Tag Archives: gamification

Effects of the Environment When Starting to Play a Musical Instrument Instructed by a Multimedia Study Material

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Studying a musical instrument with the help of a multimedia study material is different from studying any theoretical discipline because there is an extra source of information: the additional visual and audio information that the learner creates by playing the instrument.

As the learner’s cognitive resources are limited (CLT), there is a higer risk of cognitive overload. But before starting to optimize the study material we should see what else can use learner’s cognitive resources.

250+ beginners studied guitar with the help of the www.guitarschool.ee multimedia course and recorded 4 test exercises. The study process took place in a natural environment (75% home, 20% office, 5% elsewhere) and was not controlled (most common case when studying a musical instrument). The study material was the same for everyone so it is possible to measure the effect of the study environment on study results. If the effect is significant then it is important to reduce it in order to improve study results. Otherwise whatever improvements we make to the study material to use of the learner’s cognitive recourses more efficiently, the overall effect may be not big enough.

It is not possible to change the actual environment, we only can change the study material. There are two ways to neutralize the effect of the study environment by the study material:

a) reducing the cognitive load caused by the study material. This means putting through less information and causing the study process to slow down.
b) reducing the effect of an environment by demanding more engagement from the learner (gamification, more interaction)

I will need 3 bits of information:

1) Facts about the environment (What was it like? from questionnaire)
2) Cognitive effects of the environment (How did it feel? from questionnaire)
3) Study results (recordings, achieved level of total 8 levels of the course)

The first set of questions asks the respondents to describe the actual characteristics of an environment, the second set wants to know how did it feel. For example, if there were potentially annoying factors in the room but the learner didn’t notice them, then we cannot consider them as extraneous load (CLT).

Reading: Muntean, C. I., Raising Engagement in E-learning Through Gamification

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The 6th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2011

Main points:

  • Gamification is the use of game-play mechanics for non-game applications. Theoretically anything can be gamified.
  • G’s main goal is to increase user’s (learner’s) engagement
  • Gaming elements are already present in some applications
  • There is little research regarding the usefulness of G in education

Issues to be improved in “normal” e-learning process:

  • E-learning cannot transmit emotion as a teacher would. Thus the e-material has to compensate it by other means
  • Motivation, ability, trigger (Fogg’s Behavior Model)

Dangers:

  • Students may learn to learn only when provided with an extrinsic motivator (Pavlov ?? 😛  )

How to gamify an e-learning app?

Who is the subject? (type of personality and context of learning: how much information is expected to come through the e-course – 0-100% – and the rest comes from direct contact with humans). Some elements to use (some work better for one subject :

  • Uncover content progressively (in the case of linear material)
  • Focus on exercises, offering extra points for solving the odd theory problem
  • Any student need an account, personal profile with avatar etc
  • The course should be organized into smallest coherent units of content
  • At the end of each chapter the student gets to the next level and the rest of community should know about it (leaderboard, top scores)
  • Constant feedback (progression bars)
  • Support periodical learning by deadlines or virtual appointments
  • System should be as social as possible
  • Special bonuses for complex or extra tasks
  • Compensation for proper behavior and social engagement not only academic achievements
  • Possibility to convert points into something else (virtual goods, even reduction of tuition fee)
  • After advancing a level, student should be informed what happens next

Conclusions

Gamification is not creating a game. It helps to motivate and engage students. Engagement can be measured (how many visited pages, time spent on site, frequency of visit). G offers proper tools to generate positive change in behavior according to Fogg (A behavior model for persuasive design: using computers to change what we think and do. Ibiquity 2002, Dec).

 

 

Reading: Lee, J., Hammer, J. Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?

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Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15 (2). A short article playing around with the idea of using gamification in schools:

  • Too many people drop out from schools. Gamification could help.
  • Schools already have game-like elements: grades, points etc. But it doesn’t feel like game. Feedback is slow to come and there are only a few “lives” to experiment with.
  • More game-like elements to use: possibility and need to experiment (Angry Birds), challenges that match the student’s level, multiple routes to success, failure is the teacher, short feedback cycles, low stakes (less risk, more freedom to try), role play.
  • Gamification is the future of everybody and there is a little chance that schools will not be affected.