week 7 post 2: motivation and engagement

  

    Gamification in education can improve motivation and engagement. Game elements such as immediate feedback and earning badges for completing the challenges successfully are strongly influential on increasing the students’ drive in engaging within the walls of a classroom. Furthermore, the influence of games on the pleasure center has important effects on learning. Reward-related signals have been reported to promote the storage of new information into long-term memory through waves of dopamine, which activates the hippocampus, a structure primarily involved in learning and memory. Dopamine is also involved in controlling functional changes within the hippocampus, which is a significant brain phenomenon underlying the acquisition of new information and skills. 

    It is important to understand the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in gamification in education. Intrinsic motivation happens when students enjoy learning for its own rewards, like the excitement of understanding a new concept or discovering a new skill. Extrinsic motivation, however, occurs when students are motivated by external rewards or punishments. The positive effects of gamification occur more when teachers prioritize intrinsic motivation as they plan.