Summary of Gamification applied to Education for the Report

Gamification applied to education is a new way of teaching, guiding students in the acquisition of knowledge through new methodologie that provide them a more meaningful learning. It consists in crate learning situations that allow them to obtain certain skills and knowledge. There are many definitions of this new concept, but we can say that the gamification in education consists in applying concepts and dynamics of game design that stimulate and make more attractive the student's interaction with the learning process, in order to acquire certain results appropriately. Concluding, gamification describes the process of applying game-related principles — particularly those relating to user experience and engagement — to non-game contexts such as education. It is different from game-based learning in that it does not involve students making their own games or playing commercially-made video games. It operates under the assumption that the kind of engagement that gamers experience with games can be translated to an educational context towards the goals of facilitating learning and influencing student behavior. Game elements: Narrative, Immediate feedback, Fun, “Scaffolded learning", Mastery, Progress indicators, Social connection, Player control. A classroom that contains some or all of these elements can be considered a “gamified" classroom. The best combinations, the ones that create sustained engagement, consider the unique needs of the learners and do more than just use points and levels to motivate players. The most effective gamification systems make use of other elements such as narrative and connection with fellow players/learners to really capture the learner’s interest. Benefits to Gamification in Education - Students feel ownership over their learning - More relaxed atmosphere in regard to failure, since learners can simply try again - More fun in the classroom - Learning becomes visible through progress indicators - Students may uncover intrinsic motivation for learning Application There are three main ways that gamification can be applied to a learning environment. These include - adapting grades - changing the classroom language - modifying the structure of the class To gamify the structure of the classroom, a teacher might organize students into “guilds" or “leagues" that work together to complete quests and rack up points. A structural narrative can also function as a strong motivator and as reinforcement for the learning material, especially if the narrative fits the learning content.