I gamified my courses and I hate that…
| Published date | 06 April 2017 |
| Date | 06 April 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-06-2016-0046 |
| Pages | 135-142 |
| Author | Mikolaj Sobocinski |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Environmental technology & innovation |
I gamified my courses
and I hate that…
Mikolaj Sobocinski
Gamedec –Game Studies and Design,
Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Abstract
Purpose –Gamification seems to solve all our problems in education. Students become engaged
and motivated –they learn so much more tha n in the traditional syst em. Conducting lessons
becomes a pleasure, an ad venture, a catharsis ! While checking attend ance, participation , quizzes, tasks,
assignments, projec ts, missions, and ques ts on a daily basis is a blis s. Unfortunately, th at is not true.
That is only a dream or part o f the advertising campaign of yet ano ther so-called professional or seas oned
gamifier. Preparing , organising, and desig ning gamified courses a re not a stroll in a park. Eve ry
teacher must forsake le isure and family time ali ke unless they have ample s upport from colleague s,
administration, and I T department. The purp ose of this paper is to pre sent the author’s appro ach to
gamification and shar e some insight into the aut hor’s experience from des igning gamified cours es and
workshops since 2009.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper concentrates on hands-on experience, mistakes,
and solutions in order to approach a major issue: should we introduce gamification in education
at all?
Findings –In reality, gamification can be the root of all evil if done too hastily, too cheerfully, and without
prior understanding of students’needs, school facilities, and our own abilities. Gamifying a classroom (or a
whole school) is a massive project which should be managed with all risks, weaknesses, and threats possible
to imagine. That is why, it is advisable to know what to expect, what to fear, and what to avoid in order to
choose the path of righteousness, to master the trade, and to reach everlasting glory. When discussing
gamification in education, we must face reality, we need to understand what gamification can provide, but
also what it can devour. Educational milieu is too sensitive and our students are too precious to apply
unverified solutions without the adequate preparations.
Originality/value –The author offers a few answers to the question as well as a handful of suggestions
towards the successful introduction of gamification in education.
Keywords Motivation, Education, Engagement, Gamification, Designing courses
Paper type Viewpoint
Gamification is everywhere. When listening to greatest enthusiasts you could think
that the Beatles would sing today “All you need is gamification”.YoucanfinditinHR,
in recruitment, in sales and marketing, in private and state schools, in kindergartens, and
at universities. It becomes a bit more problematic when trying to find out what
gamification really is, what it is supposed to do, and why it was introduced in the first
place. Quite often the so-called specialists and propagators are simply sitting on the
bandwagon doing what everybodyelseisdoing,i.e.PBLs…But ac tually, points, badges,
and leaderboard s are the root of all ev il in gamificatio n. Games are not abo ut PBLs.
They are about actions (measured in points), about challenges and achievements
(represented by badges), and about communities (stratified in leaderboards). Without
delving into those whats and whys in respect to gamification in general, this paper
focusses on gamification in education. The underlying questions remain as, “Should we
introduce gamification in education?”or more precisely “How can we reach educational
goals through gamification without losing teachers engagement?”To find the answers to
those questions, first we need to consider what gamification is, and what it is not, what it
should do for the student and for the teacher. Only then will we be able to see if
gamification is only another fad or not.
World Journal of Science,
Technology and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 14 No. 2/3, 2017
pp. 135-142
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2042-5945
DOI10.1108/WJSTSD-06-2016-0046
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5945.htm
135
I gamified my
courses and
I hate that…
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