Gamification
Gamification is the process of applying game mechanics in non-game contexts. This process can be used in education to teach concepts in an engaging and original manner.
The purpose of gamification is to engage students by incorporating mechanics of game design, such as immediate feedback, achievements, narratives, and gaining mastery through a level system. Gamification may use competition to motivate students to do well in the games and thus to master concepts. Gamification may also encourage student collaboration to progress through the games.
Instructors can use gamification in grading, such as offering badges or point systems to encourage students to strive for those goals. Gamification can be used to facilitate collaboration by breaking the class into teams to work together in their progress through the course.
Instructors can break down main concepts into miniature games for students to play, engaging them with the game mechanic while also teaching the concept. Such games could be built in learning modules or using programs such as StudyMate. Instructors can research existing video games and find ways to implement the playing of them into their courses. Video games cover a wide range of topics, and there may be an existing game that can communicate a course concept in a way that encourages student interaction.
