Play to learn: Gamification teaches us that motivation and engagement are multidimensional, just like video games. — 123rf.com
Seen as a silver bullet to enhance engagement, motivation and performance, gamification, or the use of video game mechanics such as points, badges and leaderboards (PBL) in a non-game context, is a buzzword in education.
Gamification is best explored through two key approaches – vertical and horizontal, but what can game-inspired systems really teach us about education? The answer lies in understanding the nature and history of video games, and how our application of gamified systems, or game design mechanics, must evolve with the times.
