Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 1! of !

15

Gamification and Student Engagement

Corey Eng

ETD 624

Saginaw Valley State University

Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 2! of !15

Abstract

Student engagement and motivation may be the single most difficult task facing education today.

The attention span and motivation of students today is simply a fraction of what it was just a few

years ago, which leads to difficulties in behavior management. Unfortunately, these may also be

the most important aspects of education in determining student success. How do we motivate the

21st century learner and keep them engaged in their education? Gamification is a hot topic in the

field of education because of its potential to completely change the formula for educating our

youth. The following article will summarize the effects of gamification in the classroom and how

it improves student engagement.

Keywords: gamification, engagement, motivation, behavior management, learning

management system
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 3! of !15

Table of Contents

Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………. 2

What is Gamification? …………………………………………………………………….. 4

Gamification in Education ………………………………………………………………… 4

Gamification Rewards …………………………………………………………………….. 6

Research …………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………. 10

References ………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 4! of !15

Literature Review

What is Gamification?

The idea of adapting the traditional classroom experience in order to meet the needs of

today’s students is a very pressing need. Gamification is a learning management system that is

gaining intrigue within the last couple of years. Gamification is the process of using gaming

methods and mechanics in a non-gaming environment to motivate customers and employees.

According to Zicherman in his textbook Gamification by Design - Gamification was “the process

of game-thinking and game mechanics to engage users and solve problems.” It was not about

developing full-on games, but rather it was about using gaming attributes to drive engagement,

strengthen skills, or behavior changes. Learning was not made into a game; the features of games

(curiosity, collecting, exploration, and domination to name a few) which enticed players to

engage were used to draw in learners (Arnold, 2014). Gamification sought to incorporate game

elements into the classroom in which students earn coins, badges, trophies, etc., for academic or

behavioral achievements and use those rewards they had earned to level up their avatar or

purchase items.

Gamification in Education

As daunting as it might have seemed to gamify the entire classroom experience, it was

important to understand that many things around us had been gamified for quite some time. For

example, frequent flyer programs represented a form of gamification in that an individual’s

loyalty to a particular airline by repeated business was rewarded with miles which act as a form

of gamified currency to be used for air travel, upgrades, priority booking, or other related

services (Wiggins, 2016). This motivated customers to continue to fly and made customers eager
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 5! of !15

to purchase more in order to receive certain rewards. This philosophy was used in many

businesses within many different fields.

Within the classroom, gamification worked the same way. Students became motivated to

participate in class, follow directions, or complete an assignment accurately because they wanted

the rewards, badges, etc. One such gamification software called Classcraft was quite popular.

Classcraft was a program that brought education to life as it immersed students in a world where

they sought to level up their character, purchase items or gear, and complete quests. The students

earned rewards, in the form of virtual gold, for positive behavior within the classroom and saved

that gold to purchase items and upgrades within the game. Students also have negative

consequences for poor behavior that affect them negatively in the game. Classcraft offered

educators and parents alike data regarding student success and student achievement. Classcraft,

unfortunately, was not free, but was very highly recommended by teachers across the country.

This motivation for the game within the classroom naturally led to some students

performing better in the classroom. The ultimate goal being that the student’s motivation towards

the game transitioned to intrinsic motivation towards performing well in school. After students

began to be successful because of their motivation towards the game they could get a taste of

success. Students could realize that they are suddenly quite successful at school and they would

hopefully want to retain that success. Sometimes students did not know what it was like to be

successful in school and thus, were not motivated to be successful. An extrinsic motivator like

gamification led to students altering their efforts at school without them really realizing it

because they were so focused on the game and the reward. Although it would have been better
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 6! of !15

for the student to be motivated to learn and achieve at school naturally, it was better for a student

to be extrinsically motivated than not motivated at all.

