How can you use gamification to enhance student engagement in higher education?

Active learning teaches students to develop a common language to work with others. I believe this is a life-long skill that will be useful in real world settings. I have discussed this issue with an emphasis on project-based learning at Association of Psychological Science's magazine, Observer. The link is below for interested parties: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/ozge-guracnli-fischer-baum-common-language

"Doing" is an important part of active learning. It is how I went from being rubbish at DIY to being okay. Anything that requires students to do something is the starting point for a form of active learning. The next step is reflecting - how did it go, what could I have done differently or better? Then planning - if I do it again, I'll try doing it like this. Even better is iteration - do it again and demonstrate that you can do it better.

Active learning is an educational approach that involves the students in the learning activity through activities and experiences, vs the one directional / passive forms such as lectures and rote learning. The methods use in active learning are many including 1. Group discussions and debates 2. Case studies 3. Simulations 4. Collaborative projects and a lot many interactive technology based activities

In my experience, gamification yields more motivational outcomes in mobile apps than it does on traditional learning management systems. The key is to make the reward immediately visible to the game player and immediately publicise the achievement. This stimulates further engagement in the game from all players.

For me gamification is simply means making something fun and by virtue interesting. Games mean lots of different things to different people and all types of games can be used to achieve learning, from card games to ones involving physical movement and everything in between.

Gamification is essentially learning from games. Every game appeals to certain values/ core drives within us that motivate us towards certain activities. These core drives includes ownership, social influence, accomplishments, and a lot more. You can check out the Octalysis Framework to see the full list. Features such as badges, leaderboard, progress bar, milestone unlocks, avatar, quests help unlock these core drives.

There can be many benefits, but I think a major one is making a subject more interesting and therefore engaging for students. Games can increase enjoyment and motivation but they can also inspire learning and encourage questioning.

If we are talking about university students, I am not convinced that gamification is (a) good for all disciplines, and (b) the best approach for student engagement. I am a strong proponent of applied knowledge, and am fully in favor of problem solving, creative thinking, and learning by doing (particularly in groups with peers where the professor is not the sage on the stage but a guide on the side). However, it would depend on the particular discipline in terms of how those targets are achieved through carefully designed activities. To me, gamification at university levels represents edutainment and a dumbing down of our students. Student engagement is critical, but gamification would not be my first choice.

The biggest challenge is probably finding or designing a game that works. You can start small and adapt (I'm using colourful buttons to teach segmentation) or you can go big and create a game from scratch (I have a deck building game to introduce students to the concept of SWOT). The next biggest challenge is likely to be resistance from students whose expectations may be of more formal academic interactions, so explaining the purpose of an activity and reflecting on the results are imperative, especially linking it to learning outcomes and assessments.

1. Keep it simple. Use tools that are easy for both learners and facilitators to understand. 2. Be strategic. It may not be wise to gamify an entire course. Identify the low moments of the course and bring them to life with games at those points. 3. Be consistent. Have a fair approach to how games are introduced, played and rewarded. 4. Bridge the lesson. They played a game, make it clear how the game play is linked to the learning outcomes.

There are groups you can join (Playful Learning Association, Active Learning Network, Professors at Play) where you'll get to meet like-minded people. Borrow ideas from others: I use an ice-breaker based on one I was part of and a method of teaching quality systems/supply chain (using Sticklebricks) that was part of a continuous improvement course. Adapt what already exists, an accounting colleague starts one of her modules by getting the students to play a version of Monopoly. Or lastly you can talk to me as games and activities are my area of interest and I'm always looking to work with others.