Gamification/Game-based learning

Gamification in eLearning is a new concept in higher education recently. This new approach will provide alternative learning tools and assessments to students, but also promote self-regulated learning and in-depth thinking in their learning journey. A mobile app incorporating games and course materials of each lab session is developed to facilitate virtual teaching and learning beyond the classroom. In the game, players are requested to complete the assigned laboratory quests on an island.

Gamification has become increasingly popular and more educators want to incorporate it into their teaching. However, simply adding points, badges or leaderboards into a course may not be enough to achieve the objectives. If gamified experience is not designed properly, it is making fun of learning instead of making learning fun.

This presentation provided insights on two approaches towards developing game-based learning activities, used the examples of (1) gamifying course materials on life cycle thinking compared to (2) the design of a lecture around a serious game about sustainable consumption. Dr. Sauerwein shared the challenges and key takeaways from the two different design processes and experiences from applying both games in class.

Gamification or the process of adding game-like elements in a particular setting is gaining popularity in the higher education setting. This phenomenon is due to the positive effect of gamification in engaging the students in the cognitive, behavioral, and affective domains. To further understand how gamification works, we will be looking into the MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics) framework to understand the consumption and production of game artifacts and how it can affect your gamification design.

THE SESSION

Gamification and Game-Based Learning has drawn much attention as a pedagogy to enhance students’ enthusiasm and engagement in learning. Along with it, there are common myths like gamification is a game, and gamification is the same as game-based learning. This interactive panel discussion session will debunk the myths and introduce the fundamental game design elements to consider.