Gamification Rewards

Rewards within a gamified classroom could be broken down into two main categories:

self-motivators and social-motivators. Self-motivators were rewards that enticed the student to

compete against oneself. By obtaining rewards the student was trying to “level up” and gain a

higher status than previously attained. The second category, social-motivators, were motivational

factors that helped the student compete against other students. For example, students might try to

gain more rewards than their friends. Here are some possible rewards within a gamified

classroom:

-Badges: Badges were earned within the gamified learning management system and

displayed student success. Badges gave students an opportunity to show their achievements

in an effort to receive social recognition. Students earned badges for completing objectives,

for the accumulation of points, or for gaining experience.

-Feedback: Within the gamified classroom, students received a plethora of feedback from

their teacher(s) related to their behavioral or academic achievement. This feedback motivated

students and gave them a sense of pride. Who would not like to receive positive feedback?

-Levels: Within the game people could be motivated by milestones. In a gamified classroom

students sought to “level up” their character by achieving certain tasks or by accumulating

rewards. This motivational factor, as simple as it was, led to student engagement in the

classroom.
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 7! of !15

-Leaderboards: Leaderboards offered students an opportunity to publicly display their

success and triumphs. The leaderboard allowed students to achieve recognition from their

peers and create some sense of competition.

-Avatars: Within the gamification programs students received gear, armor, or other physical

modifications to their avatar. This sense of attaining new items was quite motivating for

students.

Research

Research regarding the effects of gamification on student motivation was mostly

inconclusive. Studies and surveys showed that students enjoyed the implementation of

gamification but it was unknown exactly how well it effected the students directly and their

motivation in the classroom. To that end, it was specifically difficult to narrow down which

aspects of gamification were truly the most beneficial. Some research, provided hereafter, made

some connections to specific aspects of gamification and how they related to an increase in

student engagement and motivation.

In looking at research regarding gamification, certain underlying dynamics and concepts

found in game design proved to be more consistently successful than others when applied to

learning environments, these were: freedom to fail, rapid feedback, progression, and storytelling

(Stott, 2013).

Freedom to fail implied that users within a gamified environment felt that mistakes could

be made and risks could be taken without any real threat of danger. Due to receiving multiple

lives or the ability to start again, students felt more comfortable and thus more opportunities for

learning were available. Creating a learning environment in which students were not afraid to
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 8! of !15

take risks was a proven benefit for students. Students felt more apt to try something new or do

something out of their comfort zone when they knew that there was no irreparable damage that

could be done such as in receiving a poor grade on an assessment or a project. If students were

encouraged to take risks and experiment, the focus was taken away from final results and re-

centered on the process of learning instead (Stott, 2013).

Rapid feedback within gamification gave students a constant awareness of their success

in completing a desired learning outcome. This consistent acknowledgment of their success

again, helped students take risks, and eliminated the fear of the unknown. Feedback was given

moment by moment, and often summarily at the end of a level or in boss battles, which required

players to integrate many of the separate skills they had picked up in prior battles with lesser

enemies (Stott, 2013).

Progression within a gamified learning environment related closely to scaffolded

instruction within a traditional learning environment (Stott, 2013). Students received consistent

updates towards their progress and continually were faced with challenges and benchmarks to

reach. With progression, a logical sequence of learning objectives could be created smoothly as

well. Beginning with incorporating lower order thinking skills into the first stages (identifying,

remembering, understanding), progressing to higher order thinking skills in subsequent levels

(analyzing, evaluating, critiquing, summarizing) and finally arriving at the highest order thinking

skills in the final levels (composing, creating, designing, planning, inventing) (Stott, 2013).

Storytelling was a crucial part of gamification that appealed to students - specifically

young students. When a set of learning objectives appeared to be in the linear pattern of a
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 9! of !15

narrative, it became more enticing for a young student to be motivated and excited about

learning.

These game dynamics of the Freedom to Fail, Rapid Feedback, Progression, and

Storytelling were elements that an educator interested in harnessing the effectiveness of games

would be smart to focus on as they were shown to be grounded in proven pedagogical practices

(Stott, 2013).

Professor Clifford Lampe was an Assistant Professor at the School of Information at the

University of Michigan. Lampe utilized gamification principles in his 200-student lecture class

titled UMSI 110 - Introduction to Information Studies. Lampe identified four elements of gaming

in particular as being effective in his classes: Choice (Freedom to Fail), Rapid Feedback,

Collaborative Processes, and Competition (Stott, 2013).

