Few things in human history have changed society as much, and nothing as rapid as digitalization. Inevitably, the digital age revolutionized education, and one of the most impactful consequences is the rise of online learning. The shift to virtual classrooms is undeniable at all levels of education, from K-12 students to postgraduates.
As online education grew, educators increasingly explored innovative methods to keep students engaged and motivated. Terms like cognitive growth, neuroplasticity and spaced learning aren’t new, but they came into focus with online education.
Online education and science
Scientists are probing many other areas in exploring the learning process that gained a vast and growing database with online learning. Among scholarly points of interest is gamification.
Gamification gels game-like elements with non-game environments, mixing challenges, levels, and rewards – like most computer games – with learning blocks.
The idea behind the method is simple: it seeks to fuel a student’s motivation by making learning fun and interactive. The fuel is dopamine, a neurotransmitter the brain disburses as a reward for a completed task. It is the top prize in a brain’s reward system.
Understanding dopamine and motivation
Neurotransmitters are chemicals our body produces to transmit signals between neurons and other cells. They play a key role in every function in the body, from heartbeat to mood.
Dopamine produces motivation, pleasure, and a sense of reward. Essentially, it drives the surge of happiness and satisfaction when we receive a reward or complete a task. The good feeling after an activity drives us to repeat it.
Dopamine for engaged studying
How do educators leverage a biological response to incentivize learning in a gamified environment? There’s a reward for completed tasks: points, badges, and grades, but at the end of the line, a burst of dopamine. So, progress triggers happiness, and encourages students to remain engaged and continue their studies.
Game elements in online learning
Caption: Colors, motion, and rewards turn every task into a mini win.
Online schools weave gamification into their platforms in various ways but mostly stick to the proven patterns.
- Leaderboards: Student ranking fosters competition and motivates for a better performance. How? It drives the desire for recognition and achievement.
- Achievement badges: Badges for completing tasks or mastering a skill rewardingly showcase success for positive reinforcement of learning efforts.
- Quests, Challenges: Set in an online course, a quest or a challenge mimics the structure of a video game. The missions foment a sense of purpose, and completion leads to rewards.
- Progress Bars: A bar inching towards the completion of the current goal encourages students to keep moving along the course. It is another simple tool to remind a student of achievements behind and ahead. Every milestone a student reaches creates a sense of accomplishment.
- Unlocking Content: Progress through the material and reached goals unlocks additional content. This progression-based approach is structured like many games, opening the next level only on completion of the one before.
Gamification elements seek to create an environment where online students feel rewarded for their efforts. Instead of waiting a long time for a result such as a grade, students receive immediate reinforcement that drives further engagement and learning.
Learning and rewards
Research has shown that dopamine has a major role in motivation, especially in learning environments. Wolfram Schultz and team showed that “learning is driven by changes in the expectations” such as rewards.
Dopamine is involved in the anticipation of rewards and in the reinforcement of learning behaviors. The conclusion suggests that when students experience small successes through gamified elements, their brains release dopamine and reinforce the learning behavior.
In a gamified environment, the rewards are often spaced out to mimic the concept of variable reinforcement, which is especially effective at maintaining motivation. Just as with slot machines, where players never know when they’ll win but continue to play in hopes of a reward, gamification in online learning can keep students engaged by providing unpredictable yet frequent rewards.
Other studies, such as Kamalesh’s and Kumar’s The Impact of Gamification on Motivation and Retention in Language Learning, indicated a significant increase in both motivation and retention in students.
Gamified elements provide an interactive experience, making learning more engaging and less monotonous. That is very important for online students who may otherwise grow emotionally disconnected from the material.
Gamified learning encourages students to go on
Caption: Gamified learning turns study time into feel-good time.
The role of dopamine in gamification is vital because it spurs engagement, a common challenge in online learning environments. Online school students may occasionally feel isolated or disconnected, possibly leading to disengagement.
Gamification helps bridge that moat by turning learning into a dynamic and rewarding experience. Studies indicate higher levels of engagement, improved retention rates, and better overall performance of students in gamified online courses.
A team led by Sebastian Detering of Hamburg University determined in their 2011 study Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining” Gamification that students provided with gamified experiences are more likely to complete assignments, participate in discussions, and improve their academic skills.
Why? The brain’s reward system with dopamine as medals turns learning itself into a more rewarding activity. In gamified learning, there’s no extended wait for a final grade, but students collect their small rewards along the trip of their education. The feedback helps retain interest and motivation. That means it also reduces the risk of a student dropping out.
The future of gamification in online education
Online schools are rapidly evolving, and gamification will continue to grow. The increasing usage of adaptive learning technologies allows educators to swiftly and approachably personalize the learning experience to the needs and preferences of an individual student. That increases the odds of an engaged and motivated student who steadily, self-paced advances through the material.
Gamification in online learning is a powerful tool. By tapping into a primeval biological reward system, high-tech education is forging an effective – and enjoyable learning experience. As online education continues to spread, its gamification element will, too. There’s no doubt about either count.
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