Operationalising gamification in an educational authentic environment

• Main Authors: Reiners, T (Author), Wood, LC (Author), Chang, V (Author), Guetl, C (Author), Herrington, J (Author), Teräs, H (Author), Gregory, S (Author)
• Other Authors: Kommers, P (Contributor), Issa, T (Contributor), Isaías, P (Contributor)
• Format: Others
• Published: IADIS Press, 2013-12-11T05:31:41Z.
• Subjects: Skill training; Virtual environment; Game mechanism; Engagement; Authentic learning; Conference Contribution
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 This paper addresses the inauthentic pedagogical approaches in current classroom and distance-learning environments, and will propose a methodology that utilises existing technologies to provide an immersive and authentic experience in education; i.e. to bridge the gap between the academic perspective and the real-world requirements. Industry postulate that recent graduates lack requisite skills, are often ignorant of the workings of company cultures, and are uncertain how to transfer their university-acquired theoretical knowledge to effective practice. We propose an environment that increases authenticity through inclusion of real-life complexity modelled in an immersive scenario, links scenarios into a comprehensive supply chain that supports exchange of information and repercussions/effects from actions between modules, and includes gaming mechanisms to increase student engagement further. Especially the gaming mechanisms are required to encourage student engagement in (and better manage their interaction/learning process with in a step-wise fashion, rather than 'throwing them in the deep end'), reflection on, and learning from, the flow-on effects of an interlinked immersive, authentic, virtual, awesome, environment; otherwise, the complexity of the interlinked simulation would be too great to ensure effective learning!