Professor Lampe argued that one of the most effective aspects of gamification was the

freedom of choice. He integrated this feature into his class by allowing students options for how

to play out their assignments. At the beginning of the semester, students created a 'quest log’ in

which they identified learning objectives that they would partake in. Students were able to drop

quests that they were not interested in. Also, the assignments were leveled by Lampe, in which

higher level assignments were not available until they were “unlocked” by the student (Stott,

2013).

Lampe identified that the rigors of providing rapid feedback to students created an

increased work load for himself as the professor. To combat this, Lampe used one of his teaching

assistants to be the “grades master” in charge of providing consistent feedback to students. The
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
10

difficulty of providing consistent feedback in a gamified classroom becomes problematic

because having a teaching assistant is not feasible in a general education classroom.

To include elements of collaboration Lampe incorporated groups of students called

“guilds” and guild quests for students to explore. This certainly appealed to certain students and

made for an engaging atmosphere.

Lampe integrated Live Action Role Play into the curriculum. He went so far as to have

students dress up as a character of their choice and 'battle' in class against one another,

showcasing their knowledge of different concepts covered in the course. The 'head-to-head'

nature of this role play element relied on competition as a key motivator. It also provided

students with a valuable alternative way to showcase their comprehension (Stott, 2013).

Conclusions

Gamification is undoubtedly an intriguing way to excite students within a classroom and

form some sense of ownership over their learning. Gamification hasn't truly been proven to

create student success, to increase motivation or engagement because truly gamifying the entire

classroom may not be a one size fits all method. It is important to understand that many teachers

use elements of gamification all the time and have been for some time.

It would be suggested, within this review of the literature, to implement and highlight the

aforementioned aspects of gamification: Freedom to Fail, Rapid Feedback, Progression, and

Storytelling.
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
11

References

Arnold, B. (2014). Gamification in Education. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brian_Arnold3/publication/

295401531_Gamification_in_Education/links/56c9ea4308ae11063709a99d.pdf

Borges, S., Durelli, V., Reis, H., Isotani, S. (2014). A Systematic Mapping on Gamification

Applied to Education. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seiji_Isotani/publication/

264977730_A_Systematic_Mapping_on_Gamification_Applied_to_Education/links/

53fa1b4d0cf2e3cbf56257d7/A-Systematic-Mapping-on-Gamification-Applied-to-

Education.pdf

Caponetto, I., Earp, J., Ott, M. Gamification and Education: A Literature Review. Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2b9b/64350c1d2d6f9103b8505612e98afb1da3bb.pdf

Carlson, J., Harris, R., Harris, K. (2017). Coin Counter: Gamification for Classroom

Management. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1151720.pdf

Cekar, E., Ozdamli, F. (2017). What “Gamification” is and What it’s Not. Retrieved from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1146137.pdf

Dicheva, D., Dichev, C., Agre., G, Angelova, G. (2015). Gamification in Education: A

Systematic Mapping Study. Retrieved from

https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/39683102/

Gamification_in_Education_A_Systematic_M20151104-8546-1cs0c99.pdf?

AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1538953036&Signature=
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
12

kzctp1ODbQEB5ZZ6UVGnSUMArqw%3D&response-content-

disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DGamification_in_Education_A_Systematic_M.p

df

Hamari, J., Kivisto, J., Sarsa, H. (2014). Does Gamification Work? A Literature Review of

Empirical Studies on Gamification. Retrieved from

https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings/hicss/2014/2504/00/2504d025-abs.html

Huang, W., Soman, D. (2013). A Practitioner’s Guide to Gamification of Education. Retrieved

https://inside.rotman.utoronto.ca/behaviouraleconomicsinaction/files/2013/09/

GuideGamificationEducationDec2013.pdf

Hung, A. (2017). A Critique and Defense of Gamification. Journal of Interactive Online

