Summary of Chapter 4 in Wankel in relation to Learning Module

Chapter 4 in Wankel opens with a “Congratulations! You have unlocked the gamification badge.” (p. 68). Stayce DuBravac’s introduction sets the reader up for some of the articles basic ideas. There are many intrinsic motivating elements within gaming. Games are supposed to be pleasurable and confidence boosting. Therefore, the opening congratulation is a confidence booster based on accomplishment. Unlocking the gamification badge uses “fun” language, which can be more playful then simply stating that you have passed an examination.  DuBravac writes that gamification of education improves motivation, sustains learner engagement, increases satisfaction and loyalty.  This will not only be a summary of DuBravac’s chapter, but also demonstrate relevance to a learning module about accessing information. 

Gamification is the process of integrating game mechanics into a system. (p. 75) DuBravac’s chapter outlines 7 basic game mechanics: achievement, appointment, rewards, leaderboards, privacy, social engagement loops and modifiers.  I will not use all 7 basic game mechanics in my learning module, but I will use most. Achievement as a game mechanic will be used.  There will be levels in the final assessment of the module.  The way the assessment is designed, you will need the answer to question #1 to find the answer to question #2.  Therefore, the answer to question #2 will be a clue to answering question #3 – and so forth.  The students will have to progress through the questions in order in completing the assessment.  I will not be using the game mechanics of appointments or leaderboards.  As defined in the chapter, appointment means that there will be a specific time that the instructor and students meet.  I will have deadlines, but no classes in virtual reality or conference calls in which the students and instructor have to be present by appointment.  Displaying a leaderboard is similar to showing the High Scores on a video game.  I plan on keeping achievement private – as is one of the outlined game mechanics.  There will be reward for social engagement, students will get points for participating in discussion.  Modifiers, as defined in this chapter, are similar to bonus points in video games.  I will try to integrate this game mechanic into the first assessment of the module.  If the students find a 4^th relevant peer reviewed journal article relevant to their assignment, I will grant bonus points for the final assessment.

There are many lessons learned in the chapter concerning implementing gamification. Make sure the learning isn’t diluted in the designing of the game.   There must be clear learning objectives.  There must be a relationship between the gaming activities and the learning goals. Another suggestion is to increase the difficulty of the game with decreasing rewards.  These suggestions will be taken into consideration in designing the learning module.

References

DuBravac, S. (2012). Game Mechanics for Classroom Engagement. In C. Wankel, & P. Blessinger, Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Immersive Interfaces: Virtual Worlds, Gaming, and Simulation (pp. 67-94). New York, NY: Emerald Group Publishing.