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Gamification and Game-Based Learning: Two Strategies for the 21st Century
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 World Journal of Educational Research
ISSN 2375-9771 (Print) ISSN 2333-5998 (Online)
Vol. 3, No. 2, 2016
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/wjer

Gamification and Game-Based Learning: Two Strategies for the

21st Century Learner

Jorge F. Figueroa-Flores1*
1
School of Social and Human Sciences, Universidad del Este, Carolina, Puerto Rico
*
Jorge F. Figueroa-Flores, E-mail: jffigueroa@suagm.edu

Received: September 22, 2016 Accepted: October 12, 2016 Online Published: November 14, 2016
doi:10.22158/wjer.v3n2p507 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/wjer.v3n2p507

Abstract
The use of emergent technologies in education has evolved tremendously since the 21st century. For
plenty of educators this has become a challenging task, most of all when 21st century learners fill the
classrooms. But these digital natives differ tremendously from those who started the millennium. These
students want to be challenged, engaged and motivated through a learning process, which connects
them to a different learning experience. This has become a challenging task for educators due to the
student profile and characteristics. Although to achieve the learning outcomes necessary for the 21st
century, educators are adapting approaches suited for these learners, involving game theory, video
games, and gamifying instruction. Two of these approaches are Gamification and Game-Based
Learning (GBL). These two approaches have been widely used based on the theoretical approach
towards game design and the opportunity they bring for the learner to be engaged and motivated
throughout instruction. The following article provides a clear overview of both strategies, and how
motivation is integrated with both. In addition it provides a clear description on planning effective
instruction using aligned learning objectives, research and educational implications, and resources for
the teaching and learning process using these approaches and strategies.
Keywords
education, gamification, game-based learning, education, game theory, instructional technologies

1. Introduction
According to Jerald (2009), technology has been transforming human life in one way or another for
centuries. For example, the mechanization of agriculture transformed the American labor market in the
first half of the 20th century. But in the computer age, the pace of technological is continuously
changing. Many experts say that since the 1970s, new technologies, combined with demographic,
political, and economic trends, have altered Americans’ work and social lives in ways that have
significant consequences for today’s young people. Those trends have prompted some education

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reformers to argue that the traditional curriculum is not enough: schools must provide students with a
broader set of “21st century skills” to thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-saturated world. On the
other hand, the use of technology has been widely integrated in education this century. But in many
cases the 21st century learner hasn’t been able to receive proper instruction due to unauthentic ways of
content delivery and assessment using emergent technologies. Most of the time technology serves as a
platform for linear, teacher-centered delivery of information and simple, computer-assisted ways of
assessment that tend to address the lowest levels of cognition: remembering and, at its best,
understanding (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
According to Blair (2012), “a dramatic shift is sweeping through our schools”. Nowadays, everyone
sees elementary students using cell phones, PreK and K students navigating an iPod or iPad better than
adults, students in middle school with a strong audience following their blogs, tweets, or YouTube
channel. What comes to the mind of the educator is that these learners are not the same from the first
part of the 21st century. They evolved, demanding more engaging learning strategies in order to gain
access to new knowledge. Blair (2012) mentions that for these students, watching videos or images
during class, playing an Internet multiplication game, or even taking turns at an interactive whiteboard
is no longer enough. In order to move in that tide, educators are continuously seeking novel
instructional approaches, and it is largely agreed that today’s schools face major problems around
student motivation and engagement (Lee & Hammer, 2011). In order to work with this evolution of 21st
century learners, the approaches of Gamification and Game-Based Learning (GBL) appear to be the
learning strategies much needed to engage and motivate the students. The use of these approaches as
learning tools look promising due to characteristics of the 21st century learner the fact that they
reinforce not only knowledge but also important skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and
communication. Games have remarkable motivational power; they utilize a number of mechanisms to
encourage people to engage with them, often without any reward, just for the joy of playing and the
possibility to win. Creating a highly engaging, full-blown instructional game however is difficult, time
consuming, and costly (Kapp, 2012), while typically targeting only a single set of learning objectives as
chosen by the game designer. In addition, their effective classroom adoption requires certain technical
infrastructure and appropriate pedagogical integration. As opposed to using elaborate games requiring a
large amount of design and development efforts, the “gamification” approach suggests using game
thinking and game design elements to improve learners’ engagement and motivation.
The following article presents how these two approaches are suited for the 21st century learner. It shows
the concept of Gamification and its application in education. In addition offers a wide view of GBL and
some of it’s uses. Finally, it provides resources used in different levels of education in order for the
educator to adapt the learning experience based on its necessities and possible learning outcomes.

