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How gamification helps in assessment
while promoting 21st century skills in
classrooms
Correspondence: Department of Education, Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi
,India
July 2021
ABSTRACT
“Games are the only force in the known universe that can get people to take
actions against their self-interest, predictably, without applying force.” ―
Gabe Zichermann
The role of gamification in educational learning has gained huge popularity in recent years mong
educators, students and parents to improve student experience by increasing progression and
lowering attrition However, some students express reservations that the inherently competitive
nature of some gamified learning activities negatively impact their learning experience, especially
when compared to traditional methods of teaching. This discussion and instructional paper
undertakes a review of how assessments through gamifications is How gamification is not only
solving the purpose of assessing students or making learning fun and interactive that drives human
engagement in an informative and exciting way but It is also preparing students for the job market
by building all required skills of 21st century. Along with that it also gives all students an equal
Corresponding author:Nusrat Rizvi (nusratrizvi@moreland.edu)
opportunity to succeed regardless of their ability and facilitates instructional adaptations that bring
students together as a community of common learners, an approach of Universal Design
learning(UDL) which can be a topic of future research.
Keywords: Gamification, higher education, 21st century skills, student success, retention
Introduction:
In today's age where evaluation often deprives the class to reflect their true autonomy and engagement, the
word assessment can be perceived with negative connotation. The image we have about assessment often
gives a vision of students sitting in a silent row and filling test booklets. The truth is that it's necessary to
evaluate and assess students to determine both teacher and student success.Thankfully with the help of
technology, the meaning of assessment has changed drastically and is no more a thing to get scared but to
get excited.
Assessment is the part of educational system which is not separable as it becomes the main
component of education to conduct an effective learning (Linn & Miller, 2005)
“… Student evaluation should be an integral part of good teaching practice …
student evaluation should be planned, tied to the intended outcomes of the
curriculum, and be capable of meeting individual student needs” (Saskatchewan
Education, 1991, p2).
Teachers can also observe their students during the teaching learning process and
they can also assess their students incidentally or intendedly. A good teacher will
never ignore his students. Thus, the teachers’ attitude towards assessment
influences how students identify the study content, the class, and their work
(Brookhart, 1997).
There are generally two types of common assessment used in the classroom namely formative
and summative assessment.Both evaluate the learning of students’ progress. Nevertheless, the
way the progress is obtained now is totally non-threatening.
Formative assessment is done throughout the lesson in various forms through different
activities of online and offline games, quizzes, group discussion, role plays etc which leads to
more discovery,curiosity, excitement and enhances 21st century skills of analyzing, critical
thinking, collaboration, communication etc . According to Brown (2004), Formative assessment
is evaluation of developing students’ competencies and skills process in the form of aid to
enhance students’ growth and progress of learning.Formative assessment can be tutor led, peer or
self-assessment.
While summative assessment evaluates students’ skills and competencies at the end of a
unit or course most of the time by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. It
often has high stakes and is considered as a priority by the students and teachers over
formative assessments. However, feedback from both assessments can be used formatively
by both students and faculty to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.
According to Brown (2004) Summative assessment is the way to measure what students have
learnt during some period given, and usually conducted at the end of the unit of instruction.
Summative assessments are commonly contrasted with formative assessments, which
collect detailed information that educators can use to improve instruction and student
learning while it’s happening. In other words, formative assessments are often said to be for
learning, while summative assessments are of learning. Or as assessment expert Paul Black
put it, “When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative assessment. When the customer
tastes the soup, that's a summative assessment.” It should be noted, however, that the
distinction between formative and summative is often fuzzy in practice, and educators may
have divergent interpretations and opinions on the subject.
21st Century Skills through gamification
21st century skills consist of skills and abilities that have been identified as being
required for success in 21st century society and workplaces by educators, business
leaders, academics, and governmental agencies. This is part and process of a
growing movement where focus is given on the skills needed for students to
succeed in this faster changing and digital world. These skills are associated with
deeper learning, to master skills such as analytic reasoning, complex problem
solving, and teamwork.These skills are different from traditional academic skills
where they are not content knowledge-based primarily.
The skills are grouped under 3 main areas:
●Learning and innovation skills: critical thinking and problem solving,
communications and collaboration, creativity and innovation.
●Digital literacy skills: information literacy, media literacy, Information and
communication technologies (ICT) literacy.
●Career and life skills: flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction,
social and cross-cultural interaction, productivity and accountability.
It should be noted that the “21st century skills” concept has a wide-range and amorphous
knowledge and skills that has not been officially codified or categorized.
Gamification and 21st-Century Skills
In multiple ways, gamified classrooms act as a vessel for teaching having a wide range of
21st-century skills such as creative thinking,critical thinking, collaboration, and
communication. As also, digital technology and connectivity are important aspects of
gamification, students also have the opportunity to expand all their 21st-century skills.
Another advantage of classroom gamification is that it's student-centric.
Gamified classrooms require students to think critically, creatively, communicate and
collaboratively with the use of online games, puzzles during formative and summative
assessment along information, media and technology by doing online research, making
online videos, voice recording, PPT presentation.While also being a part of debate, group
discussion, peer reviews, student lean life skills like leadership, flexibility and social skills.
In a recent Gamification study, authors Tara L. Kingsley and Melissa M. Grabner-Huben
observed a gamified classroom using a software called 3DGameLab and found students were
in control:
Students picked what activities to complete based on skill, knowledge, interest and time.
The students were in control of their learning choices. A student’s survey response
illustrates this: “In 3DGameLab, I get to decide which lessons I want to do. In my other
classes, I have to go by the teacher’s schedule.
Creative Thinking: In the same classroom observed by Kingsley and Grabner-Hagen,
students completed a quest called “Act it Out” in which they had to create a video to
document a change in matter, acting like molecules. Using an iPad, they wrote their script,
created a storyboard and recorded their video complete with an informative narration.
Afterward, they published their final project on a learning management system. This
example illustrates how classroom gamification encourages students to think creatively,
specifically, because the “Act it Out” project required them to brainstorm their ideas, craft an
original script and perform. At the same time, students employed new literacy skills “to
navigate iMovie, synthesize and edit content and publish a final product online.”
Communication and Collaboration: At the core, games are collaborative and,
transforming a traditionally isolated learning activity into a gaming quest “allows technology
to foster the collaboration process.” For example, in their study, Kingsley and
Grabner-Hagen observed a class where students were required to complete a quest with
collaboration embedded every step of the way. In the quest, students had to teach each other
how to measure liquid volume in a graduated cylinder by creating a tutorial video for an
interactive and collaborative whiteboard application.
Gamification, both online and in the real-world, is an opportunity to embed collaborative
tasks like these into the curriculum. The beauty of classroom gamification is that students
might not even realize they are collaborating because they are so engaged in the challenge of
the game or quest.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinking and problem solving are at the core of any game
experience. In Kingsley and Grabner-Hagen’s study, students were asked: “If you were a
superhero, what could you do with the power to change your density?” First, students
explored quest-embedded hyperlinks to research density before generating a hypothesis and
eventually drawing conclusions. This particular gamified learning experience encouraged
students to “generate connections, build arguments, and support claims.” Students' thinking
needed to be “systematic and include deductive and inductive reasoning for critical thinking
and problem solving.”
Some educators dismiss it as a fad, others, like the students and teachers observed by
Kingsley and Grabner-Huben, are taking full advantage of classroom gamification’s
potential to assess students and, particularly, 21st-century skills.
Resource
https://www.oecd.org/site/educeri21st/40756908.pdf
https://www.oecd.org/site/educeri21st/40756908.pdf
https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-021-0024
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