*Activity Based Learning (ABL) Using Gamification (GBL) in Mechanical Engineering Design… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104773*

goals which called for learners to achieve a deeper comprehension of material and construct new knowledge. The latter requires interaction with higher-order thinking which results in complex learning. This is known as 'Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning' (King [12, 18]) and is intended for structuring interaction that promotes higher-order thinking and complex learning. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in a number of controlled research studies conducted in classroom settings. According to socio-cognitive learning theory [23], cognitive change is strongly influenced by interaction and activity with others. Different interactions promote different kinds of learning [24]. Fact-based interaction is ineffective for complex tasks, which involve analysing and integrating ideas, constructing new knowledge and solving novel problems as they seldom elicit responses that are sufficiently thoughtful [25].

Webb et al. [24] have shown through their research that when learners are given instructions to work collaboratively, they generally fail to interact at a planful level unless they are guided and prompted explicitly by the teacher, or facilitator. Learners also fail to activate and use their relevant prior knowledge without specific prompting.

This is further supported by [26] on constructionist theory of comprehension. It builds coherent highly-integrated mental representations [27].

Examples of how some basic comprehension questions may be formatted are: 'What does … mean?

What causes … to occur?

Describe … in your own words.

Whilst questions that pose more thought-provoking may be formatted like this:

What is the significance of … ?

How are … and … similar?

What is a new example of … ?

What is the difference between … and … ?

The quiz questions offered as part of this activity were combined to include both 'memory' or 'review' questions as well as 'thinking questions' which provoked thought. Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning that uses thought-provoking questions to induce cognitive processes in learners has been shown to be effective, particularly with more mature learners where a better understanding of content was demonstrated by learners at University level, particularly in small study groups.
