Gamification in Education

Gamification in Education

Gamification in Education

Brian J. Arnold

Abstract

At heart, gamification is a powerful tool for catalyzing attention, focus and investment. What parent ever resisted gamifying the process of getting a group of kids to the car by announcing that it was a race? Gamification transfers the mode, value and incentive of game play to a separate experience like buying groceries, visiting web sites, or even learning. By borrowing the intrinsically rewarding elements of game play; rules, victory conditions, rewards, punishments, status, stakes and personally vested narrative other endeavors can find fresh appeal with stakeholders and increase the likelihood adoption. As the core concept of marketing is the association of two appealing, but dissimilar ideas; motorcycles and prestige, cereal and athleticism – so too, gamification can be applied to associate fun with learning. In essence, the student is hooked by the idea of the game, pulled forward by curiosity to learn more or win, and ends up enjoying the experience, becoming engaged in the idea or activity and opening themselves up to the possibility of learning.

Reference

Arnold, B. J. (2014). Gamification in education. Proceedings of the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 21(1), 32-39. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295401531_Gamification_in_Education?fbclid=IwAR1y_8-lVMzF7CB31dCUpqNBNqJFyv8BlQX25M1qool4Rlv6XSaVE0Q_wWc

Keywords

gamification, education, games, learning