An Overview and Study on the Use of Games, Simulations, and Gamification in Higher Education

TLDR

The article reviews how game‑based learning and gamification are employed in higher education. The study investigates how communication faculty use games and simulations and how familiar they are with gamification, examining usage rates and instructor familiarity. A literature‑derived survey was distributed to communication faculty at public universities in a southern state. Results suggest that while gamification is a new label, its practices largely recycle traditional instructional strategies.

Abstract

This article examines the use of both game-based learning (GBL) and gamification in tertiary education. This study focuses specifically on the use of games and/or simulations as well as familiarity with gamification strategies by communication faculty. Research questions concentrate on the rate, frequency, and usage of digital and non-digital games and/or simulations in communication courses, as well as instructor familiarity with gamification. A survey was constructed with questions emerging from the game-based learning and gamification literature. It was distributed to communication faculty at public institutions of higher education in a southern state. In this context, the author argues that while the term gamification is novel, the approach is not. Based on the results, current gamification strategies appear to be a repackaging of traditional instructional strategies.