Gamification - Making Learning Fun and Enjoyable

Gamification refers to the use of game attributes in a non-gaming context. The non-gaming context can be teaching and learning activities.¹ We, as educators, can incorporate this into our day-to-day teaching activities by simple techniques and strategies. By this, I mean that gamification is not a teaching learning method per se, but it can be used as an instructional design or an add-on to any of the teaching learning methods we use. It is a relatively easy and simple process which can benefit the students.

Let us understand the steps involved in gamification of education. The first step is to have our educational objectives clearly defined. Then look for the scope of integrating game mechanics or game design in the process. Think of the game attributes which you can bring in. Game attributes can be in the form of rewards, badges, leaderboards, donuts, points, scores, etc. The game design elements can be in the form of goals, challenges, teams, time limits, number of attempts, competition, etc. Further, ensure alignment of the objectives and gamification strategy with the course curriculum. By following these steps, we can maximize the benefits for students.

Various gamification techniques and tools are already in use, but the sky is the limit. You can also think and discover new techniques for gamification. The tools can be digital or non-digital. Digital tools make it much easier for the teachers. The present tech-savvy students f ind them more attractive. With the wide range of digital tools and apps available, transforming routine classes into more fun-filled and engaging sessions is not all that difficult. These become handy especially when you feel or sense that the students are getting bored, or they are moving away from your attention sphere. A five to ten-minute session of gamification can bring back the attention of students and subsequently the remaining class will be well-received by the students. Believe me, this not only makes learning fun for students, but also brings a sense of satisfaction to teachers. The students will remember this experience for a long time as it creates memories.

For complex and high-yield topics, it is worth having a class exclusively for gamification using non-digital tools. Decision making cards is a good example for the same.² An improvement in the confidence, clinical reasoning skills among the students and motivation was observed with this. The non-digital tools may require proper planning, adequate preparation, trial runs, more time and resources, and efforts from teachers. But it is definitely worth since the present generation of students have no dearth to resources and information, and what they need from their teachers is not a mere transfer of knowledge, facts, and content, but an emphasis on complex concepts and an in-depth understanding, apart from generating curiosity, interest and passion for the subject.

The advantages of gamification are manifold. It is simple and feasible. It increases students’ interest and motivation. It can enhance students’ understanding and retention of concepts. It may help build teamwork skills and communication abilities among students. It can also aid in building better teacher-student rapport. It makes the classroom atmosphere livelier, and fun filled.

So, Game-on and transform your classes into sessions that students will eagerly wait for!

Conflict of Interest

Nil