Learning and gamification: a possible relationship?

Abstract

One of the most interesting and disruptive trends in the current elearning scenario is gamification, that is, the use of game design elements in non-game contexts. After providing a brief overview of the main contemporary gamification applications in organizations, this paper especially focuses on gamification in the educational field. It discusses the existing studies on the effectiveness of gamification for learning purposes, analyzing their impact on students’ attitude, knowledge and behavior. Finally, it highlights the main gaps in the current literature, pointing to new directions of research.