Online Gaming And Education – Gamification And Learning Opportunities

Throughout the centuries, education has always been very willing to test out new ways of maintaining student engagement.  The term ‘student engagement’ refers to how we evaluate the depth at which a student interacts with the material of a lesson as well as the level to which they are committed to the activity they are dealing with.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency has conducted research that shows there’s been a reduction in the rate of students dropping out of their education programmes. This figure is down to 5.3% of students who started their first degree in 2019 – 2020. This is the lowest possible rate on record. Maintaining engagement and having students enthusiastically enjoy their studies can assist with lowering these percentages further.

However, this question needs to be asked: how can we be positive that we know how to keep students interested and encouraged so that they contribute and perform well in assessments? The gamification of online education – in other words making learning far more enjoyable and engaging for students by using game design features – could be the answer.

But first, let’s look at how gamification plays a role in online gaming.

How Online Gaming And Gamification Interact

When it comes down to game-based learning, or gaming, ultimately a game is utilised for learning. The term ‘online gaming’ refers to a play-based aspect in a course. Some good examples are puzzles and bingo games which are inserted into a lesson.

Online games such as the online pokies New Zealand offers are designed to captivate and entertain players. It’s not abnormal to fully immerse yourself in an online game and feeling that one more level is never enough.

However, what is it that makes us so devoted in games? Online games have been associated with the production of dopamine, which is frequently dubbed the feel-good chemical. Games utilise features such as points, leaderboards and trophies in order to motivate players to remain invested. The gamification method employs features just such as these into other activities. A great example are learning environments.

The term ‘gamification’ refers to the usage of game-like characteristics to motivate and encourage the learners to attain the desired learning outcome. Examples involve leaderboards, badges, trophies, point systems, as well as “unlocking” new content after mastery of prior content.

The Benefit Of Using Gamification In Education

The launch of progress indicators can be exceptionally motivating for students. Pushing yourself can be far simpler if you have an attainable goal. As opposed to having one set goal to work towards (which can be a bit intimidating), gamification pushes small wins that assist with motivating students.

Gamification in education is also terrific for social learning, which can be a massive motivator in itself. Some apps and websites give you the choice to link up with friends and compete against their scores, testing you to learn the most that you can.

Gamification proposes an element of play into study, which in the end makes for a fun experience. Having a goal to work towards, or a new level to attain can motivate you to study harder.

In true online or mobile gaming fashion, the challenge of attaining that new level or goal can be extremely fun. Gamification can alter the mindset of learning being a boring task into something enjoyable that students are looking forward to.