Summary
The paper synthesizes the literature on the application of gamification in educational contexts. The authors conducted a comprehensive review to identify game design elements used in education and their impact on learner outcomes. They found that elements such as points, levels, badges, leaderboards, and storylines are commonly used to enhance learner engagement and improve learning outcomes. The paper provides examples from various studies that illustrate the application and effects of these gamification elements. While some studies reported positive effects on engagement and participation, others did not find significant improvements in grades or interest. The paper concludes that gamification in education is growing in popularity, but systematic studies to evaluate its impact are still in the early stages.
Key Topics
- Gamification in Education: The application of game design elements to non-game educational activities to increase engagement and improve learning outcomes.
- Game Design Elements: Tools such as points, levels, badges, and leaderboards used within gamified educational environments to motivate and engage learners.
- Learner Outcomes: The impact of gamification on aspects such as engagement, motivation, enjoyment, and academic performance.
- Literature Review: A synthesis of existing research on gamification in education, summarizing the use of various game design elements and their effects on learning.
- Evaluation of Gamification: The need for systematic evaluations using scientific approaches to assess the impact of gamification on education.
Abstract
We synthesized the literature on gamification of education by conducting a review of the literature on gamification in the educational and learning context. Based on our review, we identified several game design elements that are used in education. These game design elements include points, levels/stages, badges, leaderboards, prizes, progress bars, storyline, and feed- back. We provided examples from the literature to illustrate the application of gamification in the educational context.
Reference
Nah, F. F.-H., Zeng, Q., Telaprolu, V. R., Ayyappa, A. P., & Eschenbrenner, B. (2014). Gamification of Education: A Review of Literature. In F. F.-H. Nah (Ed.), International Conference on HCI in Business (Vol. 8527, pp. 401–409). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07293-7_39