TODAY'S LEARNERS: APPLYING GAMING ELEMENTS TO ENHANCE STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT IN A UNIVERSITY VISUAL COMMUNICATION COURSE
New generations of learners who have grown up in a digital age have made it difficult for
educators to keep students engaged in the classroom. Video games are one solution to the
problem of engaging and motivating students. This study looks at current popular social video
games, as well as alternate reality games, and the elements that these games possess that foster
engagement in players. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyze gaming
characteristics to determine how certain game characteristics could be effectively incorporated
into a introductory digital photography course curriculum to create more motivation in class
critiques and discussion.
A framework based on Tom Chatfield's TED Talk "7 Ways Games Reward the Brain"
was used to develop a gaming model that could be applied to an Introductory Digital
Photography course at Bowling Green State University. This model was reviewed by members
of an expert panel through a process of alpha and beta reviews. Recommendations of the expert
panel were taken into consideration for the development of the final model.
The study concluded that many tools and applications are available to assist instructors in
creating personalized and engaging learning environments, but much work would still be
required to develop and implement gaming elements into a course curriculum. As new tools and
technology become available, the integration of such a model may become less cumbersome and
more common among educational environments.