Bridging The Practical Agile Skills Gap: Immersive Gamification for Enhancing Soft Skills in Engineering Education

Practice Paper Recommended citation: Lucio Nieto, T., & Gonzalez-Bañales, D. L. (2025). Bridging The Practical Agile Skills Gap: Immersive Gamification for Enhancing Soft Skills in Engineering Education. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Järvinen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53rd Annual Conference. European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Tampere, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631354. This Conference Paper is brought to you for open access by the 53rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) at Tampere University in Tampere, Finland. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. BRIDGING THE PRACTICAL AGILE SKILLS GAP: IMMERSIVE GAMIFICATION FOR ENHANCING SOFT SKILLS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION T. Lucio Nieto1 Computer Science and Engineering Department, School of Engineering Tecnológico de Monterrey Monterrey, México ORCID: 0009-0003-6428-8357 D. L. González-Bañales Instituto Tecnológico de Durango/Tecnológico Nacional de México Durango, México, ORCID: 0000-0003-4696-7519 Conference Key Areas: Practice paper. Conference Key Areas: Engineering skills, professional skills, and transversal skills (Track 10) and Continuing education and life-long learning in engineering (Track 8). Keywords: Educational Innovation, Gamification, Professional Soft Skills, Agile Project Management, Immersive Simulation ABSTRACT The accelerating pace of digital transformation demands pedagogical innovations that effectively integrate theory with real-world practice, particularly in Agile project management within engineering education. This study examines the implementation of the Egypt Challenge Simulator, an immersive gamification-based strategy designed to address the persistent gap between conceptual understanding and practical application of Agile methodologies. Through a simulation that replicates complex project management scenarios, information technology students engaged in iterative cycles, collaborative decision-making, and role-based learning that spanned all phases of project execution. The intervention revealed significant development in five core competency domains: engagement and learning efficacy, preparedness for professional contexts, applied technical knowledge, creative teamwork, and adaptive collaboration. The findings underscore how immersive gamification fosters the simultaneous development of technical and interpersonal skills, aligning educational experiences with contemporary industry expectations. This practice-based model offers a transferable framework for cultivating the multidimensional soft and technical skill set essential to digitally transformed professional environments. _____________________ 1 T. Lucio Nieto [email protected] 1 INTRODUCTION The rapid digitalization and transformation of the global economy have underscored the need for innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education, and the integration of game-like elements into non-game contexts, has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance information technology student learning and engagement. Researchers have explored the potential of gamification to improve not only academic performance (Jaramillo-Mediavilla et al., 2024) but also the development of soft skills (Zainuddin et al., 2024), such as communication, selfmotivation, teamwork, result-oriented attitude, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills (Al-Azawi et al., 2019; Lucio Nieto & Martinez Treviño, 2023; Lucio-Nieto & Gonzalez-Bañales, 2023). Kurkovksy (2015) highlights the versatility of gamification in software engineering education, noting its ability to encourage student participation, increase knowledge sharing, and motivate the development of soft skills (Barbosa Monteiro et al., 2021). Similarly to the above, a study on the implementation of gamification in an accounting undergraduate program in Brazil found that students perceived significant improvements in a range of skills, including curiosity, leadership, initiative, persistence, adaptability, collaboration, and critical thinking (De Oliveira Durso et al., 2020). The application of gamification in agile software development frameworks, such as Scrum and Kanban, has garnered particular interest. Agile methodologies emphasize collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement, aligning closely with the soft skills that gamification aims to foster (Barcelos Bica & Silva, 2020; Dann, 2018; Lucio Nieto & Martinez Treviño, 2023; Lucio-Nieto & Gonzalez-Bañales, 2023). The gap between academic preparation and industry expectations in Agile methodology implementation represents a critical challenge in engineering education. According to recent industry reports, 71% of organizations have adopted Agile approaches for digital transformation initiatives, but projects still fail to deliver expected value due to insufficient practical Agile skills (Digital.ai, 2023; Forbes, 2023b, 2023a). Considering the above, this practice paper presents evidence of how the "Egypt Challenge Simulator" (GamingWorks, n.d.) addresses this gap by immersing engineering students in realistic scenarios that demand both technical competence and essential soft skills. The main question guiding this practical experience is, how can immersive gamification strategies bridge the practical Agile skills gap and effectively enhance soft skills in engineering education for dynamic digital transformation contexts? 