Game-Based Learning Thrives, Despite Reports of Its Decline

Qamar Henderson

Lib 4900

Research design essay

                  In the article “Game-based learning thrives, despite reports of its decline” by Tommy Peterson, The ITC of game based learning and gamification being used as methods to motivate and engage students have shown to have positive effects. By using games as a way to attract learners, there is a possibility that students will become more engaged and create learning communities that allows valuable learning information to be shared. While continuing to expand game based learning seems like a good idea, there are many factors that go into creating and developing game based learning and making it useful and effective to a school curriculum. So the main research question involving this article would be: Does game based learning in a school curriculum decrease student attention span in elementary school? For this particular research analytical orientation would be best used to develop theories regarding game based learning that are based on prior outcomes and research about the effects of learning through game technology in an educational environment.

                          Gamification is defined as the application of typical elements of game playing, which includes rules of play, point scoring and competition with others, specifically to engage users in problem solving. Critics of gamified learning believe that the fast pace and immediate feedback creates a problem with student attention span. Students may begin to expect the same kind of responses from all parts of their education and won’t find it, leading to frustration. In the article “ The Pros and Cons of Gamified learning” by Tiffany Ford it is explained that most gamification systems allow for instantaneous feedback such as leaderboards and dashboards, which students can use to see where they stand among their peers. This has potential effects of decreasing a student attention span if implemented early in a student’s  educational experience The research process would involve monitoring the attention span of the students before and after the implementation of gaming.

              The main factors in this research are the students, the type of games being used for educational purposes, and test scores prior to and after use of the gaming technology in the classroom. The outcome from this research will show if game based learning is actually working in the curriculum and if it has a positive outcome on someone’s attention span. Students and grade level have to be evaluated during research to determine the level in which game based learning would be most effective. This could show the proper grade level in which gamification should be introduced and added to the curriculum. This is a crucial aspect of determining what grade will have effective use of gaming and when will the effects of game based learning become least beneficial. The type of game introduced would also be a significant factor, by determining the genre of the game being used, we can learn which types of game is most attractive to students and whether that genre is also has the best educational outcomes for the students, Furthermore we can figure out which type of games help or stagnate a student’s attention span. Finally, the test score prior to the introduction of gaming and after can determine whether the implementation of games are useful are not. This could show if the investment of games are worth it in the educational system.

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