To Game or Not? Gamification in Courses

Gamification or the use of game elements to teach a concept was only accessible to hard-core coders in the not too distant past. Everyone else could have the imagination and the desire, but with no ability to write code, their creativity was as far as the games could get. Now anyone with a desire to learn can use online code snippets and access videos on how to code. In addition, software like Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate makes it possible for all e-learning developers to develop interactive games. With all these possibilities and an explosive trend to move from traditional to online learning, gamification is a hot topic for discussion. According to Deterding et al. (2011), we saw the first use of gamification in education in 2008 and became more widespread in 2010. However, the use of badges and levels has been around much longer. Gamification is becoming more and more prevalent in the business world and is frequently used to encourage wellness initiatives. The rapid feedback provided by games provides powerful encouragement for learners to make small changes in their behavior.

The Pros of Gamification

Gamification can make learning fun. It is interactive and can motivate even the most resistant learner to try it. Trying to win can motivate a learner to engage again and again with the material. Research has demonstrated that active learning and spaced recall are necessary for retention. Playing games provides an excellent media for both. Gamification can encourage problem-solving and can encourage communication skills and team-building. In a classroom, the implementation of gamification can be difficult because of the different developmental levels of the students. However, games can be developed that make it possible for learners at all levels to participate. On the other hand, some students may be able to master the content quickly and be distracting to other students. Besides, even with all the demonstrated benefits of gamification, it can be challenging to get parental and administrative buy-in that they are an effective use of classroom time.

The Cons of Gamification

On the negative side, games are expensive to develop, and typically only a small portion of the relevant content can be included in a single game scene. In today’s society, everything is fast-moving and pervasive. Students are accustomed to immediate access to information and feedback. Some learners with their greater experience with technology may be innately more successful with the games, even if their knowledge base is weaker than less technologically savvy students. The latter cannot demonstrate their knowledge as quickly in a game format. Competitions may encourage participation, but could also lead to divisiveness in the classroom. Care must be taken to promote collaboration and teamwork. The attainment of badges and “leveling up” motivates students, but is this what we want them to be striving for? Will we lose the desire to learn for learning’s sake?

Do we have a choice anymore?

Millennials and Generation Y students are so accustomed to the pervasiveness of technology that the slow-moving classroom may be a culture shock that feels intolerable to learn in. Are we adapting the class to fit the needs of students, or are games just a better way to learn? Is that a negative? They certainly encourage motivation, keep attention, allow for spaced learning, and require memory recall.  They may or may not encourage collaboration and communication. With the trend from traditional classrooms to online learning, will all students learn online utilizing games and technology as predominant learning media? Only time will tell, but it seems the trend is already well established.