2 CONTEXT AND PRACTICAL WORK 2.1 Key factors that influence the development of soft skills in future information technology engineers Systematic literature review highlights the need for clear frameworks to effectively incorporate soft skills into Information Technology (IT) engineering education, emphasizing a variety of factors including: Educational Methodologies and Learning (Cavalcante et al., 2024), Gamification for engagement and interaction (Al-Azawi et al., 2019; Deterding, 2012; Dubois & Tamburrelli, 2013; Lucio Nieto & Martinez Treviño, 2023; Lucio-Nieto & Gonzalez-Bañales, 2023), Curriculum design to align educational outcomes with industry needs (Cimatti, 2016), Industry Expectations & Practical Knowledge (Bekbolat et al., 2024; Burbekova, 2021; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024), Collaboration and Teamwork (Ahmed et al., 2012; Bekbolat et al., 2024; Cavalcante et al., 2024, 2024; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024), Adaptability and Continuous Learning (Rodrigues da Fonseca et al., 2019), Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking (Ahern et al., 2019; Özyurt, 2015), Communication Skills (Bekbolat et al., 2024; Cavalcante et al., 2024; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024; Rodrigues da Fonseca et al., 2019), Leadership and Project Management (Avença et al., 2023; Bekbolat et al., 2024; Cavalcante et al., 2024; Iriarte & Bayona, 2021; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024; Rodrigues da Fonseca et al., 2019), Creativity and Innovation (AlYahya et al., 2021; Bekbolat et al., 2024; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024), and Emotional Intelligence (Ayeni et al., 2024; Kapadwala & Joseph, 2023; Lucio & González-Bañales, 2023). The above literature review reveals a critical need for integrated frameworks that bridge theory and practice in IT engineering education. Evidence demonstrates that effective soft skills development requires a multidimensional educational approach where active teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and industry alignment work in concert. 2.2 Overview of “Egypt Challenge Simulator” The "Egypt Challenge Simulator" (GamingWorks, n.d.) is an immersive educational tool designed to facilitate the application of Agile methodologies among information technology engineering students through a simulated environment inspired by ancient Egypt. In this simulation, teams collaboratively construct a pyramid for the Pharaoh, adapting to changing requirements using Agile practices like sprints, product backlogs, and sprint reviews. The primary focus is on enhancing teamwork, communication, and Agile comprehension to improve project outcomes. While the “Egypt Challenge Simulator” is adaptable to various educational contexts, it is particularly designed for final-year undergraduate and graduate-level engineering students preparing to enter the workforce in digital transformation roles. The target audience includes students specializing in software engineering, information systems, computer science, and related disciplines who require practical experience in Agile project management before industry placement. Additionally, simulation serves as a valuable professional development tool for early-career engineers transitioning to Agile environments, as well as engineering educators seeking to incorporate experiential learning methodologies into their teaching practice. The simulator's design accommodates participants with varying levels of prior exposure to Agile frameworks, making it suitable for both introductory and advanced courses in project management and software development methodologies. The simulator offers a fundamentally different perspective from traditional engineering education approaches. While conventional methods often separate technical and soft skills development into distinct components, this simulation deliberately integrates them within a unified experience. This simulation approach acknowledges that in professional settings, technical and interpersonal competencies operate simultaneously rather than sequentially. Additionally, the simulator reframes the educational dynamic by positioning instructors as facilitators while placing students at the centre of their learning journey. That broadened perspective ultimately prepares students more comprehensively for the diverse challenges of digital transformation environments: collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, communication, leadership, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Overview of the "Egypt Challenge Simulator": • Main Objectives: The simulation aims to teach participants about Agilebased project management principles and theories, including initiating, executing, and completing Agile projects. It emphasizes the development of skills and behaviors crucial for successful project management, the dual role of individuals as both success factors and risks, the creation of customer value, and the importance of integrating people, processes, products, and partners to enhance project management and control. • General Process: The "Egypt Challenge Simulator" immerses participants in Agile Project Management principles through a series of structured activities. It begins with an introduction to the simulation's cards, roles, and purpose, followed by a preparation workshop to simulate Agile project initiation. The simulation emphasizes decision-making, reflection, and continuous improvement, key elements of Agile, through various stages including decision-making, reflection sessions, and sprint retrospectives. • Scenario: Set in ancient Egypt, the simulation involves a Pharaoh seeking to secure his afterlife. The Pharaoh collaborates with a High Priest and a team of experts to outline product requirements, which the team then prioritizes and develops in sprints, adapting to changes using Agile principles. Participants are required to wear Pharaoh