The Impact of Gamification and Game-Based Learning on High School Student’s Educational Experience

Take some time to reflect. Reflect on your high school experience, your classes, teachers, peers, even the curriculum. Do you remember ever playing a game in any of your classes? Maybe it was an interactive game, one where you had to find information hidden in your classroom to answer a question. Or maybe it was an online game, where you went on a quest with your classmates to find a solution. If you answer yes to either of these questions you have experienced and participated in what is called Gamification and Game-Based Learning.

Understanding Gamification and Game-Based learning is the first step to understanding its benefits and its potential. A study on the impact of video games showed that it had an positive impact on gamers’ tenacity towards education and one’s capability to identify a problem and deem it solvable, among other benefits:

“Research on people who self-identify as gamers suggests that prolonged participation in game cultures may lead to a more active, problem-solving orientation learning. Beck and Wade (2004) surveyed 2,000 employees of large companies and found that gamers were more likely than non gamers to believe that challenges were solvable, were more driven to accomplish goals, were more confident in their abilities, cared more deeply about their organizations, preferred to be paid by performance rather than by title or salary, reported a greater need for human relationships, believed that connecting with the right people “got the job done more quickly,” and preferred collaborative decision-making to independent problem-solving.”

While this is definitely a feat for video games in a general sense, most video games are either inappropriate for classroom settings because they are not tied to a specific curriculum or inaccessible in as wide of a range as they need to be for all students in a classroom. This presents a problem with integrating mainstream video games in the general education of high school students. However, the internet is becoming more increasingly used in classrooms and educational settings, and with this, students’ accessibility to the academic internet is increasing and educators have a wider range of curriculum-relevant and appropriate games to choose from.

For example, one tech company that works closely with educators and students through game-based learning is CoSpaces Edu. CoSpaces uses AR and VR learning spaces which allows students to build their own 3D creations, animate them with code, and explore them by providing features such as: “the 3D creation toolbox including a Library of 3D objects and building blocks to make your own, the coding workspace and built-in physics engine to turn creations to life, class management features, and the ability to view creations in VR or AR.” According to the CoSpaces Edu team, teachers took the first step to integrate them into their classrooms because it’s a collaborative application that allows students to become creators at any level of education. These features have resulted in “higher levels of engagement and participation” with teachers reporting that “that students are more engaged in their learning, participate more and are excited to continue working in CoSpaces Edu.”

This is an example of what would be considered Game-Based Learning, the use of a game, usually one that is digital, in the learning process, and with this example the benefits are clear. It’s safe to say that any educator who experiences an increase in engagement and participation would say their students are more excited about their education and are inclined to learn more. This is because the challenges presented in games don’t seem so much as challenges but quests, part of the journey of the game. “This is one reason games have such potential as tools for learning: they are really nothing more than complex problems waiting to be solved by players in a way that is both fun and challenging.” (Shapiro, 5) Not only this, CoSpaces Edu had received some feedback that students who are generally more reserved and uninvolved in the learning process were showing increased levels of participation and generally more involved with the game and the class. This is incredibly favorable to the latter, which is an emphasis on lectures and standardized testing which doesn’t foster a love for learning as the use of games would. “Such an approach to education doesn’t so much discount engagement as a condition of learning as erase it altogether.” (Shapiro, 4)

There is another way to implement the positive impact of games into the classroom without using an actual “game”, per se. This is called gamification. Gamification is the turning of the curriculum, the learning process, into a game. “They ‘gamify’ learning by replacing grades with levels and merit badges; or, rather than delivering lectures and then testing for retention, teachers create project-based units where completion, or the demonstration of mastery, is what allows the student to move on.” (Shapiro, 8) The positive reinforcement gamification provides, helps keep students encouraged and engaged in what they’re learning. Although game-based learning is more interactive and shows to be more engaging than gamification, gamifying a class is easier and more accessible than that of finding games that are curriculum-relevant.

For example, a tech company that works with gamification is a company called Brainscape. Brainscape is a company that uses adaptive flashcards to help students memorize and internalize information. As such with CoSpaces, Brainscape was found by educators through the internet. This game, of sorts, allows students to make, find, and share flashcards for any subject in the world while providing an adaptive study system to help students study. While this application isn’t directly game-based, it incorporates features of gamification because Brainscape gives a set number of flashcards to study, grades your ability to answer such flashcards, and, depending on your level of ability, either gives you positive reinforcement or shows you where you need improvement. Not only this, but these games have the potential to be collaborative. “Some teachers have their students help them build their classes whereas each student creates a few cards for a lesson which is one example we’ve heard of.” With this, students can help students study in a collaborative, academic setting. When asked about the impact this application has on students who are struggling or tend to fall behind, Brainscape said: “We’ve heard from teachers that have implemented Brainscape into their lessons and classrooms that their struggling students enjoy studying with Brainscape because they can do so efficiently. Our personalized learning analytics helps teachers pinpoint individual student weaknesses so that they can tailor remedial activities appropriately.” This shows the vast amount of benefits and positive impact both gamification and game-based learning has on students and their education.

