What are potential negative impacts of game elements in online educational activities?
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Under a Creative Commons license Open access Highlights• Literature Review investigating the effect of using the game-based learning platform Kahoot! in the classroom. •Focus on learning performance, classroom dynamics, students' and teachers' attuites and perceptions, and student anxiety. •Includes 93 quantitative and or qualitative studies including experiments, crosssectional, mixed method, and case studies. •Main conclusion is that Kahoot! has a positive effect on learning performance, classroom dynamics, attuites, and anxiety. •Main challenges include technical problems, see questions and answers, time stress, afraid of losing, and hard to catch up. AbstractKahoot! is a game-based learning platform used to review students' knowledge, for formative assessment or as a break from traditional classroom activities. It is among the most popular game-based learning platforms, with 70 million monthly active unique users and used by 50% of US K-12 students. Since the platform was released in 2013, many studies have been published on the effect of using Kahoot! in the classroom, but so far, no systematic analysis of the results. This article presents the results of a literature review on the effect of using Kahoot! for learning and, more specifically, on how Kahoot! affects learning performance, classroom dynamics, students' and teachers' attitudes and perceptions, and students' anxiety. The literature review includes 93 studies, and the main conclusion is that Kahoot! can have a positive effect on learning performance, classroom dynamics, students' and teachers' attitudes, and students’ anxiety. However, there are also studies where Kahoot! has little or no effect. The main challenges mentioned by students include technical problems such as unreliable internet connections, hard to read questions and answers on a projected screen, not being able to change answer after submission, stressful time-pressure for giving answers, not enough time to answer, afraid of losing, and hard to catch up if an incorrect answer had been given. Further, the main challenges mentioned by teachers include getting the difficulty level of questions and answers right, problems related to network connectivity, scoring based on how quickly the students answer reducing student reflection and cause some students to guess without thinking, that some students can have a problem with failing a quiz, and some teachers find it challenging to use the technology. KeywordsGame-based learning Engagement Classroom dynamics Literature review Kahoot! Cited by (0)© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Gone are the days of textbook-only learning. As an educator, you’ve likely experienced firsthand how challenging it is to meet the needs of different types of learners — all while trying to keep student engagement high. Game-based learning is one teaching strategy that’s growing increasingly popular to help students achieve their learning objectives. Especially as:
And rightly so. In a 2018 study, researchers found “evidence that the use of educational games could support and increase the mathematics learning outcomes.” Another 2018 systematic review of game-based learning highlighted research that found “educational games play a successful role in terms of both a better understanding of the course content by the students and the participation of the students in this process.” Below, we’ll dive into what game-based learning is, the benefits and drawbacks, as well as types of game-based learning educators like you can use every day. What is game-based learning (GBL)?Game-based learning is a teaching method that uses the power of games to define and support learning outcomes. A GBL environment achieves this through educational games that have elements such as engagement, immediate rewards and healthy competition. All so that while students play, they stay motivated to learn. The great thing about game-based learning is everyone can reap its benefits, from preschool all the way up to post-secondary education and beyond. Where and how doesn't matter, either — students can learn:
Game-based learning vs. Gamification
If you're experienced with GBL, chances are you’ve come across the terms “gamified” or “gamification.” And while they’re similar, the two applications are distinctly different. In game-based learning, teachers incorporate educational activities into their lessons which can help students — independently or through teamwork — to refresh old concepts or solidify new ones. By leveraging today’s students’ intimate knowledge of game play, teachers can create exciting learning environments that increase student engagement. Gamification pulls from elements of game design, such as:
