Improving Student Peer Code Review Using Gamification

Peer code review has been shown to have several benefits for students, including the development of both technical skills and soft skills. However, a lack of motivation has been identified as one of the barriers to successful peer code review in programming courses. Low motivation may result in students avoiding or delaying their peer review tasks, reducing the potential benefits. In this study, gamification is used to overcome this barrier. We focus on motivating two behaviors: increasing the number of reviews submitted by students, and encouraging students to submit those reviews early. We conduct a randomized controlled study (N = 178) that compares the behavior of a control group engaged in peer code review using an online tool, with a gamification group that uses a modified version of the tool that includes targeted game elements. The results show a statistically significant difference in the number of submitted reviews between the control and gamification groups. Furthermore, the majority of students in the gamification group report that the game elements motivate them. Based on our findings, the game elements and game mechanics seem to be a promising method to motivate students in online peer code review activities.