But what of students and schools that don’t have access to the internet, in their classrooms, on a regular basis? Is there a way for educators to get the same amount of increased participation and involvement in the classroom? The answer to these questions are yes, games can still be integrated into the classroom without the use of digital systems, like computers, phones, etc. When you took that minute to reflect, did you find yourself remembering playing an interactive game in class, thought of by your teacher? Whether it be solving a murder using the information provided by the teacher and the forensics of such mock-murder? Or maybe a mock-trial based on real historical events where you were put up against your classmates to argue your side? I sure do. For this study, I decided to interview a diverse group of current and graduated high school students coming from different school districts to see if they have experienced this type of gamification and what both their reaction and their peers’ reactions were to this type of learning. I was surprised to see that the majority of students I asked said that they have not experienced something like this, this is definitely an issue that will be touched on later in the study, but for those I did ask they seemed to have positive reactions.

Derick, 11th Grade Forensics:

In Derick’s 11th grade forensics class, he and his peers in the class were tasked with the job of forensic scientists to find the solution to a murder mystery game. They had to work together in teams to gather evidence from a crime scene, while each student in each group was tasked with a specific job, Derick’s was blood testing and analysis.

When asked about his reaction to the game, Derick said that he was both excited and engaged with the learning experience compared to something like lectures or testing. In a sense, he learned better by doing, by understanding how forensics worked in the real world and applying that to the classroom. “I think I learned how to apply previous knowledge from the course to the actual field of work which, personally, would help me more than a hands off experience,” he said.

When asked, Derick said that overall there was “definitely more” engagement in the class. He said that learning via game would definitely engage more students and make them become better learners.

Miriana, 9th Grade Computer Programming:

In Miriana’s 9th grade computer programming class, the class was given the assignment of developing a “create your own adventure” game through the use of a variety of different platforms like Google Docs and Scratch. Although this was an independent project, classmates who were struggling with a problem could ask their peers for assistance.

This assignment was a prerequisite to a bigger, more academically involved project, but according to Miriana “it made it more fun involving Scratch, it made it more personal.” If you aren’t familiar with Scratch, it is a web-based program that allows you to use code to create games, animations, and stories. For her, Scratch made it fun, into a game of sorts, “it wasn’t as boring as looking at code and seeing a bunch of statements, it was like my idea came to life,” she said.

Miriana learned more by doing, she was more engaged in the activity she was assigned because she was able to see it come to life in real time. The game kept her and her classmate intrigued and focused on what they were learning, and maybe at times it didn’t even feel like she was learning, but playing a game.

Anthony, 12th Grade AP Macroeconomics:

Anthony and his classmates played a stock market game in their AP Macroeconomics class. Each student was a broker and was given a budget of ten thousand dollars to start with, they were allowed to invest in whatever they were interested in or thought would yield them the most profit, whoever had the most money by the end of the month would win extra points on the next test.

Although Anthony says he didn’t learn more by doing, it allowed him to gain a deeper interest in the subject and, once he was actually interested, he was able to learn and complete work with ease. Not only this, this game presents the opportunity for students to apply their interests to what they’re learning and see how the stock market works in a simulated environment, engaging students and making them more involved.

Anthony thinks that learning via video games would help engage students and make them better students. “Yes, definitely,” he said, “way more interesting.”

Daniel, 10th Grade AP World History:

In Daniel’s AP World History class, he and his classmates had to perform a mock-trial of King Louis XVI. The class was split into the numerous, historical, influential groups at the time and had to build an argument for their side based on historical events, all the while the teacher was acting as the judge and at the end would make their ruling.

Daniel, along with his classmates, thoroughly enjoyed the game, and for Daniel personally he said that “it appealed to his competitive nature so it was more memorable and the information stuck for much longer than traditional learning.” Because of this game, there was significantly more overall engagement in what was being taught. Daniel believed it to be way more beneficial than just being lectured about the topic.

Analysis:

This shows the impact gamification has on students’ academics and their engagement in the classroom. But even with ample evidence, educators don’t seem to be integrating them into their classrooms as much as they have the potential to do so. This is an issue, as I asked both companies and all the students I interviewed if they believe this is the future of education and the answer was a resounding yes. There needs to be a shift from standardized testing as “for this generation of kids — gaming as a productive literacy drives feelings of personal agency, affecting both life and thought.” (Salen, 12) The use of gamification and game-based learning has proven to have a positive impact on student engagement in the classroom and their test scores. Therefore, I think the use of such learning techniques should be used on a much wider scale as to improve the education of this generation.