Benefits of Gamification in eLearning Introduction What is Gamification? According to Wikipedia, gamification can be explained as the use of various gaming thinking and game designing techniques and elements that include game mechanics in various contents that are not games. The game mechanics are always designed in a special way and in a manner that it is able to shape the games dynamics, for example, the competitive behavior and the emotions like anticipation for the purpose of engaging players or the participants which include the voter, customers, users and even employees. Gamification purpose is to entertain by involving the participants and improve the major players’ contribution and participation. From a broader perspective, gamification aims at solving organizational problems by improving return on investments and flow. It is also used in learning by students and this is exactly why I am going to discus on the importance of gamification in e learning. Gamification in eLearning eLearning can be described as the way of accessing information or learning through use of electronic technologies that help to access educational curriculum outside the classrooms or study room. It is mainly done online or over the Internet. Gamification cannot be used in the development of games alone but it can be used in education aspects of life especially in e learning. Gamification in eLearning is a useful and interesting way of learning as it he lps to create an effective and wonderful learning system and techniques that enable learners to think widely and rehearse using real life facts and situations together with their challenges or difficulties in certain areas in safe and comfortable environments. It also imparts an effective and enjoyable informal learning environment to students and helps them practice real life scenarios. In eLearning, gamification enhances an effective learning approach because it helps in evoking a friendly completion because all the students have the same opportunity as they are able to see and listen to the tutorials and lectures. Gamification in eLearning also provides an engaging and interactive leaner experience that may lead to anticipated behavior change due to improved level of thinking capacity and interactions. It also motivates the learners to progress successfully through the available content on the course outline and leads to the change of behavior. Benefits of Gamification in eLearning
◆ It improves experiences. Through gamification, the learners can easily retain and recall what they have learnt. Having fun while learning improves experiences as the full engagements would keep learners active during all the studies. ◆ It improves learning environments. Just as above mentioned, gamification imparts an effective and enjoyable informal learning environment to students and helps them practice real life scenarios. It is indeed true because students are engaged in all their parts while studying, they’ll be able to think in the context of the study, they can also see the movements in the game related to study and apply it for their success. ◆ Gamification can also be used application of various learning concerns. With gamification, most learning concerns and needs can be perfectly fulfilled. This is because the learners can easily interact with one another and have full access to customer support, product sales and also awareness creation. Other concerns that can be fulfilled include: compliance, induction and on boarding. ◆ It always provides instant feedback. Gamification provides instant feedback to the learners which help them know what they require and what they already have to decease on matters of repetition. Then the learners would have a good knowledge of retaining what they already know and a higher chance of grasping immediately what they ought to know. ◆ It leads to change of character. By applying gamification to elearning, it can lead to greater change of behavior when combined with other principles such as the scientific ones. Change of behavior may also evoke during trainings and study because learners are made to be responsible for their own works. Conclusion Gamification should be strongly adopted in the education field because it plays a greater role in education and has positive impact in improving learning methods and making eLearning enjoyable. Article Source: Benefits of Gamification in eLearning