Gamification in Education
What motivates students to learn? If you’re a current student, think about the classes or teachers that inspire you to learn. If your schooling days are in the past, think back on the activities or classes you looked forward to attending the most. What is it about those classes that caught your interest? Was it the teachers, the content, the activities? There are many factors that contribute toward our perception of our educational journey, but I believe that one of the most impactful things is how engaged we are or were in our learning.
Enter gamification. Gamification in education is the implementation of elements of gaming into the learning process. It’s tapping into the interests of the students, and using that engagement to foster learning. So, does it work? Does transforming traditional learning into a game-like atmosphere contribute toward higher learning and retention?
I’ve heard mixed opinions on this topic, but the only thing I can bring to the table is my own experience. Put yourself in the shoes of a student. If you’re learning to code in Python, is it more interesting to learn about conditional statements (if-then statements) by practicing in a rote setting, or by learning how they work as you create a trivia game? Would you rather learn how a while loop works through traditional practice, or by creating a guessing game that continues to ask the user for a new input each time they guess incorrectly. Not only is the “game” method more interesting and engaging, but it also helps with retention as it is a more memorable experience. When my computer science students ask me a question regarding a concept we previously learned, my typical response is to remind them of the game we created while learning it. The application of the concept into a game not only helps them retain the information, but also allows them to see how it is applied.
Does gamification work in other subject areas? I believe it does. I use it often when teaching algebra as well. I try to tap into the gaming culture that our current youth are immersed in to engage them in the learning process. Even if we can’t create a game like we can in computer science, I try to use the competitive element of gaming to keep their interests and make the learning memorable. Competitive math environments help both in reviewing and learning new information by showing students how the content is applied as well as retain the information.
Gamification also works outside the walls of a traditional classroom. In addition to being a high school math and computer science teacher, I also coach collegiate soccer. You would think that coaching soccer would adhere naturally to gamification, but many coaches fall into the trap of running mundane drills that do not resemble the game of soccer. Gamification happens in my practices each day. When designing a practice plan, I select training environments that address the skills or tactics I want to focus upon, while also provide competitive environments where there are winners and losers. The competitive factor raises the level and helps the players apply the goals of the practice. When my players view the practice as more of a series of “games” rather than “drills” that they need to simply do, they get so much more of it.