costumes. • Key Activities: The simulation includes activities focused on organizing and managing the process, product design using MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have) prioritization and user stories, risk management, and the facilitator role, which involves supporting the Team Leader, acting as the Pharaoh, and promoting learning by doing. • Participants: The simulator is designed for groups of 8-12 participants and does not necessitate prior project management knowledge. • Execution Phases: This phase starts with the preparation of the first sprint, followed by its execution, which simulates months of project work with standup meetings and event handling. This is followed by a sprint review to assess the product and gather stakeholder feedback, a retrospective to discuss effectiveness and identify improvements, and concludes with project closure, capturing lessons learned for real-life application. 2.3 Implementation Context The simulation experience with "Egypt Challenge Simulator" (Challenge of Egypt) involved 36 engineering students organized into cross-functional teams tasked with digitally transforming an ancient Egyptian civilization through a six-hour session covering all project phases from initial requirements gathering to final delivery. At the end of the simulation, students completed a structured research instrument specifically designed for this study. This instrument consisted of two sections: 1) a five-point Likert scale comprising 25 items grouped across key dimensions aligned with soft skills constructs (e.g., engagement, collaboration, adaptability, creativity, and learning transfer), and 2) three open-ended questions aimed at capturing reflective insights on their learning experience and perceived skill enhancement. The instrument was developed based on existing literature on soft skills in engineering education and gamification-based learning, and its content validity was reviewed by three experts in educational innovation. This implementation was conducted within a Computer Science and Engineering Department of a higher education institution in Mexico with strong industry connections. The participating students were enrolled in an advanced Information Technology course focused on digital transformation frameworks, with the simulation serving as a capstone experiential learning activity. The simulation was facilitated by instructors with industry experience in Agile methodologies, ensuring authentic application of principles in an educational environment that emphasizes evidencebased teaching practices and active learning methodologies—reflecting the growing global trend of integrating immersive experiences into engineering education. 3 RESULTS AND INSIGHTS 3.1 Identified Soft Skills Based on the collected data an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the underlying structure of the “Egypt Challenge Simulator” questionnaire responses. The analysis yielded a five-factor solution that explained 68.32% of the total variance. The rotated solution revealed five soft skills components: • Component 1 "Engagement and Learning Effectiveness" (explaining 24.15% of variance, α = .87): emphasizes the learner's engagement, attention, and the activity's contribution to their learning. • Component 2 "Future Readiness and Satisfaction" (16.47% of variance, α = .83): represents the learner's sense of preparedness for the future and their overall satisfaction with the activity. • Component 3 "Practical Knowledge and Best Practices" (12.24% of variance, α = .79): focuses on the acquisition and application of new technical knowledge, understanding best practices, and linking activities to real-world IT frameworks such as Agile, Scrum, and IT Service Management. • Component 4 "Teamwork and Creativity" (8.92% of variance, α = .8): focuses on how the activity encouraged team organization, creativity, and innovation, and how students felt guided to achieve objectives. • Component 5 "Collaboration and Adaptability" (6.54% of variance, α = .77): focuses on peer collaboration, adaptability, and how the activity challenged students to step out of their comfort zones. It also reflects the responsibility and encouragement derived from working with peers. The summary of soft skills development is presented through a radar chart in Fig. 1, depicting the mean scores of the five principal components identified through factor analysis. The pentagon-shaped visualization reveals the relative strength and balanced development across all dimensions, with scores ranging from 4.35 to 4.60 on a five-point scale, providing a comprehensive overview of the competency development profile Fig. 1. Mean of Identified Soft Skills The synergy between these factors creates a robust foundation for professional success, where each dimension reinforces and complements the others. For instance, the high engagement score (4.6) likely positively influences collaboration capabilities (Ayeni et al., 2024; Iriarte & Bayona, 2021)(4.4), while strong teamwork skills (Bekbolat et al., 2024; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024) enhance practical knowledge application (4.35) (Avença et al., 2023). This comprehensive development of soft skills aligns well with current industry demands, where IT professionals need to demonstrate not just technical proficiency but also strong capabilities in areas such as team collaboration, adaptive learning, and innovative problem-solving. The consistently high scores across all dimensions suggest that students are well-prepared for the multifaceted challenges of modern IT environments (Ayeni et al., 2024; Bekbolat et al., 2024; Iriarte & Bayona, 2021; Mohammed & Ozdamli, 2024). 