An Innovative Approach Of Gamification And Its Use In Education
The world has gone through various developments over time and attained rapid technological and scientific development currently. This occurrence induces to the emersion of a recently modern concept called Industrial Revolution 4. 0 or 21st century development.
Industrial Revolution 4. 0 is an idea composed by Klaus Schwab representing a transformation in power, wealth, and knowledge as well as an advancement of technology and science. There are many inventions discovered by force of a new technology and science headway such as artificial intelligence robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printer, blockchain, quantum computer technology, biotechnology, and internet-based technology. That invention has influenced the development in various disciplines like education. In education, the use of technology is necessary for performing a significant role to conduct interesting and successful teaching and learning process. There are a lot of technology applications in education as a media for teaching and learning, one of them is gamification.
Gamification is a new phenomenon in the 21st century emerging in 2008 and gaining its fame in 2010. This phenomenon was born because of the development of technology and the needs of such sectors and institutions. Gamification is an approach utilizing game design or elements of the game towards a non-game concept or distinct from game background. This approach practically has a purpose to present game-like environment and gameful impression for developing and enhancing certain purpose or intention in various contexts. In a study discussing gamification empowerment, gamification has managed to be implemented in diverse contexts, such as commerce, sharing, sustainably consumption, health, data gathering, innovation, work, intra-organizational system, and education.
Through the application of gamification in such contexts, several products of gamification have created such as Candy Crush, Duolingo, and etc. In creating a product of gamification suited to the target purpose, the creator should pay attention to the use of game mechanics along with game dynamics. Game mechanics are kind of gamification elements related to actions, rules, or behaviors built by techniques and tools utilized to gamify such kind of context in order to design the challenges, excite certain emotions, provide rewards, and establish pleasant atmosphere. There are several main game mechanics like challenges and badges; points; level; virtual goods; and leaderboard. Challenges denote a duty or task which should be completed to achieve badges representing awards given to the user. Points are symbolized as a score or instant feedback used to raise user motivation and stimulate user active participation when operating the product of gamification. Levels are stages of challenges provided in the product of gamification in order to differ the challenges and show user’s progress. Virtual goods are kind of items or impalpable things provided in the product of gamification being able to be bought by the user using collected points during playing. Leaderboards are related to ranking or table scores showing the differences between the user’s spot or place and the other user to motivate and raise competition among users.
Meanwhile, game dynamics are the consequences or outcomes of urges, motivations, and achievements indicating the reflection of game mechanics and activities provided. Accomplishments/ achievements, rewards, status, self-expression, and competition are kinds of game dynamics created from the game. Accomplishments/ achievements are a kind of game dynamics driving the user to finish or complete the challenges to reach a certain goal (Seixas et. al. , 2016). Rewards are feedback that is tangible or intangible shared to the user as their action towards playing the game. Status is a kind of game dynamics showing user’s progress driving to the user's attention, fame, prestige, and respect from the other user. Self-expression is a kind of game dynamics representing the use of virtual goods showed by the rewards/presents obtained, item bought from points, the user’s avatar, and etc. (Seixas et. al. , 2016). Competition is a kind of game dynamics appeared because of the ranking system or leaderboard to compare every user performances or achievements.
A good application of gamification can be shown from the cohesiveness of game mechanics and game dynamics. The successfulness of integrating game mechanics and game dynamics in gamification applications is able to result in substantial benefits for the user or players. Juho Hamari, Jonna Koivisto, and Harri Sarsa in 2014 declared that the results of many studies revealing gamification has impacts relating to yield in mind and behavior. Al-Smadi, which carried out research entitled “Gameducation: Using Gamification Techniques to Engage Learners in Online Learning” in 2015, stated that gamification had an advantage in increasing learners' motivation and engagement in the learning process.
Besides, Meaghan Lister in his research entitled “Gamification: The effect on student motivation and performance at the post-secondary level” in 2015 asserted that gamification is beneficial in increasing learners' motivation and improving learners' performance in the classroom. Moreover, the result of research entitled “Effectiveness of Gamification in The Engagement of Students” by Luma da Rocha Seixas, Alex Sandro Gomes, & Ivanildo Jose de Melo Filho in 2016 showed that gamification had positive influence on students’ engagement showed by higher level of engagement and better average performances in the classroom.
Julia Gressick and Joel B. Langston had conducted research entitled “The Guilded Classroom: Using Gamification to Engage and Motivate Undergraduates” in 2017 showing results that the implementation of gamification in General Educational Psychology course became a successful innovation in teaching the class and could promote students’ learning and magnified classroom climate.
To summarize, gamification is an innovative approach arisen in the 21st century from the effect of technology development and market needs. Gamification is a way of implementing game features towards certain contexts outside the game. The role of gamification is to supply the atmosphere regularly contained in the game in order to achieve such kind of target behavior. There is a lot of gamification product existed based on particular aim noticing the use of game mechanics as well as game dynamics. Game mechanics are the activities offered in the gamification product such as challenges and badges; points; level; virtual goods; and leaderboard. Meantime, game dynamics are the result of activities done by the user in the gamification product such as achievements, rewards, status, self-expression, and competition. Many researchers have conducted research related to gamification revealing that gamification possesses good benefits to the user and related society.
