2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This Complete Evidence-Based Practice paper explores the implementation of the Fantasy Mechanics League (FML) in a first-year Engineering Mechanics course with 1,400 students (300 per lecture hall). FML is a gamified system that rewards active participation in class activities—such as answering questions, spotting mistakes, and completing bonus challenges—to tackle the common challenge of disengagement in large lecture settings. To ensure inclusivity, a flexible platform allows students to interact at their own pace, removing barriers related to public speaking. Additionally, student-led demonstrations (e.g., acting as the professor) foster deeper involvement. Points are tallied throughout the semester; top-ranked students receive structural model kits and handcrafted keepsakes, thereby sustaining motivation.
A mixed-methods approach was employed to evaluate FML’s effectiveness in enhancing student engagement, performance, and motivation. Quantitative data indicated that class participation rose from a historically low 3.5% to approximately 27.4% over the semester. Student feedback collected via surveys indicated that 85% of respondents felt FML improved their engagement and understanding. Additionally, an analysis of grade distributions suggests that students in FML-implemented semester achieve higher overall performance compared to previous cohorts. Institutional course evaluations further support these findings, demonstrating increased student satisfaction with course delivery and class climate after FML implementation. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.31) between total FML points and final course grades supports the notion that active participation can boost academic outcomes. By transforming traditional lecture interactions into a competitive yet collaborative framework, FML demonstrates the potential for gamified learning to enrich student experiences in large engineering classrooms. This paper contributes to the growing research on gamification in engineering education and offers insights for practical implementation in large-scale STEM courses.
Keywords: Gamification, Student Engagement, Large Classes, Engineering Mechanics, Active Learning, Classroom Participation, Inclusive Learning, Gamified Learning Strategies, Educational Innovation in STEM.