Introduction to the Gamified Class
Games are important as they embody four elements associated with how people learn; games are “immersive, they require players to have goals and make frequent decisions, they adapt to each player, and they unfold within the context of a community that supports the social dimension of learning” (Mouza & Lavigne, 2013, p. 9). Through the new media literacies of play and performance, players of games have the capacity to experiment with their surrounding as a form of problem solving, and can practice improvisation from varying perspectives (Jenkins, 2009, p. 47). Guiding learners through the curriculum by encouraging thought and action is the foundation of intellectual engagement and aids students in the development of original work, collaboration, and confidence as knowledge-builders (Willms, Friesen & Milton, 2009, p. 40).
The gamification of education supports the constructivist theory where knowledge is not simply transmitted from teacher to student, but actively constructed by the mind of the learner (Piaget & Inhelder, 1967). Games allow for role-play and the immersion in experience through situated practice (New London Group, 1996). Well-designed games allow for players to “construct understanding actively, and at individual paces, and enable players to advance on different paths at different rates in response to each player’s interests and abilities, while also fostering collaboration and just-in-time learning” (Klopfer, 2009).
Since the cycle between choice and result is much shorter in games than in life, hypotheses are regularly tested and refined, lowering the emotional stake of failing and encouraging risk taking (Jenkins, 2009, p. 38). With this increased willingness to experiment, players continue to make choices, contextualizing facts and information as tools for problem solving (Gee, 2003, p. 26). The intrinsic motivation instilled in players of games is only increased through extrinsic positive or negative reinforcements, such as awards, achievements, or loss of power often found in games. This sort of operant conditioning affects the users’ choices if faced with a similar scenario later in the game (Skinner, 1953). Students are forced to use their power of reasoning to construct knowledge for themselves when immersed in a game, no matter their age. The relevance of these capacities beyond a games context, form the basis of a modern literacy that all learners need to become proficient in.
