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Gamification: playing to learn

Last Updated 22 June 2016, 18:59 IST

Gamification is a modern approach in education that helps motivate students to learn by incorporating game mechanics or game elements into the learning experience. Most people assume that gamification means a pure game that has been developed to increase the allure of learning. But the term generally refers to the use of game-like elements in non-game contexts like learning. Hence it is not necessarily a pure game built around a learning objective.

This relatively new approach has a very fundamental basis that everyone learns better when the experience is fun. And to make learning fun, researchers have found that a lot of the qualities that a game player exhibits such as problem solving, attention to detail and persistence  are all ideal qualities for a learner as well. And hence, by incorporating some of game design thinking into the learning environment, students could be made to exhibit the same qualities that will help in creating a more engaging learning environment. Gamification, thus helps in creating more interactivity, better retention, and overall, a better learning experience for students. It not only reduces the burden on course creators but it also helps students to be better motivated and engaged during a course.

There are several game elements that can be incorporated but the simplest one adopted is the PBL approach– Points, Badges & Leaderboard.

*Points can be awarded for completing certain tasks that adds meaning to completing even the smallest of tasks
n Badges or medals or other awards are given after a certain objective/stage has been met
*A leaderboard tracks the top performers and creates a sense of competition that compels people to achieve more. Defining levels to perform more difficult tasks and virality bonuses are some of the other game-like elements that can be incorporated.

Imagine a course with a series of lectures that one needs to attend and only involves passive listening. This approach is not only less engaging but it also has a lower retention among the students. The same lecture can be made more interactive and participatory if game elements are incorporated into the learning experience. When elements like points, badges and leaderboards are added to smaller tasks within the course, it is more likely that students will retain more of the course than in the traditional model.

Gamification largely finds application in not just online courses conducted by institutes but also in corporate training programmes. Online courses typically have witnessed very low course completion rates (average completion rate on MOOCs is 13%) and have tried to use game mechanics to increase engagement and completion. Corporate training programmes for inducting new employees or for other workplace training for employees is gaining relatively faster traction.

While gamification is being used and experimented with by several players in different scenarios, the verdict on gamification as an effective tool is still mixed. Though there have been success stories, there have also been considerable cases where it has not had the desired effect.

(The author is founder, Oliveboard, an online mobile platform)

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(Published 22 June 2016, 17:07 IST)

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