Gamification in the digital university as a mechanism for enhancing economic resilience

Abstract

The article examines gamification as a complex socio-technical mechanism integrated into the digital infrastructure of a university, capable of enhancing the economic resilience of an educational institution in the context of digital transformation. It is argued that modern educational institutions operate in an environment of growing competition, high demand dynamics for educational services, and the need for operational resource management, which necessitates the introduction of behavioral management technologies. Gamification is seen as a tool for forming sustainable models of educational activity, capable of reducing transaction costs, optimizing information flows, and ensuring improved learning outcomes through motivational incentives. The functional capabilities of the EdIT project, which combines gamification elements with data analytics tools, management process automation, and personalization of educational interaction, are analyzed. It has been shown that the integration of points, ratings, behavioral indicators, digital statuses, and internal reward systems creates additional channels of influence on the economic indicators of the institution—stabilizing cash flows, reducing the risks of academic attrition, and supporting the life cycle of the “applicant-student-graduate” interaction. It has been established that the EdIT project creates conditions for the transition of the university to a data-centric management model, in which information about user activity, the effectiveness of educational trajectories, and the intensity of service use forms the basis for management decisions. The use of digital analytics methods enables the prediction of risks, identification of bottlenecks in the educational process organization, and optimization of resource utilization without increasing costs. It is emphasized that gamification in such an environment serves a dual function—motivational and economic—as it enhances the productivity of educational activities and generates added value by streamlining internal processes, organizing communications, and reducing operational losses. The article proves that the introduction of gamification within EdIT transforms the university into an adaptive, technology-driven system capable of maintaining resilience and competitiveness in a changing digital environment.