‘Gamification’ is a word frequently mentioned in learning and education for many years, but what does it mean and how can it lead to improved learning outcomes?
A research by Noorhidayah Sunarti titled ‘Students’ Perception on the Application of Gamification in Education during COVID-19 Pandemic’ looks at gamification and its application in the education industry especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noorhidayah, a lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying at INTI International University, revealed in her findings that gamification increases a student’s understanding compared to traditional teaching methods because combining both fun and learning in a classroom offers students a better learning experience.
INTI 1: Noorhidayah Sunarti, a lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying at INTI International University, conducted a research on ‘Students’ Perception on the Application of Gamification in Education during Covid-19 Pandemic’ with her counterparts from INTI International University and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.
Gamification in education uses game-based mechanisms and aesthetics to attract students, stimulate action, promote learning, and solve problems.
“Gamification refers to the application of game elements into non-gaming activities and it has been applied to a variety of environments, including education. This paper provided me an opportunity to explore students’ perception of gamification as part of their learning journey,” shared Noorhidayah about the research conducted with counterparts from INTI International University and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.
She said gamification in online learning has shown huge benefits over last couple of years as the tools and technology such as applications and games could be accessed remotely. This meant that no matter where a student was in the world, online studying could be more interactive and encourage engagement between lecturers and students.
Noorhidayah mentioned that the digital nature of the tools meant a lecturer would be able to track a student’s progress over time with greater ease compared to the traditional methods.
“Data on a student’s assessment marks can be extracted into a document, enabling lecturers to accurately examine and provide feedback on their progress and better evaluate the next progressive step for further development on an individual basis.
“Feedback is a key component of learning. The more frequent and targeted the feedback, the better the learning effect will be. Educators can use elements of game design to increase feedback mechanisms by providing continuous forms of feedback to learners through self-paced exercises, visual cues, frequent question-and-answer sessions, and progress bars,” she explained.
Noorhidayah also said gamification curates a personalized learning experience as students can improve according to their different levels.
“The gamification system in e-learning not only provides an effective and informal learning opportunity but also helps students practice real situations and challenges in a conducive environment. This may lead to a better and positive learning experience which in turn helps students to retain knowledge,” she said.
Furthermore, the research also showed that a gamified strategy with high engagement improves memory and information retention. Beyond stimulating healthy behaviours, gamified applications can lead to the generation of positive experiences encircling basic psychological needs of satisfaction as well as other elements of happiness such as positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement among students.
Kahoot is an example of a gamification application used widely today.
She explained, “It is a response system that attracts students through pre-prepared or improvisational game-style quizzes, discussions, and surveys. Students don’t need a Kahoot account to access the quiz, and they can answer a quiz from any device using a web browser, such as an iPad, mobile device, or laptop. However, the instructor does need an account to create the quiz. The application is considered as a platform that can be used in universities and institutions to improve student performance. It is believed that students who participate in activities through Kahoot are motivated by rewards and points earned as they will have the urge to perform better in the next quiz.
“With technology in a constant state of evolution and flux, it’s almost guaranteed that the education sector will find more ways to integrate it into teaching strategies. Younger generations are being raised in a world of technology and applications, so they should take these new methods of learning with more ease than any other generation before them,” she said.
Other technology such as virtual reality (VR) and the Metaverse are also much talked about as possibly contributing to the world of learning, with virtual classrooms able to transport students to digitally recreated landscapes in history through VR headsets.
“This would offer a more engaging and immersive way of learning than just reading from a textbook,” concluded Noorhidayah.