficulties required for deep learning. Recommendations are offered on how game jam organizers can design events around AI presence to preserve the educational value of the creative struggle.
Game jams have increasingly attracted academic and professional interest due to their ability to combine creativity, technical development, and collaborative problem-solving within highly constrained environments. This paper adopts a longitudinal comparative perspective to analyze the evolution of the A&B Game Jam, an community engagement initiative organized by the Computer Science Tutorial Education Program (PETComp) at the West Paraná State University (UNIOESTE) between 2019 and 2025. The study examines organizational transformations, dissemination strategies, participant engagement, and educational and social impacts across nine editions of the event. The analysis demonstrates how the initiative evolved from a fully in-person event to online and hybrid formats during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and later, consolidated as a hybrid event to improved accessibility and participant retention. The results indicate a predominance of young participants, a strong presence of members from the external community, and the effectiveness of institutional dissemination and organic spread promotion strategies. Furthermore, the initiative contributed to the development of technical and interpersonal skills, including programming, design, communication, teamwork, and agile project management. These findings reinforce the relevance of game jams as sustainable educational and engagement activities capable of strengthening university-community relationships, fostering collaborative learning, and promoting regional technological innovation.
G. Galante, Thalita Wiederkehr Pereira, Fábio Kenji Sato et al.· Proceedings of the 2026 Inte...· 0 citations
This study evaluates the feasibility of integrating Gemini AI to counteract declining student motivation driven by conventional teaching methodologies at Pamulang University, South Tangerang. Utilizing an integrated SWOT and TELOS (Technical, Economic, Legal, Operational, and Schedule) framework, the research analyzes empirical survey data from Information Systems students. The findings reveal that 97.6% of respondents belong to Generation Z, a demographic natively receptive to digital tools. Furthermore, 78.6% had independently adopted Gemini AI for academic purposes prior to institutional intervention, while 87.8% agree that diverse digital materials significantly enhance classroom interaction. The SWOT analysis highlights critical internal strengths, including heightened motivation and broader knowledge access, alongside interactive learning environments. Conversely, a severe internal weakness is the university's infrastructure, with 54.8% of students reporting unstable internet connectivity. While high independent adoption presents a strong external opportunity, the primary external threat stems from an overreliance on AI that could compromise critical thinking and analytical problem-solving skills. From a TELOS perspective, implementing Gemini AI is both economically and legally viable, aligning with Indonesian frameworks such as the Ministry of Communication Circular No. 9/2023 and Law No. 27/2022 on Personal Data Protection. Nevertheless, the institution's technical readiness falls below the required threshold and demands substantial enhancement. To ensure a responsible transition to AI-assisted education, this study recommends a phased strategy: upgrading IT infrastructure, providing regular AI literacy training for educators, and establishing structured faculty supervision protocols to mitigate student dependency.
Raihand Ramadhani Abdul Sayeed, Emi Sita Eriana, Afrizal Zein· bit-Tech· 0 citations
This systematic literature review examines how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-enhanced game-based learning (GBL) influences analytical skill development and educational innovation. The review synthesizes 32 peerreviewed studies published between 2024 and 2026 to identify emerging patterns in the use of GenAI within digital learning environments. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, the studies were analyzed across four thematic dimensions: design configurations of GenAI integration, empirical evidence of analytical and higher-order cognitive outcomes, mechanisms and moderators explaining observed effects and adoption, ethics and sustainability conditions. Among the included studies, 12 reported designtraceable AIGC–GBL configurations, of which 4 (33.3%) involved immersive or contextually immersive implementations. The findings show that GenAI most often functions as adaptive cognitive scaffolding embedded within iterative game mechanics rather than as a standalone content generator. Within the reviewed evidence, metaanalytic studies reported a moderately large positive effect on computational thinking (g = 0.75) and a large positive association with cognition-related outcomes (r = 0.53), while individual empirical studies generally indicated improvements in analytical or higher-order cognitive performance. The synthesis further identifies iterative feedback, calibrated cognitive load, dialogic scaffolding and sustained engagement as key mechanisms supporting analytical transfer. However, long-term sustainability is influenced by governance conditions, including academic integrity safeguards, algorithmic transparency, equity of access and institutional policy alignment. Overall, the review suggests that GenAI-enhanced GBL can foster transferable analytical competence when AI is used as a reflective scaffold within coherent pedagogical designs supported by metacognitive prompting and clear governance frameworks
B. Laksono, B. Bachri, Andi Mariono· International Research Journ...· 0 citations
This article examines the relationship between undergraduate students’ choice of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and the cognitive operations mobilized in scientific research, drawing on Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory and the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development. It is based on an exploratory diagnostic study, with a mixed-methods approach, conducted with 166 undergraduate students at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, through a questionnaire with closed questions and open fields, treated by descriptive statistics and qualitative reading. The results indicate intensive use of AI — 72.3% of respondents use these tools weekly or daily — yet concentrated in general-purpose generative systems: among those who use AI in any research phase, 95.6% rely exclusively on generative or language-revision systems, with residual presence (2.4%) of AI-layered scientific databases. The open questions reveal concerns about reliability, plagiarism, impoverishment of one’s own learning, and the lack of institutional guidelines. The mismatch between intensity of use and functional adequacy of the tool is discussed as evidence of an unmediated zone of development, in which students build inadequate scaffolds on their own. The article concludes that AI should be understood as a mediating instrument, not as a more capable peer — a role that remains reserved for the teacher, who must mediate the very choice of the tool. An analytical mediation matrix is proposed to guide this teaching practice.
Heloísa Portugal, Carolina Ellwanger· Revista de Estudos Interdisc...· 0 citations
The integration of Generative AI (GenAI) into non-STEM education introduces cognitive demands that challenge static interpretations of technology acceptance. Evidence on GenAI acceptance is drawn largely from cross-sectional designs applied to general-purpose academic tasks and for computing students who already hold prior technical knowledge, leaving unresolved how acceptance perceptions evolve when non-technical students confront sustained high-load programming work. To address this gap, a pre-test/post-test randomized field experiment with repeated measures was conducted with 117 Chilean Accounting and Auditing undergraduates assigned to a control group (instructional videos; n = 57) or an experimental group (Google Gemini 1.5; n = 60). Participants completed Java programming exercises that increased in cognitive complexity, ranging from basic conditionals to vector operations. The study did not assess objective learning outcomes; instead, it tracked changes in user perceptions through a hybrid motivational framework integrating Perceived Ease of Use and Behavioral Intention with Perceived Enjoyment and Value/Usefulness. Baseline results showed lower initial Perceived Ease of Use in the GenAI group, consistent with initial cognitive friction. Post-intervention analyses indicated that the control group showed a significant increase only in Behavioral Intention, whereas the experimental group showed statistically significant within-group gains across all measured dimensions. These findings suggest that, for non-STEM students, the perceived ease and value of GenAI are not necessarily immediate but may develop through sustained interaction with cognitively demanding tasks. The study contributes to technology acceptance research by framing ease of use as an acquired proficiency in high-friction GenAI learning environments.
R. Mellado, C. Cubillos, Silvana Roncagliolo· Behavioral Science· 0 citations
The findings indicate that students integrate AI tools primarily as complementary learning aids rather than replacements for traditional materials, and highlights the growing importance of evaluating not only usage frequency but also perceived reliability and pedagogical value.
M. Altin, Kirsten Jager, Silke Jütte et al.· IU Discussion Papers Busines...· 0 citations
A new method, called CW-Net, translates the reasoning process of an autonomous vehicle’s AI system into understandable concepts that explain its behavior.