The term ‘gamification’ has received much attention over the last decade, but the act of creating game like experiences in non-game settings is nothing new, as seen in figure 1. Recently, arts organizations have also sought to gamify different aspects of their institutions to engage visitors, increase fundraising, or improve marketing objectives. Although many industries—like the arts—are developing gamification concepts, many are not applying them in the most effective way. In 2013, Gartner Inc. estimated that 80% of gamified implementations will “fail to meet their business objectives (FastCompany).” This is likely due to a lack of understanding of proper gamification processes and applications and limited empirical studies that lack proper evaluation. This is especially true in the field of education.

The application of gamification in educational settings is still a relatively new trend, but it has gained attention due to its ability to increase student motivation and engagement. For educational programs to effectively gamify the learning experience they must understand gamification and all its parts. Furthermore, it is important to understand the difference between gamification and serious games, as both are commonly used in educational settings.

What is Gamification?

Gamification

Gamification is the process of “transferring some of the positive characteristics of a game to something that is not a game (Kim, 5).” Unlike real games, which create “an imaginary world that is separate from reality, gamification creates a game layer on top of the real world (Kim, 8).”

The term ‘gamification’ was first coined in 2003 by computer programmer and inventor Nick Pelling. Since then it has become increasingly popular, specifically after the launch of Foursquare in 2009. Today many businesses, healthcare providers, universities, and K-12 education providers are exploring ways to gamify their offerings. Some of the positive characteristics that gamification tries to achieve are increased motivation, feedback mechanisms, and personalization. Gamification is especially powerful because of “its ability to capture people’s attention, to engage them in a target activity, and even to influence their behavior (Kim, 20).” 

Serious Games

Serious Games are similar to game-based learning, which emphasizes the content being learned. The focus of serious games is not to entertain but to “train players or participants in one or more specific discipline, including fields like education, health care, advertising and politics. These digital experiences incorporate simulations, virtual reality, and mixed media (Ed Technology).” The goal of serious games is to help the user acquire specific knowledge or information.

The line between gamification and serious games is often blurred but it is important to consider both definitions when creating a game inspired learning experience. The desired outcome in the context of learning should be strongly considered before implementing either or both techniques.

The Elements

To successfully implement gamification, one must understand the different elements of game design that are present. The Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics (MDA) is a common framework for understanding game elements that was developed by game theorists Zichermann and Cunningham. These three elements are explored in more detail in figure 2.

Game mechanics are the “actions, behaviors, and control mechanisms afforded to the player within a game context (Kim, 18).” Examples of game mechanics are tasks or missions, as well as scoring systems like points, leaderboards, and badges. Game dynamics, on the other hand, are the elements that support the aesthetics. Examples of dynamics could be time pressure or opponent play, which result in the game aesthetic of challenge. Aesthetics are the overall sensations that the game creates for the player, which could be a sense of pleasure, community, or self-expression. These three elements—mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics—are used together to create a successful game experience.

Application in Arts Education

Gamification is gaining attention in K-12 educational settings and the same tools can be used by teaching artists and arts institutions that offer educational programming. Researchers are still exploring its long-term effects on motivation, but its effects on short term extrinsic motivation is widely accepted. Gamification can be used to motivate students to practice an instrument longer or spend time working on a craft or visual art. Music pedagogue Courtney Crappell also states its benefits for repetitive drills: “For learning tasks, especially when it comes to repetitive drills, the technology can facilitate curiosity that will create more motivation (Crappell, 245).” Other examples of gamification exist in music learning to work on target skills such as note reading with the app NoteRush and rhythm practice through Rhythm Lab.

Challenges

Although many educators are excited by the potential of gamification and its ability to motivate students, limited empirical evidence exists proving its positive effects on K-12 learning. According to Dichev and Dicheva there are three main concerns when considering gamifying the learning experience: “(i) insufficient evidence exists to support the long-term benefits of gamification in educational contexts; (ii) the practice of gamifying learning has outpaced researchers’ understanding of its mechanisms and methods; (iii) the knowledge of how to gamify an activity in accordance with the specifics of the educational context is still limited (Dichev, 1).” Although these challenges exist, gamification is still a useful tool to explore in the context of learning, but it is important to consider how its usage can be evaluated for its effectiveness.

Conclusion

Gamification is a growing trend that is impacting broad sectors from business to health and education. Although the long-term effects have not been scientifically proven it is still a useful tool for educators to use. When implemented well it can affect students’ immediate motivation and performance.

Resources

Dicheva, Darina, Christo Dichev, Gennady Agre, and Galia Angelova. "Gamification in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study." Journal of Educational Technology & Society 18 (3): 75-88, 2015. https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.cmu.edu/docview/1707773428?accountid=9902.

Dichev, Christo and Darina Dicheva. "Gamifying Education: What is Known, what is Believed and what Remains Uncertain.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 14: 1-36, 2017. Accessed February 21, 2020. https://search-proquest-com.proxy.library.cmu.edu/docview/2147563360?accountid=9902.  

Kim, Bohyun. "Understanding gamification." Library Technology Reports, vol. 51, no. 2, 2015. Accessed February 21, 2020. https://link-gale-com.proxy.library.cmu.edu/apps/doc/A419412772/AONE?u=cmu_main&sid=AONE&xid=d18dc62f.