Pros and Cons Pros Cons Increases Student Engagement Engaging Students Students are self -motivated Motivates them to learn Gives responsibility and control Quick reward for successful effort Personalized Learning Good Learning Opportunities Packages Learning in Fun Cost Gamification Makes Social Connections Provides Instant Feedback Fosters Enthusiasm Social Motivation Design effort (poor design ruins experience) Rethinking Validity of Gamification Cost Decreases Student Attention Span Challenges of Student Assessment Mandatory requirements to play can make the “game” just like school and negate the benefits. Extrinsic rewards, like points, leader-boards, and badges are not effective for students who are not naturally competitive. Games quickly become obsolete and must be updated to maintain relevance. Logistics of grading and assessment create issues. Content can be lost behind the Game Play. Concerns with increasing students’ game time.