1st Edition
Gamification in Higher Education A How-To Instructional Guide
Gamification in Higher Education is a user-friendly text for anyone curious about gamification and how it increases student engagement.
This book presents actual examples from gamified college courses, furnishing strategies and detailed plans for integrating gamification, regardless of the subject area, discipline, or modality. Moreover, the step-by-step how-to aspects of gamification that do not require expensive, proprietary gaming software set this book apart from others in the field. Gamification in Higher Education explores ways to incorporate real-world simulations and promote critical thinking skill, while focusing on storytelling through which to draw in students and help them get into the game, both literally and figuratively. Additionally, the book examines gamification research and how it can be used to support reluctant learners who normally struggle with complex course content. The authors share their experiences with what has worked and, more importantly, what has not worked in adding gamification to their courses.
This key resource offers educators a practical guide that will take instructors step-by-step through the design, development, and implementation of game elements, games, and fully gamified courses without using costly specialized software. Its conversational tone endeavors to put educators, whether novice, mid-career, or veteran, at ease with the process of gamification.
Part I: Why Gamify? 1. What is Gamification? 2. Gamification in Higher Education 3. The Pit(falls) and the Pendulum: Dos and Don’ts Part II: How to Gamify Course Elements 4. Gamifying Case Studies 5. Role-Playing & Representing 6. Court Trial and Error 7. Whodunit? Part III: How to Gamify Entire Courses 8. The Anatomy of a Gamified Biology Course 9. Internship at an Academic Magazine 10. Keepers of the Historical Documents 11. Unfolding Case Study of a Course on Nursing Care in the Community Part IV: Games 12. Tabletop Board Games and Card Games 13. Library Search Survivor 14. Escape Rooms 15. Recognizable Games 16. The End Game Appendix A: Star Trek® Episode and Movie Compendium Lists Appendix B: Free and Canvas Resources
Biography
Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa ápi is the instructional technologist for Nevada State University, USA.
Nathan K. Silva is a biology lecturer at Nevada State University, USA.
"Dr. Adare-Tasiwoopa ápi and Silva have provided an amazing and valuable resource by synthesizing the vast and complex research literatures on gamified and game-based learning, education, and psychology, to help instructors and course designers meaningfully begin their journey with games and gamification. Where many other books of this sort are bound tightly to the expertise of their writers, this book is explicitly interdisciplinary, and it does a remarkable job simplifying complex theory across many fields into straightforward, accessible applications. Where many other gamification books overpromise with unlimited benefits and zero effort through all flash and no substance, this book gives a realistic and thoughtful set of resources all while teaching about games and gamification in learning integrated with sound, approachable pedagogy. I can recommend no other book more highly for the newcomer to gamified learning - start here!"
Dr. Richard Landers, John P. Campbell Distinguished Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of Minnesota."What do telenovelas, missions to Mars, simulated internships, and escape rooms have in common? They’re all ideas for transforming courses through gamification. Gamification in Higher Education explains how and why to use game elements to engage and instruct college students. This book is an ideal resource for faculty and instructional designers across disciplines who want to go beyond the basics in gamified learning. It offers a richly detailed set of fully developed teaching activities along with creativity-sparking ideas."
Michelle D. Miller, Professor of Psychological Sciences and President's Distinguished Teaching Fellow, Northern Arizona University, USA.
