week 11 post 2: gamification research and theories

    Gamification in classrooms today comes from well-established areas of research. They follow the Self-Determination Theory, Flow Theory, Efficacy Theory, Game Theory, Game Design Theory, Instructional Design Theory, and the universal design for learning. It is essential to apply these theories for gamification to be useful. Gamification must combine the best uses of the technology and the design elements of the learning environment. This means the best applications of these theories will vary from in person classrooms and online classrooms. But it also means different types of material may be enriched by vastly different game elements within one course. 

    Gamification in education reaches its most useful form when it is used in an online classroom. Adding enhancements to the existing organizational systems to add elements of game playing designed to increase participant engagement. Many gamification examples are drawn from video games, but the concept's foundational theories. When deciding how to best build engagement online with these tools, it helps to look for ways to duplicate the systems from digital games.