EDUC 630
Many of today’s students are motivated by their interests and things that maintain their attention. Games offer a tool that teachers can utilize to capture students’ interest and attention. Gamification is the idea of combining games with nongame activities, such as learning tasks (Roblyer & Hughes, 2019). When teachers can apply a game quality to the standards they are presenting, then their lessons become more meaningful to the students, who will be motivated to learn the standards.
A study by Sailer and Homer found that gamification had a positive effect on cognitive, motivational, and behavioral performance (2020). Sailer and Homer went on to say, “In a nutshell, gamification of motivational and behavioral learning outcomes can be effective when applied in competitive-collaborative settings in contrast to mere competitive settings” (2020, p. 101). Another study, by Kingsley and Grabner-Hagen, found that combining vocabulary instruction with an epic gaming adventure, became a “powerful learning experience” (2018, p. 553).
In my own classroom, I have found using games and personalized learning systems to be beneficial to my student’s learning experiences. Programs like SplashLearn, Lexia Reading, ABCya, and Vocabulary A-Z give students the opportunity to learn and practice concepts in an engaging environment. Students enjoy the games and get excited about their progress through the skills.
References
Kingsley, T. L., & Grabner-Hagen, M. M. (2018). Vocabulary by gamification. The Reading Teacher, 71(5), 545-555. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1645
Roblyer, M. D. & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming learning across disciplines (8th ed.). Pearson
Sailer, M., & Homner, L. (2020). The gamification of learning: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32(1), 77-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w
Created by: Casey Jo Burrus © 2021
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updated: February 20, 2021
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