Using gamification to enhance learning

The world of education is changing at a rapid speed and teachers are always striving to protect pupils from falling asleep during lectures. Enter “gamification”, which incorporates game-like elements such as points, badges, leaderboards and challenges into non-game scenarios to boost user motivation and engagement.

Why this sudden obsession? We should blame it on our goldfish-like focus. Gloria Mark, an American psychologist who studies how people interact with information technology in their everyday lives, mentioned in a podcast in 2023, that our screen attention spans had dropped substantially from an average of 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds lately. That’s hardly enough time to cook popcorn!

With attention spans crashing faster than Wi-Fi, instructors are looking for strategies to keep pupils interested long enough to learn something. But gamification isn’t limited to classrooms. It’s spreading like wildfire throughout training programmes, health promotion, and ever our favourite applications. Udemy, Notion and Amazon utilise quests, progress bars, and loyalty programmes to make monotonous chores seem more enjoyable.

In education, gamification has transformed learning from a dreaded chore into something that might, just might, be enjoyable. Students who find themselves knee-deep in interactive and challenging activities can enter a state of “flow”— a psychological term that means they’re so absorbed in the task they forget they’re learning and not just playing a super intense game of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’. And who doesn’t want their learning experience to feel like a million bucks? But before we get too carried away, let’s pause and ask: Is gamification really the cheat code to better learning, or are we just playing a flashy demo with no real substance? Past studies indicate it has a substantially positive impact on motivation and engagement, resulting in improved learning outcomes.

Part of academic culture

At the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, gamification is not just a buzzword but is a part of the academic culture. Management studies can often be overwhelming and stressful but initiatives like colouring sessions help students relieve stress and boosts creativity. Faculty members enhance relatability by incorporating pop culture references to explain complex concepts and strategies, making lessons enjoyable for younger audiences. Simulation exercises are a key feature in marketing and strategy courses, allowing students to test decision-making in realistic scenarios.

The course ‘discovering self’ also emphasises understanding personal motives and team dynamics, where students work in assigned teams with an observer to provide feedback. The game of poker is the nucleus of the course ‘Competitive Strategy: the Game of Poker’ (CSP) in which students play tournaments and cash game formats with notional currency. There are competitive tournaments every week and the students (players) compete very hard to ensure that they are at the top of the leader board.

But what makes gamification such a power-up for education? Some experts argue that gamification taps into fundamental psychological drivers for achievement and recognition. Gamified learning elements like earning points for assignments, flexible due dates, and real-time progress feedback harness motivation. Adrián Domínguez at the University of Alcalá in Spain who studies gamification of e-learning demonstrated that students who participated in a gamified course displayed higher levels of engagement and motivation than those who enrolled in a standard course, provided additional support. The research used a gamified learning environment inside a university context, whereby students were rewarded with badges and points for completing tasks.

Of course, it’s not all rainbows and power-ups. While gamification has shown promise, it’s also run into a few glitches. Recent reports revealed some mixed results, proving that not all students are motivated by the same things. Some thrive on competition and love seeing their names atop leaderboards, while others might find this overwhelming or dislike comparison. The takeaway? Personalisation is key. Customised learning environments can be adapted to meet the specific requirements of each student.

Double-edged sword but

But wait — there’s more! Assessing the effects of gamification in the classroom, Hanus and Fox took a closer look at gamification and discovered that, while it might boost engagement at first, the effects tend to wear off faster than you can say “extra credit.” Their research warned that focusing too much on external rewards like badges and points could actually backfire, decreasing students’ intrinsic motivation. The lesson here? Don’t let gamification take over the game of education. It’s all about balance, much as in a Pokémon team.

But, before we start levelling up our lesson plans, keep in mind that gamification works best in contexts where pupils have some intrinsic drive. In investigating the impact of game-based methods and strategies for training and education, Karl Kapp at Bloomsburg University showed that gamification may boost learning when students are already eager to learn.

As education continues its epic journey through the digital era, gamification is poised to play an increasingly important role. But educators should wield this tool with caution — like a double-edged sword in an RPG. Gamification should enhance traditional teaching methods, not replace them. When done right, it can turn education into an epic adventure for students of all backgrounds. And who knows? Maybe one day, learning might just be more fun than beating the final boss.

(Anupam Das is an Associate Professor in Humanities & Liberal Arts in Management at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode; Aman Kumar is a doctoral student at IIMK)