3.2 Perceived Impact on Academic Performance and Soft Skills The findings of this practical case demonstrate the effectiveness of the immersive simulation game ("Egypt Challenge Simulator") enhancing academic performance within Agile education contexts. Empirical evidence, gathered through quantitative and qualitative student self-assessments, indicates a relationship between participation in simulation and improved academic outcomes. Nearly all participants reported enhanced understanding and effective transfer of theoretical concepts to practical contexts, particularly in complex problem-solving, practical application of Agile methodologies, and collaborative teamwork. Participants highlighted significant improvements in engagement, practical knowledge, and collaborative competencies, reflecting positively on their academic performance in group-based tasks and collaborative assignments. Notably, the integration of essential soft skills (such as communication, adaptability, and collaboration) with technical Agile practices contributed significantly to overall academic achievement. This dual emphasis on soft skills and technical competencies is supported by the principles of Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), emphasizing critically reflective practice, evidence-based teaching, and theory-guided instruction. In alignment with the literature on Scholarly Teaching and SoTL (Potter & Kustra, 2011), the "Egypt Challenge Simulator" exemplifies scholarly teaching through its evidence-based approach, intentional integration of reflective practices, and theoretical grounding in Agile methodologies. These findings advocate for adopting immersive gamification techniques as effective pedagogical interventions that bridge theoretical instruction with practical application, significantly strengthening comprehensive professional development in engineering education. 3.3 Insights In exploring the question, “How can immersive gamification strategies be employed to bridge the practical Agile skills gap and effectively enhance soft skills in engineering education for dynamic digital transformation contexts?”, key insights are: 1. Synergy Among Soft Skills and Real-World Readiness: Focusing on learning effectiveness, future preparedness, and collaborative work in an integrated manner supports stronger student performance, reinforcing the practical applicability of Agile principles. 2. Balancing Theory and Practice for Enhanced Academic Growth: Linking theoretical content to gamified, hands-on experiences help students understand and apply agile frameworks. By engaging in iterative cycles and receiving ongoing feedback, students gain experience that aligns theoretical knowledge with real-world problem-solving. 3. Distributed Leadership as a Driver of Innovation: Encouraging students to rotate leadership responsibilities nurtures innovative thinking and quick adaptation to unexpected issues. This approach reflects a core Agile principle, revealing that shared leadership allows each participant to refine vital skills in communication and team engagement. 4. Immersive Learning Environments to Foster Adaptability: Through simulations and role-playing, enhanced by real-time decision-making, students are prompted to operate beyond their comfort zones. This immersive format prepares them to deal more confidently with unforeseen challenges and promotes a mindset of continuous improvement. 5. Early Integration of Soft Skills for Employability: Cultivating engagement, future readiness, practical knowledge, teamwork, creativity, and collaborative adaptability remain crucial for addressing the needs of evolving real-world Agile projects. These five insights suggest how immersive gamification bridges the practical Agile skills gap in engineering education. The “Egypt Challenge Simulator“ gives empirical evidence that when students engage in realistic scenarios requiring both technical and interpersonal competencies, they develop skills directly applicable to digital transformation environments. This simulation creates a learning experience where technical and soft skills develop simultaneously rather than sequentially, reflecting real-world professional demands while remaining adaptable across various engineering disciplines. 3.4 Transferability The “Egypt Challenge Simulator” has high transferability across various engineering education contexts. Educators seeking to implement similar immersive gamification can adapt this approach regardless of institution size or available resources. The core implementation requires: 1) dedicated physical space allowing 6-8 students per team to work simultaneously, 2) basic building materials that simulate project components (commercial simulation kits or cost-effective alternatives like cardboard and crafting materials), 3) printed role cards and scenario descriptions, and 4) approximately 6-8 hours of curriculum time, which can be divided into multiple sessions. The simulation's pedagogical framework is suitable for software engineering, systems engineering, industrial engineering, and other STEAM disciplines where project management and collaborative skills are valued. 4 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Aligning with the central theme of bridging the practical Agile skills gap through immersive gamification, this case presents evidence that simulation-based approaches effectively develop both technical competencies and critical soft skills simultaneously. The Egypt Challenge Simulator creates an environment where students experience firsthand how Agile principles translate into tangible outcomes, with participants reporting measurable improvements in leadership, communication, and problem-solving capabilities. This practice-based experience merges theoretical understanding with hands-on engagement, preparing students for the complex realities of digital transformation environments.