This week we focused on gaming in education and ways to use games to educate students. I think it is important to harness whatever we can to engage and motivate students to learn and enjoy learning. I have seen this type of learning used for computer science and coding languages, however, this was the first time I saw math and other subjects taught through video games. I believe if I can find a way to bring video games into biology classrooms I will be able to engage a broader range of students and make the material more accessible.
I don’t know a lot about gamification, however, I found an study by Gooch et al. which outlines the process of using the application ClassDojo to enhance learning and motivation in students with dyslexia that are transitioning from middle to high school (2016). The overall process of gamifying the curriculum to fit the application was described as flexible and easy (Gooch et al., 2016). ClassDojo allows teacher to manipulate the course while it is in session which is useful to have a fluid class, there are always changing circumstances in any class (Gooch et al., 2016). This research illustrates how the use of gamification can result in higher motivation for students – perhaps this motivation can be attributed to the customizable design of the application and the appropriate use from the teachers (Gooch et al., 2016). The approach presented in this study gives students the ability to be autonomous in their classroom, furthermore, it allows them to take control of their education. Research by Evans & Boucher shows that when students are put in control of their education they are more satisfied; and when students feel satisfied with their work they are more likely to continue their pursuits in that area (2015). Although this is probably one of many applications and resources there are for gamification, it will take me a lot of time to navigate the amangamation of biology and video games. I am sure there are plenty of applications out there that are educational and enjoyable that can be used in a classroom; I will just need to search high and low for them!
As much as I love gamification and the motivation it inspires in students I cannot ignore it’s downfalls. Not only does it increase students screen time but it can also be polarizing for some students. Okay now, I feel like I am flogging a dead horse as I speak to this again: technology and the access that students have to it. As I mentioned in my blog about flipped learning and possibly my SAMR blog, not all students have access to the same level of technology at home. I find that this is becoming a theme with the new and upcoming pedagogies. I love the use of technology in learning, and I think technology should be used to show students how much access they have to information and how many ways they can learn. I just think that pedagogies like gamification may give some students an unfair advantage. Nevertheless, no pedagogy is perfect, and if there is adequate technology available in the classroom to include all the students in learning in a way that works for them I see no reason not to offer gamification for the students who will benefit from it.
Works cited:
Evans, M., & Boucher, A. R. (2015). Optimizing the Power of Choice: Supporting Student Autonomy to Foster Motivation and Engagement in Learning. Mind, Brain, and Education, 9(2), 87–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12073
Gooch, D., Vasalou, A., Benton, L., & Khaled, R. (2016). Using Gamification to Motivate Students with Dyslexia. Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858231