Gamifying Employability: How Level Up Transformed Student Engagement at QMUL

Screenshot of a “Level Up” leaderboard showing participants ranked by XP points, with levels, totals, and progress bars indicating advancement to the next level.

Introduction 

In the 2024-25 academic year, BUS371 Strategic Analysis and Practice underwent an innovative redesign led by Dr. Eran Padumadasa, Senior Lecturer in Business and Professional Development and Programme Director for Business Management. Faced with the challenge of improving students’ engagement with employability skills, Eran introduced a creative blend of gamification, LinkedIn Learning, and reflective practice using QMplus’s Level Up toolkit. The initiative aimed to motivate final‑year students to take ownership of their professional development and make employability a natural extension of their disciplinary learning. 

Identifying the Challenge 

Although BUS371 focuses on strategic management, students frequently struggled to articulate their employability skills or see their degree work as connected to future career paths. Engagement with non‑credit‑bearing employability activities such as LinkedIn Learning was typically low, especially when offered outside assessed coursework. The School’s graduate outcomes data also highlighted a wider need to help students understand, reflect on, and present their developing capabilities. 

Eran identified that motivation needed to be built into the module structure itself, not simply offered as an optional extra. 

Designing a Gamified Approach 

To create a more engaging experience, Eran combined several elements: 

1. Level Up for motivation and gamification

Students earned experience points (XP) for completing employability‑related tasks such as: 

• completing LinkedIn Learning micro‑courses 

• engaging with virtual work experiences on Forage 

• attending employability events 

• participating in reflective activities 

• building their LinkedIn profile 

As they accumulated XP, they progressed through levels and unlocked digital badges, which they could later display on LinkedIn or CVs. This visual progression significantly increased motivation and engagement.  

2. LinkedIn Learning & Forage as skill‑building tools

These platforms provided curated, discipline‑relevant micro‑learning opportunities. Students tended to engage more with LinkedIn Learning, viewing it as less “high stakes” compared to Forage’s employer‑evaluated tasks.  

3. Peer‑to‑peer inspiration via the QMplus Database

One of the most successful features was a Reflective Learning Database, where students uploaded completion certificates and wrote short reflections on the skills they gained. This visibility encouraged students to learn from each other and choose courses relevant to their own career goals. This feature resulted in higher engagement than the standard reflective journal tool. 

Impact on Students 

The combined approach led to: 

• Higher engagement with previously optional professional learning resources 

• More meaningful reflection on skills and personal development 

• Clearer articulation of strategic and analytical capabilities 

• Increased motivation due to gamification and visible progression 

• Authentic use of LinkedIn, with students posting badges and discussing their learning publicly 

Students also began to view their career planning as a strategic process, connecting directly with the module’s core disciplinary focus. 

Looking Ahead 

Eran plans to integrate Level Up earlier in the module to maximise impact and is exploring opportunities to scale employability‑focused badges across the entire Business Management programme. Introducing the system from year one could help students build a three‑year developmental portfolio aligned with graduate attributes.  

Conclusion 

Eran’s approach demonstrates how thoughtful integration of QMplus tools can make employability feel meaningful, motivating, and directly connected to academic learning. His work offers a compelling model for colleagues across QMUL who want to help students develop confidence, reflection, and real‑world skills throughout their studies. 

Want to learn more about Level Up?

There is an upcoming workshop delivered by Queen Mary Academy colleague Dr Usman Naeem, please see details below.

Empowering Educators to Embed Learner Engagement Analytics in Curriculum Design 

The workshop is scheduled on 1^st July, 2pm to 3pm , online.

This interactive workshop empowers educators to enhance student engagement through data-driven strategies and gamification. Participants will explore how to use QMPlus analytics and the Level Up plugin to monitor real-time engagement, identify at-risk learners, and implement timely interventions that improve retention and success. By integrating gamified elements such as XP, milestones, and badges, educators can transform traditional modules into dynamic, motivating learning environments that foster both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

People can enrol using this CPD link Course: Empowering Educators to Embed Learner Engagement Analytics in Curriculum Design