Probing the Complex Influence of Video Games on Young Minds
Probing the Complex Influence of Video Games on Young Minds
Probing the Complex Influence of Video Games on Young Minds
August 5, 2022
By Caren Chesler
Summary
In recent years, as it turns out, the concept of gamification, defined as "The use of game design elements in non-game contexts," has received increased attention and interest in both academia and classroom practice with education among the top fields of gamification research.
Before we go any further, gamification of learning does not involve students in designing and creating their own games or playing commercially produced video games in class.
The gamification of learning is an educational approach that seeks to motivate students by using video game design and game elements in learning environments.
Examples of gamification applications in the classroom include awarding points for meeting academic objectives and grading " forward" not "Backward." That means grading starts at 0 and moves forward accumulating points for goals accomplished instead of starting at 100 and deducting points or "Marks" which would discourage most gamers from continuing for long.
Classroom gamification, broadly defined, is the process of identifying employing those design elements which make virtual games fun and which motivate players to continue playing, then using those same elements in a non-game context to influence learning behaviour.
Some of the potential benefits of successful gamification initiatives in the classroom include giving students ownership of their learning opportunities through the freedom to fail and try again without negative repercussions.
As the popularity of classroom gamification has increased, so have critical voices describing gamification as the latest buzzword and the next fad. But proponents of the approach generally believe that the application of game mechanics and design such as feedback loops and rewards will become more embedded in daily life by 2025.
Reference
Chesler, C. (2022, August 7). Probing the Complex Influence of Video Games on Young Minds. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.discovermagazine.com/technology/probing-the-complex-influence-of-video-games-on-young-minds