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Critical Perspective on Gamification in Education

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Gamification in Education and Business

Abstract

Overall, this chapter offers a critical perspective on gamification in education and defines gamification as purposeful experiences that utilize game design and game elements. First it focuses on the basics of learning. Second it explores the advantages and disadvantages of technology in relation to teaching and learning, as many technologies share similar traits. Third it examines how technology has influenced education (i.e., reform) in the past, and offers insight on the impact games may have on education. Fourth it reviews gaming research and what it means to student learning with respect to both current and past research trends. Last, it contends that using a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) framework can help create a more evidence based approach to the use of gamification in education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Learning and Innovation, College of Adult and Professional Studies, Indiana Wesleyan University, 1900 West 50th Street, Marion, IN, 46953-4974, USA

    Christopher J. Devers Ph.D.

  2. Human Development and Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI, USA

    Regan A. R. Gurung

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  1. Christopher J. Devers Ph.D.
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  2. Regan A. R. Gurung
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Devers Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Information Systems, Curtin University, Bentley, West Australia, Australia

    Torsten Reiners

  2. Dept. of Business Information Systems, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Lincoln C. Wood

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Devers, C.J., Gurung, R.A.R. (2015). Critical Perspective on Gamification in Education. In: Reiners, T., Wood, L. (eds) Gamification in Education and Business. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10208-5_21

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