Module 9: Reinforcement Activity

For this activity, I chose to look further into gamification in higher education. 

Gamification

Within the field of instructional design, gamification is becoming more prevalent in higher education each day. Gamification is transforming traditional methods of teaching and bringing many benefits to learning. These benefits include increased engagement, motivation factors (badges, points, leaderboards, etc.), improved learning outcomes, and an increase in skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. A challenge that occurs with gamification is determining how best to implement it and to what extent. Careful planning is needed when implementing this approach, and close consideration should include ensuring alignment of learning objectives, game mechanics, and accessibility to technology tools. 


Commonalities, differences, and perspectives

LinkedIn agreed and promoted the use of gamification in higher education. However, it listed challenges such as students not taking the course seriously and may pose a challenge to students who are not tech savvy. Along with this, schools will need to determine if the benefits outweigh the cost of using various digital platforms and tools. The Online Consortium stated how gamification can increase intrinsic motivation and promote reading comprehension. It also mentioned the support provided by gamification in the flipped classroom model, further improving outcomes in the higher education setting. The Online Consortium is in agreement with the positive impacts gamification has on education by seeing the enhancements across the board.


Alignment 

The findings align with the theories stated in the course by highlighting motivation through rewards and recognition. The engagement factor is also mentioned across platforms, detailing that students will remain engaged when provided a challenge that includes elements such as points, leaderboards, etc. 


Resources  

  • https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gamification-higher-education-engaging-students-beyond-traditional-0yfze/

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