Category: EdTech Inquiry

Today we officially finished our tech class by presenting our tech inquiry project! The project was displayed as a google slides project and turned out to be pretty fantastic. Teya, Cass and I decorated our presentation by adding our little bitmojis to each slide to match the “gaming” theme of our presentation. The presentation went well and we got great audience feedback on both our presenting skills and our slide show. It is sad to think that I might not make another blog specifically towards my education at UVIC however, there is 100% a part of me that knows I will continue blogging my life in its everyday ways as it is a reminder to me about how each day has its successes and sometimes you just gotta sit down and write a blog to remember and appreciate each one.

“Technology will never replace great teachers but

technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational” 

Disadvantages when it comes to implementing gamification in the classroom can be varies depending on schools, policies, and beliefs. The main disadvantages I found in my research that could be spread the easiest across all sectors were:

1. Decreases student’s attention span researchers are finding that the fast pace and immediate reward system of gamification create issues in students’ attention spans. This issue could rebound on to the student’s other learning and they may feel disappointed in the other parts of their education when they find out that they cannot have the same kind of feedback learning experience.
2. Cost is an issue that can occur when it comes to using gamification systems in large schools, and for many students. There may be equipment costs, software costs, and training costs for instructors that sometimes get passed off to student registration fees. There are often also maintenance-related costs for systems delivered or hosted in schools
3. Student assessment can get difficult when it comes to telling how the results of these gamification results tie into the curriculum and into the overall assessment of the students learning. Most games do have a built-in tracking system but you will need to find a way to translate the games results to fulfill curricular competencies.
4. Game logistic Many times, setting up a game for your course requires a lot of prior planning and logistics. Questions you need to ask are: Will students be able to play the game at home? Is there an additional cost if they use it outside of the classroom? Are there are enough computers available for students to play the game in class?  Most of the time you will need to sit down and play the game yourself all the way through, which can take about 40 hours before you fully understand the game and objectives.

The research I have found about the advantages of using gamification in the classroom has been continuous across the areas of the web. Research shows that gamification can provide students with their
first beginning aspects of what life of an e-learner looks like, as this is the future for education it is beneficial for the student that teachers begin this process early. The main advantages I found involving gamification as a form of e-learning are:

1. Gamification increases learners’ engagement by holding learners’ attention and motivating them by giving them a goal to reach. Also increases learners engagement by turning students from passive observers into active  participants
2. Makes e-learning for fun and interactive by making their learning not just informative but also fun and engaging. Gamification also makes students believe they are an integral part oftheir learning, allowing to feel they are invited to learn more and play and not forced to by their teachers and the curriculum.
3. Improves knowledge absorption and retention whether or not learning is virtual or interactive the goal . is always the same; to instill knowledge within your learners. Gamification in learning can improve knowledge absorption and boost retention by blending endorphins and the awareness of real-world benefits
4. Gives learners the opportunity to see their learning in real-world applications by showing these students how their choices within the game result in consequences or rewards. If they succeed they move on to the next level, if not, they are not rewarded and must redo the level. Gamification in this sense is allowing them to witness these applications in a fun and risk-free environment that prepares them for when they do venture off into the real world.
5. It enhances the overall learning experiences for kids by getting them excited about learning where they will be able to actually acquire this information at a higher level of retention. Even a subject matter that may not in a usual teaching atmosphere “speak” to the students can be absorbed more easily because learners are actually enjoying the process and are actively participating.