Gamification versus Game Based Learning in the Classroom

With warm weather approaching, we see students interest begin to drift toward playgrounds and summertime. Luckily, more and more classrooms have been employing methods, including game based learning and gamfication, to encourage learning and hold students’ interest. Although ultimately working toward the same goal, the two differ significantly in terms of practice.

Game based learning is based in a goal to make learning fun by incorporating games into lessons. The goal is to create a learning environment that keeps students engaged by allowing them to play while they learn. For example, this lesson gets students up on their feet and moving around while they review addition.The game captures students’ attention in a way that worksheets have traditionally failed to. Game based learning oftentimes incorporates the use of technology and can be adapted to teach a variety of subjects.

Gamification, on the other hand, is based in the use of positive reinforcements and incentives to encourage students to want to learn. Students are rewarded for meeting certain goals. For example, they may receive points for achieving academic goals or exhibiting a certain behavior throughout the week. At the end of the week, students would then be able to trade in the points they earned for a treat or extra time on the computer or in the playground. This approach, instead of focusing on a particular lesson or subject area, can be applied across a classroom’s entire curriculum.

Creative Commons Love: Son Le on Flickr.com

Written by Amy Sevegny