A Note on Gamification

While Mayer did not directly address gamification through any of his twelve principles, it is worth noting the benefits and drawbacks of this approach.

Gamification, characterized by the integration of game-like elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards into learning experiences, has gained immense popularity for its potential to increase engagement and help motivate the learner to continue through the course.

These elements provide immediate feedback to learners, reinforcing correct behaviors and decisions.

For example, receiving badges for completing modules or progressing through levels can incentivize learners to stay engaged and complete courses.

However, gamified learning experiences can require cognitive effort to navigate. The more complicated the gaming elements are, the more effort it takes to play the game.

As we know, learners have a limited capacity to process information. If they use their cognitive energy to figure out how to navigate the game, their capacity to learn the lesson content may decrease.

For instance, interactive simulations or games that require problem-solving skills unrelated to the learning content may require cognitive effort that could have been used to learn the lesson content.

This trade-off underscores the importance of carefully balancing engagement and cognitive load in instructional design.

If our goal is to reduce the extraneous cognitive load of our learners, we need to be careful with the gamification elements we choose to include in our courses.

Consider the difference between an escape room style training like the one shown below compared to a training that gives the learner coins for each answer they get right.

When completing the escape the room training, much of the learner’s energy is used to figure out the clues rather than learn the content. However, receiving coins for correct answers is engaging, motivates the learner, and does not distract from learning.

CONCLUSION

When considering adding gamification into a learning content, it is essential to prioritize minimizing extraneous cognitive load while maximizing learner engagement.

By evaluating the motivational benefits against potential distractions, you can refine gamification elements to align more closely with educational goals.

ASK YOURSELF

• Is this gamification strategy more motivating or distracting?
• Are there any aspects of the gamification that I can simplify?