Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?

TLDR

Today's schools struggle with student motivation and engagement, and gamification offers a potential solution. The article aims to clarify what gamification is, how it works, and why it might be useful for schools. It examines gamification by exploring its potential benefits and pitfalls.

Abstract

Today's schools face major problems around student motivation and engagement. Gamification, or the incorporation of game elements into non-game settings, provides an opportunity to help schools solve these difficult problems. However, if gamification is to be of use to schools, we must better understand what gamification is, how it functions, and why it might be useful. This article addresses all three questions – what, how, and why bother? – while exploring both the potential benefits and pitfalls of gamification.