There’s a saying often attributed to an old Chinese curse, though no known
equivalent can be found in Chinese expressions; “May you live in interesting times.” During the Corona-19 pandemic our educational system has been subject to profound changes. With the shift to online and later hybrid educational models many of our teachers, at all levels, were caught unprepared. They scrambled to master technologies designed for online productivity so they could provide an acceptable educational experience for their learners and maintain student engagement in an unfamiliar setting.
As instructors became acquainted with tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, educational LMS’s etc., they were confronted with low student engagement and a general feeling of uninterest. Many students expressed frustration with having to interact within tiny video windows, unclear assignment goals, limitations placed on them via the online environment and not being able to have time with their friends. They had a general feeling of disconnectedness. Many instructors looking for ways to foster engagement decided to explore Gamification and/or Game Based Learning.
What’s the difference you may ask?
Within a gamified educational experience learners would be interacting with game design elements and a game-like experience. The main goal is to influence the amount of participation and immersion a learner would be enticed into during the learning process. The idea being that incorporating game mechanics into the process would lead to more productive learning. A gamified experience may include earning badges or points as learners achieve mastery. They may have leaderboards and challenges. These examples are external to the actual material to be learned. Think of them like summative assessments. Gamification generally concentrates on extrinsic motivators.
Game Based Learning on the other hand uses game structure and frameworks within the learning process. An example being Monster Physics. Within Monster Physics learners are self directed, have access to tutorials, use creativity to solve problems, have missions and challenges to demonstrate understanding all while learning physics. Games have objectives, rules and have a win or lose condition. Within Game Based Learning the material to be mastered is embedded within the experience and the game itself acts as a formative environment, though it can have a summative aspect as well. Game Based Learning is generally more focused on intrinsic motivation.
They say the best way to learn a foreign language is to be in the country of the language you wish to learn, immersed in the experience. The goals of both gamification and game based learning, through utilizing game techniques, are those moments of immersion. The same could be said for anything you desired to learn. The key component is the desire, without that there will be no lasting progress. Both gamification and game based learning can be conduits to that desire for those inclined toward the rewards they have to offer. The collection of points, badges and a position on the leaderboard can be very motivating in the gamification realm. It can also be very distracting. A learner may get caught up in acquiring those components as opposed to understanding the material or mastering the concept. Game based learning may suffer a similar effect with a learner wandering around or repeating a level just to master the mechanics without internalizing the intended information.
Most instructors know how to incorporate activities and content into their courses, but they may not have a model on how to incorporate serious games or gamified content effectively. If the content doesn’t have built-in assessments instructor may find it hard to evaluate learning. An instructor wishing to employ these techniques needs to understand the strengths and weaknesses each may have in a learning environment.
In a game based learning environment learners will be getting constant feedback which translates into an engaging environment. The environment grants the opportunity to learn the basics of technical and/or soft skills. The environment can have a collaborative aspect or be individualized. A well designed game, that aligns with outcomes, can foster intrinsic motivation. Learners receive real-time real time feedback in relation to their objectives and standing compared to others if the game allows. Games can be solo experiences, team based or multiplayer.
Within a gamification experience learner have reported feeling more productive.
They report feeling motivated and less bored. They also felt more knowledgeable. Learners receive real-time feedback in relation to their achievements and/or standing compared to others.
People are clever and they’ll always find a way to get the maximum for the minimum. You may find that your gamified experience is not returning the intended results. Let's say your goal is to increase productivity in the workplace, your learners may be sacrificing quality for higher output. Through your training they have done exactly what was expected, increased productivity, but the product has a higher failure rate. When designing the experience, it’s important to keep in mind a balanced approach. Perhaps during the gamified experience, productivity could be rewarded positive points while low quality would result in a loss of points, thus motivating the learner to both produce more and maintain quality.
Within the classroom, game based learning experiences may not be producing the intended results due to the game not aligning with the intended outcomes. The game must also be able to adjust to player capabilities. Without these two components learners may enjoy the game experience but they will not be challenged and would not advance toward the goals of the course or training.
Recent research has pointed out some reasons why gamification may not be producing the intended results. They include learners not buying in, learners would go through the motions of the experience just to get through it so they could move on. Bad design made the experience unfulfilling, the designer placed fun above purpose. Points, badges and leaderboards made some learners feel inadequate and as a result, they stopped trying. All of the these fall into the category of not knowing your learners or their needs.
Both gamification and game based learning can be effective depending on the goal of the experience and if implemented correctly. Some things to think about when the experiences are not yielding the intended results:
Do you understand your learners and their needs?
When working with gamification; What is the goal of the experience? How will you determine if the experience was successful? Are you focusing on game mechanics like badges, leaderboards and points instead of collaboration and/or balanced competition? Are you giving those that are not motivated or intimidated by competition a way to opt in or alternative ways they can view their achievements?
When working with game based learning are you making sure goals are specific, achievable and measurable? What kind of choices are you presenting your learners?
Due the game goals/objectives align with the course or training objectives. Is your game giving enough feedback? Is your game increasing in difficulty? How does the player win?
Game based learning and gamification are just some of the tools in your arsenal. They are part of the larger experience. You can use games to open conversations, better understand concepts or view other perspectives but without proper integration within the course content, it could turn out to be just a plate of chocolate covered broccoli.
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