Learning How to Learn: Using Game-Based Learning in Higher Education

GAME-BASED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION1Learning How to Learn: Using Game-Based Learning in Higher EducationShelly D. RichardsonEducational Technology, Boise State University

AbstractGame-based learning principles are being deployed on campuses around the country in a variety of methods. The deployment of this Constructivist learning model has a variety of learner benefits including motivational factors, enhanced engagement, active learning, and the use of problem solving and cognitive skills. In this paper, I will address the connection between the needs of a university student, the attributes of gamification in education and the connection to the Constructivist Learning Theory. Learning How to Learn: Using Game-Based Learning in Higher EducationThe university educational system is experiencing a time of transition both with the adoption of emerging educational technologies and in the shift of teaching methodologies that accompany implementing them. These changes are essential to prepare students for the evolving job market of the future, yet many in the university setting cling to traditional pedagogical systems. In a recent Pew Research survey of digital stakeholders, Wesley George of the Advanced Technology group of Time Warner Cable voiced frustration with the current university system, a sentiment that was largely shared with many in the survey: The educational system is largely broken, he said. It's too focused on the result of getting a degree rather than teaching people how to learn: how to digest huge amounts of information, craft a cogent argument in favor of or against a topic, and how to think for oneself. Individuals learn differently, and we are starting to finally have the technology to embrace that instead of catering to the lowest common denominator. (Anderson, Boyles & Rainie, 2012).Learning How to LearnUndergraduates arrive at their university and immediately have to adjust to a new learning environment. Students must learn to navigate an unfamiliar world that has larger class sizes, less individualized attention from teachers and a whole new set of responsibilities and procedures that they may be unprepared for. Throughout their career in higher education, students will need to develop an understanding about the systems that help them build skills and knowledge. (Charles, Charles, & McNeill, Bustard & Black, 2011.). The employment of game-based principles within a constructivist learning structure can assist in developing the skills and knowledge necessary for students to succeed in higher education.Game-based LearningGamification was logically defined by Deterding, Dixon, Khaled & Nacke, (2011) as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts. As game-based elements are numerous and varied, the perception of incorporating these into educational systems can often be subjective and the effects of doing so is a subject of ongoing research. Gamification Structure Examples One research perspective on educational games presented by Kim and Lee (2012) describes the principles that define four primary factors of learning games for educational effectiveness. In their research, they are attempting to discern game-based learning aspects that engage learners. The first theory of gamification engagement they addressed was Game Design Factors (GDF), which the authors loosely defined as the qualities of a game that make it game-like. Cool features such as a series of interesting choices, a surprise and delight factor, interactive aspects and distinct features from the graphics and sound effects. (Kim, & Lee, 2012). The second proposed gamification theory they studied were Key Characteristics of a Learning Game (KCLG: Challenge, Curiosity, Fantasy, Control). The authors point out that intrinsic motivation in a game-based learning environment is connected to making learning fun. These motivational factors are emotionally driven and are often challenge the learners senses and cognitive abilities. The third theory presented in the gamification for education research of Kim and Lee (2012) was Elements of Educational Environment Design: ARCS model of motivational design. ARCS stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. Attention is the learners response, relevance is how the material relates to the learners prior knowledge, confidence is how the learners feels about their performance and satisfaction relates to how the learners draw conclusions regarding the content they have learned in the game-based instruction. (Kim, & Lee, 2012).The fourth aspect of gamification that Kim and Lee addressed was Basic Elements of Gamification: MDA framework. The MDA framework consists of three components of game design: Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. Mechanics are the components of a game,dynamics are the interaction of the player and the mechanic elements, and aesthetics are the emotional responses elicited by the learner in the gaming environment. (Kim, & Lee, 2012). Constructivism Game-based learning fits well in the family of Constructivist Learning Theories, where learning occurs because personal knowledge is constructed by an active and self-regulated learner who solves problems by deriving meaning from experience and the context in which that experience takes place. (Larson & Lockee, 2014) In a game-based learning environment, students may participate in collaboratively, engage in problem solving, develop critical thinking skills and have the opportunity to construct meaning from these learning experiences. Gamification also lends itself to the scaffolding approach to learning through levels inherent in some games. These level achievements usually require mastery of certain skills or knowledge before proceeding to a higher game level. Engaged LearnersWhy should we include game-based learning into higher education curricula? When successfully integrated by designers and educators (marrying the content with the learner needs), gamified learning has the ability to create deep engagement with the learner and the educational material. Developing engaged learners may allow us to curtail student dropout rates, improve retention and avert the potential frustration and confusion students may experience when navigating a new learning environment.Creating Engagement Should game-based learning be used to motivate learners to do something that would otherwise be undesirable? (Giannetto, 2013) A contrasting viewpoint