Gamification- done right?

The hot topic of the town. A thing we all love to do. A technique that is sure to support positive reinforcement and results. A process that is sure to fetch us the desirable outcomes. That’s right. We are taking to the tea-table, gamified learning again. Only this time, let’s get a little critical.

We all love playing games, don’t we? In fact, we spent most of our time in the lockdown inventing them; that determination mode when you are challenged, the “hurrah!” when you make the right move, and the joy of having accomplished it all. In a way, every experimentation uses a gamified mode in its course. But what exactly could go wrong with it? As with everything, gamification has its merits and demerits too.

Let’s check the demerits first:

• Could it get a tad bit manipulative? Gamification in learning may turn out to be manipulative rather than a more complex and motivational game design. A thing to remember from our last blog is the fact that this technique is used to derive the desired outcome primarily by retaining the student’s attention. However, overindulgence can lead to a form of manipulation.
• Aggression over healthy competition? This is pretty subjective, but a learning space consists of kids with different personalities, attitudes, and from all walks of life. So, positive reinforcements or awards, such as badges, scores, or level advancements, have the capability to build hostility among peers under unsupervised circumstances.
• Is it flexible in isolation? Not exactly. Gamification demands relatedness and therefore cannot be executed with precision in isolation, i.e., it may not seem effective with a single target. Yet, the points and badges can make way into daily activities.
• Gamify a physical space, really? Yes, it might seem difficult to gamify a physical learning space without access to computers and the internet, and as we know, that is a privilege.

Gamification does not restrict itself to classrooms. It is used in corporate workplaces as means to derive positive results from employees. Therefore, this “give and take” method has a huge scope that might not be transparent at the moment. That said, let’s look at how gamified learning is an advantage:

• It ensures a high engagement and performance rate. As with any game that indulges and keeps our determination to face the challenges intact, gamification in classrooms ensures this effective formula.
• The instant feedback procedure. Just like the feedback you receive for a well-cooked meal, gamification can provide instant feedback to both the learner and the educator in the form of positive reinforcements like badges, points, etc. as the performance is evident and visible to both parties.
• The three key principles are a perk. The product of a gamified learning environment is a self-driven student (autonomy or ownership of learning), who has an integrated sense of mission with peers yet is individually competitive.
• The freedom to fail. Gamification provides opportunities for learners to take up challenges in the form of levels and focus on overcoming them without the fear of failing for gamification does not regard the concept of failure.