Gamified course design in introductory geology: Students with diverse identities are successful both online and in-person

I redesigned my introductory geology course using gamified course design with the goal of having students with diverse identities (gender, race/ethnicity) and enrolled in different modalities (asynchronous online, in-person) be equally successful. Gamified course design incorporates game elements in the design of the course, where the content does not become more game-like but the structure around the content does. I incorporated the game elements of additive grading, choice of assignments and topics, option to redo assignments, flexible due dates, ongoing feedback, and recognition of achievement. Students in the gamified course demonstrated high levels of course success (85%) and achievement of student learning outcomes (79%), both greater than comparable courses, with no significant differences in course modality or demographic group. All groups of students shifted toward more scientific perceptions of Earth science. Measures of student performance within the course, such as total points earned and scores on quizzes, exams, and labs, showed few statistically significant differences by modality or group. These results suggest that a structurally gamified course design has the potential to increase student course success, promote more scientific thinking in students, and reduce equity gaps.