Gamification - Motivating Students to Learn

Today's session has dealt with an active learning methodology called "gamification". As its name suggests, it has to do with games, playing... however, it is not an equivalent for game-based learning! What is then the difference between one and the other?

Game-based learning consists of basing the learning process in actual games, that is, taking a game and using it as a way to learn or practise the contents of what we want to teach. Gamification, on the other hand, is quite different, as it consists of adding game elements to non-game situations; in other words, it is not a matter of learning through playing (as opposed to game-based learning), but of using different techniques such as points, levels or narratives (among others) in order to make the learning process more motivating and for students to get more involved in the activities.

For example, a gamification technique could be attributing points every time a student participates and makes a good contribution to the class, and rewarding the student who finishes the class with the highest score with an extra 0.5 points in the exam. Another possibility could be basing the class on an invented story with a riddle to resolve through a series of activities involving the content of the subject.

As we see, there are many diverse possibilities which are not only entertaining, but also simple and easy to prepare. This way, students get more involved in the lesson development, and the knowledge acquisition is more efficient. In my opinion, gamification is a suitable methodology to apply in the English class, since it is a versatile method for a versatile subject!

Cover image retrieved from the following link: https://blogs.ua.es/faraonllorens/2014/02/28/getting-started-with-gamification/