Immersing in the multifaceted realm of gamification unveils a universe where education intertwines with the spirited world of play. The arena of gamification has burgeoned, not merely an avenue of sharing knowledge but as an engaging adventure. It enhances learning experiences, from simply absorbing and memorizing, to an interactive educational journey that is mentally and emotionally stimulating.

Rooted deeply in game-design elements and principles that are applied adeptly within non-game contexts, gamification beckons a rich, educational environment. This setting supports key concepts such as storytelling, competition, and personal growth.

This unique approach, entwining elements borrowed from gaming such as levels, points, badges, avatars, and leaderboards within educational platforms, evokes a palpable sense of achievement and competitiveness amongst peers. It also creates an environment where learners are active participants, seeking knowledge, driven by the immersive elements of the gaming world.

Gamified learning has been found to motivate students much more than traditional learning, and even serves motivational needs for employees, finding that 72 percent of employees feel more encouraged to execute tasks and give their all. The impact of gamification is by no means understated, as its market was valued at $10 billion in 2022, and projected to exceed an estimated $116 billion by 2032.

Across the globe, various organizations have immersed themselves within the enveloping world of gamification, spanning from the famous language learning software, Duolingo, to Cyprus-led initiatives such as those found in Kratis, the Hegemonic Project, and CARDET. 

Noteworthy entities like Duolingo have become synonymous with this innovative learning approach, blending educational content and playful elements to foster environments that are not just conducive to learning but also incredibly engaging. Each lesson is guided by avatars, and completing them earns users badges to showcase as milestones and achievements incentivizing continuation and light-hearted competition among peers. 

In terms of its effectiveness in helping people learn a new language, a research study  conducted by Dr. Vesselinov and Dr. Grego highlights that “the study estimated that a person with no knowledge of Spanish would need between 26 and 49 hours to cover the material for the first college semester of Spanish.” Meaning that by using Duolingo, learners can accelerate their learning process alongside their respective classes.

In a learning environment, gamified apps such as Duolingo can support students by contributing to their motivation, visualizing their progress. It can also help teachers gain a better understanding of where certain students struggle, enabling a more tailored approach to their individual learning progress. 

A study conducted by university researchers notes that “this mobile-assisted language learning app promotes students’ autonomous learning that a teacher monitors initially, and then the student can move forward in its gamification activities.” The study found that students who used Duolingo excelled in learning a new language almost three-fold more than those who did not. 

While this app has etched its mark upon the global arena, initiatives within Cyprus have been burgeoning, offering a gamified learning for various purposes, such as an engaging game led by Hegemonic Project to learn how politics and society interact. 

Another Cyprus-led initiative, Kratis, looks to enhance the abilities of professionals in managerial roles through gamified learning. Additionally, CARDET is dedicated to offering citizens, refugees, and NGOs access to a myriad of lessons pertinent to navigating life and the multi-layered intricacies of balancing people-centric goals and financial management.

The European Commission’s Education and Training Monitor in 2022 showcases that secondary education in Cyprus is falling behind EU standards. 43.7 percent of middle-schoolers (typically 15 years old) are low achievers in reading, 36.9 percent are low achievers in mathematics, and 39 percent are low achievers in science. This indicates either low motivation, non-tailored learning methods, or other outlying factors. 

This is critical to highlight, as these factors can be tackled through innovative learning and teaching methods by gamifying the learning process. In a study conducted in 2020, researchers found that nearly half of the 650 participants would lose interest in learning about sciences and politics due to the heavy language used in textbooks. By gamifying the learning process of such subjects, the learning process becomes increasingly more engaging and interactive, drawing learners further into the subject. 

Hegemonic Project

When it comes to learning about politics and socio-economics, Hegemonic Project, led by Varnavas Timotheou, has pioneered an innovative and engaging game accentuating the roles of different social classes, each equipped with their own assets to navigate their way to victory. All the while, learning about how socio-economic elements impact politics, and vice-versa.

Their game, Hegemony, is a game in which players simulate a contemporary nation, a first of its kind, in hopes of inspiring gamers and non-gamers to learn about politics and socio-economics of society in an engaging manner.

Two to four players delve into political intrigues, create economic strategies, and increase the power of their class (working class, middle class, capital class, and the state). Players can explore and apply theoretical concepts such as socialism, neoliberalism, nationalism, and globalism, and dive further in the interplay, dependencies, and strategies within modern society.

Hegemony was recently nominated for the Best Euro Game award at the 2023 UK Games Expo Awards. Dr. Foster of King’s College accentuated in a playtest that Hegemony is a “fantastic way of getting students engaged in politics”, and continued, stating that “this test was a super foundation for us to incorporate games - board, card, role, and video - into the learning experience and ideally even assessments.”

Kratis

Paths to effective team communication and to developing leadership skills are not always clear cut for everyone. One method of cultivating such skills is through gamified learning which incentivizes communal goals, fosters a collaborative environment, and encourages rewards for achievements, creating opportunities for team members including those in managerial roles to nurture their leadership skills.

This is among Kratis Consulting’s priorities, helping professionals and leaders improve and update their communication and leadership skills through gamified learning. Two of their workshops, Lego Game and Bomb Game, incentivize team-building exercises through creative simulations.

Lego Game places extensive emphasis on teamwork in a simulation of a manufacturing company, requiring effective communication, identifying team members’ skills, and recognizing the value of strong relationships within the workplace.

Bomb Game highlights the importance of communication in a high-stress, time-sensitive VR (Virtual Reality) environment, where team members work together to solve puzzles that give clues as to how to defuse the bomb.

Kratis' Operations Manager, Solonas Demosthenous, provided insights into his first-hand experience in the impact of gamified learning, accentuating that it is becoming the preferred method of learning among youth. He states, "Although it is challenging to provide quantitative data on the precise impact of gamified behavioral learning, we have observed a significant improvement in trainee engagement and the practical application of skills in their respective work environments.

We believe that the younger generations in particular exhibit a stronger preference for learning through experiential activities and games, allowing them to establish a direct connection with their everyday tasks. This preference stands in contrast to the conventional seminar-based training approach that has dominated training rooms for many years."

CARDET

As seen in the examples above, gamified learning can be used to facilitate learning processes for various purposes and in various environments. From schools to businesses, and through initiatives such as CARDET’s, gamified learning can benefit immigrants as well.

In 2021, CARDET developed and carefully crafted an elearning course funded by Erasmus+ titled Empowering Immigrants’ EU Social and Civic Participation Through Innovative Media for Education. 

The course focuses on European culture and heritage, access to rights, EU’s system of government and institutions, employability and the key principles of democracy, and civic engagement, all taught through narrative-driven processes in an enthralling experience. Observing that politics and sciences are avoided due to unfamiliar jargon, it is critical to find creative ways to keep learners engaged, an element that CARDET has achieved successfully for several years through a variety of online courses.

Gamification has reinvigorated the learning paradigm, entwining elements of engagement with the structured world of education, and sculpting a landscape wherein learners morph into active participants within their educational journeys. From a global perspective to the more localized initiatives blossoming within Cyprus, gamification has become more than a trend. 

It has woven itself into the very fabric of educational methodologies, illustrating that the intertwining of cultural context and gamification is not merely feasible but an innovative pathway through which learning becomes an engaging, and universally accessible adventure. Keep an eye out for Cypriot-led initiatives in gamified learning and level up your skills and knowledge in emphatically engaging environments.