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Gamification and Game-based learning Higher Education Website ResourceNJCU 805 Cross Discipline Studies in Educational TechnologyJudith L. FrancisNew Jersey City UniversityTable of ContentsAbstract Page 3Introduction Page 4Chart Page 5Concerns of Gamification and game based learning Page 6 Impact of Game based learning in College Page 7 My Involvement- Solution Page 9 Conclusion Page 10 References Page 11ABSTRACTGames and play have always been a part of fun and enjoyment. Historically , games such as dice, cards, and baseball, have an early presence within our society ( Siirila, 2017) . The popularity of games other than entertainment has become a desired concept in K-12 education. Educators are starting to include game elements to the learning process in order to motivate and engage students. So why isn't this concept more in demand on a college-level?This white paper will outline the importance of gamification and game-based learning in higher education . It will also explore additional ways of gamifying courses for college level instructors to access. This will be done through the use of creating a resource website for college educators to assist them in integrating this type of technology into their coursework. IntroductionGamification , is the process of introducing elements and mechanics from games into the classroom . It involves the use of games in a game context through the use of points, scoreboards, titles, badges, which are typical game elements used ( Hand, 2016). Gamification plays an important role in attracting 21st century students. Student education is an important university activity. Effective teaching approaches are therefore an essential priority in higher education to elevate quality teaching methods and promote lifelong learning. Educators have found innovative ways of engaging students by gamifying coursework. Traditionally, learning in higher education as been viewed as status quo, however with the emergence of technology driven games , its popularity has increased with students. Gamed- based strategies provides a variety of learning pedagogy for means of engagement. This method of teaching involves students situations that separates them from the typical course activities and fosters them to make decisions that matter within the limits of the game ( Langendahl et al, 2016).It is suggested that college professors should look to social media outlets that students can adapt and learn from. Students today expect technology to be social, mobile, personal, easy- to - use, and well- designed (Dilettuso, 2016). Twenty-first century students are accustomed to accessing information rapidly primarily through the use of Smartphone's and laptops. Putting these elements in the classroom not only motivates the students to learning new information but challenges them to apply difficult concepts.According to Jerry Dilettuso author of Three Steps to Engage Higher Education Students, explained how these areas of gamification and gamed based learning has positively affected student performance. He reports that there have been increased coursework collaboration through mobile, social , and gamification methods that improves student retention , fosters team learning and embraces positive use of social media technology. Game based learning can take on multiple forms that are beneficial to the student learner. These forms are board games that help with strategy, card games to promote memorization, word games like Jeopardy, video games and simulators that aids in visual processing, role playing and puzzles that help with problem solving. All these components are essential for successful game-based usage.Table 1. Explanation of game elements (mechanics) found in the gamification literature.ElementsExplanationPurposePointsRewards users for completing a task Stimulate participation instant feedback, stimulate competitionAchievementsReward that is awarded for completing a specific action that requires activities that necessarily aren't the "normal "way of doing it. LevelsDefined step or threshold point in the progressionShow progress, gain respect, and raising difficultyMissionsSet of behaviors for users to perform to unlock additional rewardsContestSet of task for users to compete on with specific metricsCompetitionLeader boards/RankingShow user's standing compared to other usersCompetitionNotificationsShow accomplishment to user when desired behavior is doneEncourage engagementAnti-gaming mechanicsLimit how often a behavior can be rewardedChallengesPuzzled or other more difficult task that require more effort of users to competeTrophies/Badges/MedalsVisible acknowledgement to show user that he has reached a new level of completed tasksHaving fun and be interested while reaching goalsVirtual GoodsNon-Physical and intangible objects that user can obtain in gamified environment with pointsSiirila, A, (2017) Gamifying a Higher Education course: design guidelines for increasing student's motivation and engagement. Concerns with Gamification and Gamed Based LearningWelcoming games into a classroom setting is a winning strategy. Primary and secondary schools are engaging in technology curricula at unparallel rates yet it was mentioned that the concern that teachers are having is that they are experiencing trouble finding digital materials to meet their students needs especially on a college level. This could be one of the reasons why this form of technology is dismissed in higher education. Working in higher education I can attest to this myself. One of the reasons for this is that educators and students alike have become somewhat apprehensive of combining course work with games. In a report published by Mckinsy & Company ( an American management and consulting firm, which advocates for the expansion of use of technology in education), the report authors Jake Bryant and Jimmy Sarakatsannis surveyed teachers and found that 60% lacked digital instructions resources they need. (Games and learning, 2015 ) . Creating more areas of active learning with the use of digital resources will make an impact on personalized learning. The goal for gamifying the curriculum is to improve students motivation and engagement which can overall increase student performance. For some educators this may be a daunting task to reconstruct their syllabi and course pedagogy. This may be viewed as unnecessary or too time consuming. Instructors who have been teaching for many years may not want to alter or update their teaching style. Even though new learning is taking place with students, this concept also needs to applied with professors. The other thought to this process is that everyone does not like to play games and games do not always motivate students . Using extrinsic factors to stimulate and entice students such as badges and titles may not be a variable strategy for some. ( Hand, 2016) Students who see gamification as a competition may be threatened not to participate in the course activity. Keeping this in mind, it is recommended that professors are