Game-Based Learning and
Gamification in Higher Education
Professor Nicola Whitton
Manchester Metropolitan University
What is a game?
“the voluntary attempt to overcome
unnecessary obstacles”
(Suits, 1978)
Why games and learning?
Games are motivating ...
... and digital natives want to learn with games …
… so that learning is so much fun…
… they don’t even know they’re learning!
(This is not a good argument for games and learning)
A better argument
Engagement
Action
Play
Game mechanics are engaging
Creativity
Suspension
of disbelief
Community
Challenge
Visible
progression
Completion
Games create flow
(Schell, 2008, based on Csikszentmihalyi, 1992)
Active Learning Environments
Experiential Learning (Kolb)
Problembased
learning
Situated cognition
(Brown, Collins, Duguid)
Problem-based Learning
(Boud; Savery & Duffy)
Authentic
learning
Affinity Groups (Gee)
Zone of Proximal Development
(Vygotsky)
Communities of Practice (Lave & Wenger)
Social
constructivism
Playful learning: the magic circle
… make
mistakes
… make
things
Freedom
to…
… make
choices
… make
believe
What is gamification?
Game mechanics
So what’s the problem?
Gaming the game
The Spirit of Play
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Creativity
Storytelling
Mystery
Exploration
Puzzle-solving
Fun
Thank you for listening