is that game-based learning should not be about injecting fun into learning but be used to enhance the fun that is inherent in most learning anyway. (Charles, Charles et all, 2011. p.639). I agree with the latter comment in that game mechanics should not be an educational tool relied upon to magically transform course content but rather by joining the carefully chosen content within a motivating structure, the learners may be able to connect with learners it in a new, engaging way. Engagement through FeedbackOne set of game principles presented by Charles, Bustard and Black (2008) was boiled down from forty to six aspects of gaming engagement and motivation points: structure, identity, challenge, feedback, social and fun. When students are developing the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in higher education, the feedback they receive has the ability to set them on the right path. Games and educational systems both share a feedback system with standards and objectives, all of which can be reinforced incrementally through a game-based learning system. As Charles, Charles, McNeill et all (2011) point out, positive feedback can offer students tangible rewards, reinforcing good behaviors and acting as scaffolding in the Constructivist learning process. Social EngagementEmploying gamification principles in a higher educational setting may also have the benefit of engaging your learners in an active learning social context. Business students at Babson College participated in a mobile app case study whose goal was to focus on how social technologies can help businesses capture and leverage the underlying connection among employees, consumers, and business partners. (Parise & Crosina, 2012) Students worked in small groups using the smartphone app SCVNGR and a game designed by their professors, to visit locations, complete tasks, solve problems and gain points. The problems were designed to reinforce classroom content where students became active participants in the learning process through exploration. (Parise & Crosina, 2012)Active Learning Engagement In a case study presented by Ma, Bale, & Rea, (2012) a group of medical students adopt the constructionist approach in a digital form to encourage learners to create their own anatomy game. The teacher facilitates the process of learning in which students are encouraged to be responsible and autonomous. The students created a 3-D anatomy game from scratch using the Unity 3-D game engine and this active learning role allowed the students to be more invested and motivated in the final outcome of the project. The learners also gained a practical understanding of the subject they were studying (anatomy) by creating an engaging 3-D model based game and presenting it to their peers for review. 3-D game creation is a wonderful example of how game-based learning can simultaneously embody constructivist principles, active learning, autonomy or self-motivated learning and group learning elements.Mobile Gaming for EducationThe NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Higher Education Edition authors have asserted that games and gamification will play an important role in higher education over the next two to three years. In the Horizon Report, they make the connection to big business use of mobile apps and social media, employing elements of game-based learning for commercial purposes. It would make sense that higher education instructional designers could make use of the game-based design principles already in use commercially, not having to reinvent the wheel. The Horizon Report authors also assert, Educational gameplay has proven to foster engagement in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamworkskills that lead to solutions for complex social and environmental dilemmas. (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada & Freeman, 2014.)I recently attended HEEMAC (Higher Education Enterprise Mobile App Conference) in which one of the co-founders of GoRobos, Leslie Roberts, presented an educational mobile app her company was beta testing at thirty-eight universities in the United States and Canada. It is a full length academic business entrepreneurship course whose structure is based on level achievements, rewards points and badges where learners create a lemonade stand franchise in a virtual world. The feedback from students and educators has been very positive and they are working on creating their second mobile app for higher educational purposes. In research presented by Wu, Hsiao, Wu, Lin, & Huang (2012), they assert that constructivists view learning as a social process, placing importance on understanding the world through social processes and group knowledge construction. In the GoRobos entrepreneur educational mobile app, students in the class are also allowed to interact with one another and share elements of the game outside the educational sphere, like being able to post their achievement badges on social networking sites. Mobile app technologies easily lend themselves to the social participation and group learning elements of Constructivism. ConclusionIn creating or implementing game-based learning environments, as with any design discipline, it is essential to know who your audience or learner is. As technology changes, so do generations and how they use technology. What motivates our students? What gamification elements may we use to encourage and engage learners at our educational institutions? What will their needs be in ten years? In a recent Pew Research survey, digital stakeholders were asked for their vision of higher education in the year 2020. Charlie Firestone, executive director of the Aspen Institute responded: The timeline might be a bit rushed, but educationhigher and K-12has to change with the technology. The technology will allow for more individualized, passion-based learning by the student, greater access to master teaching, and more opportunities for students to connect to othersmentors, peers, sourcesfor enhanced learning experiences. As we look to the future of higher education, there should be a massive shift occurring in the way our students learn, with a focus on learning how to learn. By adapting the traditional pedagogy to incorporate game-based learning principles, we will be better preparing our students with a foundation of problem-solving skills, collaborative learning experiences and an engaged connection with the instructional content. References

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