to encouraged to engage students at different levels. They can choose to offer this as an option in order for all students to be able to participate at their own level. How Game-based learning can Impact a College EnvironmentStudies have shown how gamification in higher education has been beneficial to the user. Jerome Bruner a psychologist, believes that " students who engage in hands on learning and play based activities experience the following benefits of increased motivation, creativity, develop critical thinking skills, self-worth, accountability and independence. ( Nott, 2016) Good game experience equals successful educational outcomes. Given the historical nature of games, students seem to understand the philosophy of how a game is played. Without using game elements in the classroom, the directions of the assignment may be too complex or the student may not be able to understand what the expectations are. Using gamed based elements within the course will not only attract the student's interest but allows the student to participate more readily especially when corrective feedback is offered. The intention is to gradually build skills they need to achieve each academic challenge (Nott, 2016). It motivates the user and facilitate better class retention. Imagine this scenario happening in your classroom. Student taking a statistic course at NJCU. Student has difficulty analyzing the numerical data in larger quantities. Students starts to feel anxious and nervous that he may not do well in the course due to the complex nature of the material. The professor offers a gamified element to the curriculum which allows students to create avatars, permits them to develop word problems and assign point value to corrected problem solved and even allows for classmates to team up and work together.This gives the once nervous student more autonomy and makes the program seem more user friendly. The probability that he or she will pass the course is now favorable. This scenario allows the student to view and approach the course material in a different manner. According the blog written by Tom Vander ark for Education week, he mentioned how the use of gamified element in the classroom can entice and enhance intrinsic motivation for students to develop like giving feedback and justification for incorrect answer as well as gives them a sense of accomplishment with extrinsic factors like prizes. Richard Dullatta , the director of the office of education technology at the Department of Ed. mentioned " I do think that there is a huge need for games that are actually built to specifically address needs in the education space." There seems to be a lot of circumstances that we don't have the sufficient amount of clientele working to find a solution. (Games and Learning , 2015) At Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, a Mechanical Engineer professor was the first to fully integrate "Mindcraft" within an engineering course on a university level. (Cortez, 2017) Professor Jayan , used this tool to help his students visualize difficult topics that represents what they learned visually . Students have expressed that using "Mindcraft" has helped them make sense of the kinds of structures they might build in real life situations. My Involvement- The SolutionColleges and Universities have begun to find innovative uses for gamification however, more emphasis needs to be placed on game-like learning strategies in this arena. I plan on creating a website to serve as a platform for Higher Education Professors that will be a catalyst that ignites discussion on facilitating more use of technology in the classroom. The key is designing a network of resources in order to make use of current emerging technology. Instructors will not need to ponder what or how to go about incorporating this method, they will now have a resource to go to. This website will also promote ideas to foster new ways of instilling practical technology methods within the college curriculum. This is something that is well needed especially for someone new trying to get more proficient in technology, ( myself included). The intent is for college professor 's to a use these tools to support their level of teaching instruction. The instructor will subscribe to website to obtain more information. They will be able to access helpful links to challenging topics, view academic tutorials and best practices, have the ability to ask questions through the use of a discussion board to other skilled faculty members on how they are implementing technology in their course. It will encourage new and seasoned teachers to move our educational platforms to a higher level.It will give professors strategies to reinforce difficult concepts so that they can create greater involvement from students in their courses. These are some of my preferred sites that have offered me great insight and instruction. I felt that it would also be beneficial for professors to access. These site along with others will be listed on the website. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) https:// 6)7) legends of ConclusionTechnology and resources that are available for the construction for effective use of educational games continues to be developed. College educators can learn a lot by incorporating game-based learning in their courses. Professor will gain valuable insight into facilitating better course instruction through to use of this website access. The website will serve as a learning forum from the novice teacher to the seasoned professor. Utilizing the website as a resource would not only create a platform for learning for students but also be serve as vehicle for catapulting college educators to a new wave of teaching . ReferencesDavis, Vicki (2017)Survey captures state of Higher Education Video games programs; . blog/guide-to - game-based learningCortez , M. (2017, Sept 18) College students get Virtual Look at the real world with Minecraft" . Edtech .Retrieved from , J.( 2016, November 5) Three Steps to Better Engage Higher Education Students. Retrieved from https;//2016/11/three-steps-better-engage-higher/educatio/-students/Hand, B.( 2016,December 28) Designing Successful Gamification Practices in Higher Education. Retrieved from https;//2016/12/gamification-successes-and-failures-higher-education.Nott, M. ( 2016, March 22) How Game Based Learning can Help Students of all Ages Learn. Edudemics. Retreived from , P.; Cook, M.; Mark-Herbert, C. (2016, June) Gamification in Higher Education:Toward a pedagogy to engage and motivate students. Working paper series 2016:6 ISSN 1401-4068. Retrieved from _Gamification_in_higher_education_Toward_a_pedagogy_to_engage_and_motivateRice, S. Game-based learning Retrieved from modulesSiirila,A. (2017, May 5) Gamifying a higher education course: design guidelines for increasing students' motivation and engagementVander ark, T.(2014 Feb, 19th) Eight Principles of Productive Gamification. Education Week. Retrieved from gamification.html.Websites: ................
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