Abu Hassan, Muhammad Ikram and Tunku Ahmad, Tunku Badariah (2026) Evaluating SHIFT: a game-based learning application for teaching the afterlife in Islamic education. IIUM Journal of Educational Studies, 14 (1). pp. 160-177. ISSN 2289-8085
|
PDF
- Published Version
Download (6MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This is a pilot study that examines the effect of SHIFT (Stairway to Heaven in Islamic Faith), a game-based learning application, on university students’ conceptual understanding of the afterlife, a core component of Islamic faith taught in Islamic Education (ISED). Belief in the hereafter is a fundamental concept in Islam but it is often conveyed through conventional instructional approaches that provide limited opportunities for active engagement and deep understanding. SHIFT was developed to address this gap by presenting the stages of life after death—from worldly life (dunia) to judgment and the hereafter—through interactive multimedia and formative questions aimed to instill students’ understanding of the afterlife. The study employed a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involving 25 male undergraduate students from Year 1 to Year 4 at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Students’ conceptual understanding of the afterlife was measured using a 10-item self-developed open-ended test, with scoring reliability established through inter-rater correlation. Data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. Results revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ conceptual understanding following the intervention, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.73). These findings provide preliminary evidence that game-based learning applications such as SHIFT can effectively support the teaching of abstract and profound concepts in Islamic Education at the university level
| Item Type: | Article (Journal) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Game-based learning, Islamic Education, the afterlife, student engagement, educational innovation |
| Subjects: | BPL Islamic education L Education > L Education (General) |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | Kulliyyah of Education > Department of Curriculum & Instruction |
| Depositing User: | Dr. Muhammad Ikram Abu Hassan |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Feb 2026 16:02 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Feb 2026 16:02 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-02-Q2117 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/127393 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Download Statistics
Download Statistics