Kaplan University announced in a university press release that it will expand its use of gamification in its online courses after a highly successful pilot program at its School of Information Technology.
Gamification is an innovative learning concept that uses game mechanics to enhance the learning experience. The university will build on its initial success by expanding its game platform into its School of Business. Kaplan has nearly 50,000 students online and on its 11 physical campuses.
The most important game mechanic on gamification platforms is the use of rewards to drive student behavior. Online courses can use virtual rewards such as points or badges to generate interest and promote student learning. The purpose of gamification is to increase productivity by using game elements to engage participants into a task that might be too challenging or boring without the game structure.
In the press release, Dr. David DeHaven, dean of the School of Information Technology, says gamification helped to engage students in his program and encouraged more quality participation. According to Kaplan, 60 percent of the students in its pilot program chose on their own to complete more difficult tasks simply to earn the related virtual badges.
Kaplan used the platform Badgeville in its pilot program, a platform that rewards students by giving them badges to recognize their successes. The university claimed that students in the gamified courses had significantly higher grades than their counterparts in similar courses without gamification.
CEO of Badgeville, Ken Comée applauded Kaplan University for taking a “leadership role” in trying out the innovative platform on students to measure its success. Comée said that gamification platforms can help online students make significant improvements in “participation, program completion, and collaboration.”
Some experts believe gamification will have a significant impact on education and beyond over the next decade. A Pew Research Survey called “The Future of Gamification” predicted that it will play a vital role in the aspects of society that rely on the human connection, such as training, personal health, business and education. The majority (53 percent) of its 1,021 survey respondents, which consisted of technology stakeholders and critics, say they believe gamification will become more widespread by the year 2020. The Pew report indicates that while gamification might have some drawbacks, it is effective at encouraging desired behaviors and providing people with feedback mechanisms to let them know how they are doing.
No Comment