Usage of Gamification Method in the Learning Process of Higher Education

Background and aim of study:

The modern stage of social advancement is characterized by the active development of computer technologies, emergence of new ways how to transmit information, and development of gadgets to make human life easier. The usage of computers and smartphones has become an integral part of our lives. Every day modern youth uses the Internet for various purposes: from setting clear educational goals to having fun or rest. Sometimes activities of entertaining nature take up most of youth’s time; such activities also distract attention, divert from solving basic problems, and reduce the level of educational activity and motivation to study major subjects. As a rule, the immersion in the study of specific subjects in the educational process is associated with lectures, workshops or tutorials. In addition, a significant role is assigned to the organization of such extracurricular activities as academic competitions, scientific tournaments, round tables, conferences, and various competitions. The aim of the study is to highlight the possibilities of the usage of gamification method when teaching students, as this method increases the level of motivation and interest in studying humanitarian subjects.

Research methods:

In the course of work, we used the method of generalization and analysis of literature on the research topic, on the basis of which we worked out questions in order to conduct a survey among the participants of game interaction; the method of survey data analysis was also used in order to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of gamification.

Results:

In order to solve the set problem, we used a light version of gamification, which was a certain “portion” of game elements in the process of mastering the course content on humanitarian subjects: points, ratings, medals, competitive moments, creative contests, etc. To confirm or deny the effectiveness of this method, we have chosen the popular Classcraft gaming platform (https://www.classcraft.com/ru/), which belongs to the field of educational design. This service is a kind of live action game where a grade-rating system is used. Games created on the basis of this platform envisage a common subject and methods of joint activity of students, their communication, the hierarchy of in- game motives, and the imitation of real processes. This service involves the usage of the game space in the real time, not completely taking students to virtual reality. The platform helps create the necessary plot and game characters of the students. By means of this service, we have created a game quest called “Adventurers”. The quest was aimed at teamwork of all participants. Its main function was to familiarize all players with the most popular myths and legends of the world, using additional services for creating tasks and checking the digestion of material (LearningApps, WordWall, GoogleForms, Jigsawplanet, and Padlet). For the experiment, we selected a group of people of different ages and areas of activity to test the comprehensibility of using elements of gamification and Internet technologies for different segments of the population. In total, 47 players took part in the poll, including teachers and students of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, as well as schoolchildren. Having finished the game action, we carried out a statistical analysis of the experimental results based on a survey that was created in the Google Forms application. The questions reflected the direct design and content of the quest. Some of them were aimed at researching the effectiveness of this platform and at the analyses of the gamification results. Based on the generalization of the obtained data, it is definite that the majority of respondents recognize this method of studying as effective, interesting and easy to understand.

Conclusion:

Taking into considerations the above-mentioned facts, we can conclude that the introduction of elements of gamification can improve the educational process and increase the level of students’ motivation to study the humanities due to the presentation of information in a creative form. The usage of gamification method is an effective tool for events that take place outside the school, since such elements as points and leaderboards can control the points that players get in the process of participating in academic competitions and tournaments. The effect of the gamification method is the implementation of fast and effective feedback between participants and organizers of game interaction. The use of gamification means practical application of the knowledge of participants, which shows their real potential in this field of knowledge and increases the accuracy of the assessment of each participant in the educational process.

DOI and UDC:

UDC: 378.147:37.032 DOI: 10.26697/ijes.2020.4.17

Information about the authors:

Zhukova Оksana Anatoljevna – Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of Pedagogy Department; V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Research interests: the didactics of higher education, pedagogical technologies, educational process, soft skills; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-9598 Stoianova Veronika Sergeevna – V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Research interests: modern education, digitalization of education; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5492-8395 Semenenko Olha Vladimirovna – V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Research interests: modern education, digitalization of education; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7575-0429