Game on!: Incorporating gamification into e-learning

Katy Montgomery

It’s the 80s, and the process of sales forecasting has a group of third graders enthralled. They clamor to be the next one to make mathematical calculations. What could drive such enthusiasm? Was it a top-notch teacher?  A promise of ice-cream or extra recess? Nope …

It was a computer game called Lemonade Stand. I was one of those third graders, and I can tell you it was better than extra recess. While practicing some relatively advanced math skills, I had no awareness at all that I was doing “work.” Instead, I was engrossed by the game’s decision making, consequences, variable factors like the weather, and even the now-primitive graphics. (If you’re curious about Lemonade Stand, a Business Insider article has links to an archived version of this game and others like Oregon Trail.)

Later, as an instructor, I instinctively incorporated many games into my classroom to engage my university students in a similar factor. These ranged from a low-tech betting game where teams wagered on whether the grammar in a sentence was incorrect or correct to jazzy review games through the Kahoot! app. These learners seemed to love and benefit from this approach as much as I did as third grader.

Research supports the effectiveness of gamification. Studies confirm what is clearly evident without formal research: gamification is more interesting for the learner (Randel et al., 1992, as cited in Kapp, 2012). Because of this appeal, learners are likely to be more willing to engage with a learning task and for a longer period of time. Another meta-analysis showed that learners are 20% more confident and retain 9% more when learning through gamification (Sitzmann, 2011, as cited in Kapp, 2012). 

With all of this support, let’s explore some gamification techniques that can be used with e-learning:

Rewards: Gamification is about rewarding learners by making them feel good about their accomplishments (E-Learning Uncovered, 2016). Rewards never need to be something tangible. I can attest to this firsthand through experiences with my students.  Other teachers who were curious about my gamification approach would ask, “But what do you do for prizes?” I’d explain that prizes were never necessary. Students were more than happy with a simple round of applause and the satisfaction of achievement. I loved the joy on their faces after winning the game or even just a round. In e-learning environments, badges, points, and progress trackers would be a few ways to incorporate these intangible rewards.

Storytelling: Many games incorporate a storyline. Mario must rescue the princess.  Settlers want control of Catan. Even Frogger needs to cross the street. Karl Kapp (2012) explains, “The element of ‘story’ provides relevance and meaning to the experience” (p. 41). He adds, “Learners, students, and employees remember stories more effectively than random lists of policies and procedures” (p. 42). Therefore, with scenario-based e-learning, carefully developing the story surrounding the scenario is a worthwhile endeavor. In all kinds of e-learning, if the story involves a journey of some sort, incorporating a map element can add interest to it (E-Learning Uncovered, 2016). Personally, I still remember the thrill of unlocking each new theme-based land while playing Super Mario Brothers 3.

Goals: Of course, in every game there is the goal to “win” in one manner or another.  Incorporating goals into e-learning is an important component of a gamified approach. In scenario-based e-learning, completing the task successfully creates a natural goal. In other types of e-learning, a mystery to solve or a set of unanswered questions can also be developed to create a goal (Kapp, 2012). I used to employ this technique when introducing a new topic in the classroom, and it always seemed to pique my students’ interest. Additionally, games generally include either conflict, competition or cooperation (Kapp, 2012), and one of these elements can be incorporated into the goals.

Replays: Computer games give players the option to restart and try again, and through this, they learn from their mistakes. Giving learners this freedom is also beneficial: “Allowing a player to fail with minimal consequences encourages exploration, curiosity, and discovery-based learning. Knowing that you can always restart the game provides a sense of freedom …” (Kapp, 2012, p. 48).

Personalization: It’s especially fun when we enter our name in a game and then see it used in the context, right? Asking learners to share their name and incorporating it into the e-learning can also increase a learner’s engagement (E-Learning Uncovered, 2016). Letting them choose among avatars also brings in this sense of personalization.

Incorporating one or these gamification techniques into e-learning is likely to elevate learner motivation.

For more discussion about gamification, check out my blog article The solid foundations supporting gamification.

References

E-Learning Uncovered. (2016, June 14). E Learning Gamification Made Simple [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Hwpp1jWok&feature=youtu.be

Gilbert, B. (2020, April 11). How to play the best educational game classics of all time, from 'The Oregon Trail' to 'Number Munchers'. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-play-the-oregon-trail-online-2020-4. 

Kapp, K. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.