However, the biggest difference from GBL is its application in non-game settings. In your classroom, gamification could mean creating a leaderboard for students who finish their homework on time every day, and getting some kind of prize for the longest streak every month. Digital game-based learning (DGBL)In an increasingly tech-filled world, DGBL takes things one step further and harnesses technology to help make game-based learning even more engaging and effective. As defined in our digital game-based learning article, it: “Offers a delicate balance between in-class lessons and educational gameplay. Teachers introduce students to new concepts and show them how they work. Then students practice these concepts through digital games.” A good DGBL platform should seamlessly track progress as students work through subject matter and help identify where students are excelling, as well as where they need support. Prodigy Math is an engaging, curriculum-aligned, digital game-based learning platform that checks all those boxes. Success in the game requires students to correctly answer math questions which adapt to their learning needs, and gives teachers the ability to differentiate! Get your free accountCombined with your teaching style and continued lesson plans, you’ll likely have a lot of success when you implement digital game-based learning in the classroom. Traditional game-based learningGBL wasn’t always digital, of course. Take formative, non-digital childhood games like Simon says or Duck-Duck-Goose, for example. Teachers would — and still do — pepper the traditional learning environment with them to help teach students how to understand classroom rules, the importance of paying attention and to improve motor skills. All while having fun. Top benefits of game-based learningSome educators and researchers still argue that game-based learning can be detrimental to educational experience. However, studies continue to show that games can positively impact things like students’ math and language learning in many ways. Game-based learning:
Potential drawbacks of game-based learningAs we mentioned above, not everyone is convinced of game-based learning just yet. GBL’s purpose was never to replace teachers and traditional learning, but to help positively augment it. Depending on your personal teaching approaches or a student’s individual learning style, there can be drawbacks to game-based learning:
Researchers still have much to study about GBL and, if not implemented effectively, teachers and students can have a poor experience. However, we hope resources such as the one you’re reading now help empower educators and students alike to benefit from game-based learning — in school and beyond! 7 Types of game-based learningExploring the world of GBL will open the door to many types and examples of games, whether you teach pre-kindergarten, elementary or high school students. Compared to games outside of the education space, “serious games” are ones designed to teach or help students practice specific skills or content. Some of the most common game-based learning examples include:
Of course, the types of game-based learning you choose to use may depend on the students to have in a given year. But you have plenty of options if GBL is something you want to try this year! Learn more about Prodigy for teachersHow game-based learning drives a strong learning experienceDo you remember the first time a new concept finally clicked after learning through play? Maybe you experienced something similar as a student or in an effective professional development session. If you have, you recognize the power game-based learning can have on one’s personal learning journey. As a company rooted in game-based learning, we witness it every day: students who play Prodigy Math and develop a love of math that wasn't there before. Whether you’re planning to apply it to in-person learning or e-learning, do so with an open mind. You may be surprised how much you — and your students — love game-based learning. Consider adding Prodigy Math to your digital game-based learning toolset!Because it’s online, adaptive and highly engaging, Prodigy’s math platform is ideally suited to help parents and teachers ensure their students are learning math in either an in-person, virtual, or hybrid learning environment. There are three product attributes that I’d like to highlight here which can help in either scenario: world-class student engagement, easy assessment and remediation, and a shared data set between home and school. Prodigy creates fun and effective game-based learning experiencesDiscover how we design, build and deliver incredibly engaging learning experiences for students, teachers and parents. Learn more Or get started today!What are the disadvantages of using games in education?Potential drawbacks of game-based learning. Too much screen time.. Games aren't always created equally.. Games can be a source of distraction.. It requires a technology learning curve.. Doesn't replace traditional learning strategies.. Not always aligned to teaching or learning goals.. What are the negative effects of gamification in education?4.1 What are the Negative Outcomes Related to Gamification in Education? Based on the outcomes and reports in the studies, we identified 4 negative effects: Indifference, Loss of performance, Undesired behavior and Declining effects.
What are some potential problems with using games and gamification for training?Gamification can create a false set of incentives: One of the biggest problems with gamification is that it incentivizes winning over other objectives. For training and corporate learning, you don't want employees who know how to ace a test but don't necessarily know what they've been taught.
What are the disadvantages of gamification?The Cons Of Gamification. Expensive To Develop. Games take longer to develop than traditional Instructional Design. Time is money. ... . Diminished Value Over Time. Not only are games costly to develop, but they are also costly to maintain. ... . 3 . Games That Are Only Poorly Masked Quizzes.. |