Learning. Retreived from http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/15.1.4.pdf

Kapp, K. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and

Strategies for Training and Education. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=M2Rb9ZtFxccC&oi=fnd&pg=PR12&dq=gamification&ots=JxKkZ38Cb

G&sig=6xmI9TR49KX-HbGtaLIJ5jFchZ4#v=onepage&q=gamification&f=false

Kapp, K. (2014). Gamification: Separating Fact From Fiction. Retrieved from

http://ww.w.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Clomedia/Gamification%20-

%20Separating%20Fact%20from%20Fiction%20(Mar%2014).pdf

Kiryakova, G., Angelova, N., Yordanova, L. Gamification in Education. Retrieved from

http://www.sun.ac.za/english/learning-teaching/ctl/Documents/

Gamification%20in%20education.pdf
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
13

Lee, J., Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother? Retrieved from

http://www.academia.edu/570970/Gamification_in_Education_What_How_Why_Bother\

Ling, L. (2018) Meaningful Gamificatoin and Students’ Motivation: A Strategy for Scaffolding

Reading Material. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1181400.pdf

Miller, C. The Gamification of Education. Retrieved from

https://absel-ojs-ttu.tdl.org/absel/index.php/absel/article/viewFile/40/38

Muntean, C. Raising Engagement in E-Learning Through Gamification Retrieved from

http://icvl.eu/2011/disc/icvl/documente/pdf/met/

ICVL_ModelsAndMethodologies_paper42.pdf

Nah, F., Telaprolu, V., Rallapalli, S., Venkata, P. (2013). Gamification of Education Using

Computer Games. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fiona_Nah/publication/

262403649_Gamification_of_Education_Using_Computer_Games/links/

556d13fb08aec22683054c22.pdf

Nah, F., Zeng, Q., Telaprolu, V. (2014). Gamification of Education: A Review of Literature.

Retrieved from http://www.jackqingzeng.com/pdf/gamification.pdf

Ruzic, I., Dumancic, M. (2015). Gamification in Education. Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a692/3759b97afc445a41b53b51ef11f57a1bb2ca.pdf

Sailer, M., Hense, J., Mayr, S., Mandl, H. (2017). How Gamification Motivates: An

Experimental Study of the Effects of Specific Game Design Elements on Psychological

Need Satisfaction. Retrieved from

Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
14

https://ac.els-cdn.com/S074756321630855X/1-s2.0-S074756321630855X-main.pdf?

_tid=9a5ded8c-5570-4731-

ba16-2a4e09dbbab6&acdnat=1538949532_91f2d90374d37cb16ef9ecf6af865e38

Sanchez - Mena, A., Marti-Parreno, Jose. Drivers and Barriers to Adopting Gamification:

Teachers’ Perspectives. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1157970.pdf

Simoes, J., Redondo, R., Vilas, A. (2012). A Social Gamification Framework for a K-6 Learning

Platform. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jorge_Simoes/publication/

230854806_A_social_gamification_framework_for_a_K-6_learning_platform/links/

5ad0983e4585154f3f48559f/A-social-gamification-framework-for-a-K-6-learning-

platform.pdf

Stott, A., Neustaedter, C. (2013). Analysis of Gamification in Education. Retrieved from

http://clab.iat.sfu.ca/pubs/Stott-Gamification.pdf

Surendeleg, G., Murwa, V., Yun, H., Kim, Y. (2014). The Role of Gamification in Education - A

Literature Review. Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6e4f/3671707bdb8dcff34a790cce269e69bd021b.pdf

Wiggins, B., (2016). An Overview and Study on the Use of Games, Simulations, and

Gamification in Higher Education. Retrieved from

https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/41770490/An-Overview-and-Study-

on-the-Use-of-Games-Simulations-and-Gamification-in-Higher-Education.pdf?

AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1540167092&Signature=

MXMuzfjBfTzc1%2B4jTREy0vyAOGU%3D&response-content-
Running head: GAMIFICATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ! of !15
15

disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DAn_Overview_and_Study_on_the_Use_of_Ga

me.pdf