Technology is everywhere. In fact, technology is the fastest growing industry. Just look around and we will see that we are surrounded by technology. As technology continue arises, games, social media and e-learning develop and change the way we think, learn and interact to each other.
Gamification is associated to games. It is the application of game mechanics into a digital experience in order to engage users. The strategy of gamification is through giving rewards for players who accomplish the task. One of the examples of gamification is “Nike+ Campaign” which was launched last 2006. This application allows people to track, share and compare exercise results while earning “fuel points”. People can able to track the route, distance, pace, time, calories and we can receive personalized coaching and real-time audio feedback to run better. Sounds good, right?
Another example is “Starbucks Rewards” in which the user’s needs to collect stars by paying the registered Starbucks through mobile app or any participating store. The more stars you collect, the more chance to win. So more than a great drink, great rewards awaits for us. Isn’t it that cool?
Nowadays, people use game mechanics to enhance eLearning. What is e-learning? e-learning is a learning strategy through the use of electronic media like Internet. This is a different approach of learning from a typical classroom set-up. In e-learning, a student will learn the course separately through online classroom management system. Student will interact with their instructor and access the course material through online system. Since gamification is involved in e-learning, we should know why it is associated. In traditional classroom, teachers use motivational skills, visual aids and props to engage a student to learn more and participate in class activity. In e-learning, gamification involves game thinking wherein the student will be rewarded with some points. It simply shows that through gamification learners recall things when they do the tasks themselves. Some of the gamification techniques in e-learning are progress in different levels, scores, avatars and virtual currencies. Gamification in e-learning has a great impact to the students which provides interactive experience that will motivate and engage the learners to learn more. The idea of gamification is that the learners will learn efficiently when they are involved in activity. Gamification in e-learning is not just all about fun, it is focus on learning through online activity, getting rewards like badges, boosts productivity and increase learning retention. We never know after few years from now, gamification in e-learning will be the fastest growing market in education field.
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