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2. Discussion
2.1 The Concept of Gamification
According to Werbach and Hunter (2012), Gamification is defined as the use of game elements and
game design techniques in non-game contexts. It is based in the success of the gaming industry, social
media, and decades of research in human psychology. Basically, any task, assignment, process or
theoretical context can be gamified (Werbach & Hunter, 2012). The main objective of Gamification is
to increase the participation of a person during an activity and provide motivation by integrating game
elements such as prizes or awards and leaderboards.
In order to have a clear understanding about this concept is important to break down the definition and
take a closer looked at the components, cited in the work of Sailer, Hense, Mandl and Klevers (2013).
These components are: game, element, design, and non-game contexts.

Table 1. Gamification Definition Components

Concept Definition
Game Implies the following situational components: a goal, which has to be achieved;
limiting rules which determine how to reach the goal; a feedback system which
provides information about progress towards the goal; and the fact that
participation is voluntary.
Element It helps distinguish the concept of Gamification from serious games.
Design It refers to the use of game design instead of game-based technologies or practices
of the wider game ecology.
Non-game contexts Refers to the area of application, which is not limited to certain contexts.

2.1.1 Game Elements and Components

According to Sailer, Hense, Mandl and Klevers (2013), video games follow a design pattern, which
integrate certain elements or components. This is crucial at the time of designing a game and it’s
essential towards the main objective of Gamification, which is motivation. Some of these components
include: points, badges, leaderboards, progress bars/progression, performance graphs, quests, levels,
avatars, social elements, and rewards/rewards system. They are defined as follows:
1. Points: Numeric accumulation based on certain activities.
2. Badges: Visual representation of achievements for the use has shown online.
3. Leader boards: How the players are ranked based on success.
4. Progress bards/Progression: Shows the status of a player.
5. Quests: Some of the tasks have to fulfill in a game.
6. Levels: A section or parts of the game.
7. Avatars: Visual representation of a player or alter ego.

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8. Social elements: Relationships with other user through the game.

9. Rewards/rewards system: System to motivate players that accomplish a quest.
All these elements have different purposes and can be adapted to basically any work, business or
education related environment. According to Dickey (2005), every game integrates three basic elements:
meta-centered activities, rewards, and progression. But is the element of “rewards” that call to the
attention of the participant depending on the context. The work of Smith-Robbins (2011), suggests that
three principal categories exist for “rewards” and include: leaders, prizes/awards, and achievements.
The “leaders” are participants classified based on their game success. It’s the same concept used in
sports and most of the time incorporates a leader board. Another category is “prizes/awards”, which
promotes an additional commitment and engagement by the participant (Glover, Campbell, Latig,
Norris, Toner, & Tse, 2012).
Finally, “achievements” are publicly shown icons, or the so-called badges, in the participant online
profile. They are perceived as the integration or combination of the previously mentioned reward
categories. The integration and use of badges, each with a different meaning, has grown tremendously
in part to the development of game consoles and online gaming.

Figure 1. Example of Leaders, Prices/Awards, and Achievements

2.1.2 Game Design and Non-Game Contexts

Game design and non-game contexts are instrumental in Gamification and are an integral part of the
definition provided by Werbach and Hunter (2012). Video games are design following a system; they
are not only elements. They also fit an artistic purpose comprised with originality, in order to show
creativity and not a copy of another game. By this means presenting originality and character at all
times. The design needs to be balanced in order to let the “player” reflect on the game experience and
continue the tasks.
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In addition to the game design, Gamification follows a vision of non-game contexts. By this means that
the target objectives are not focused solely in having fun or enjoyment, both will be part of the
experience (Webarch & Hunter, 2012). In a recent study Pappas (2013) mentions that the use of
game-like strategies make training for the work environment more interesting, gratifying, and
applicable than other techniques.
2.1.3 Uses in Gamification
According to Figueroa (2015), plenty of uses have been given to Gamification previous to the
education field. Some uses include: employee motivation, conceptualization of the concept of energy
preservation, to beat and understand diseases, create healthy competition, to promote charitable
donations, promote customer loyalty, education, language learning, among others. The following are
two examples that present the concept of Gamification with diverse purposes:
1) U.S Army-America’s Army: For many years the U.S. Army has been using games for training
purposes. But, nowadays they are using Gamification, by integrating a gamifying experience called
America’s Army, with the final mission of recruiting people for their branch of the United States armed
forces.
2) Chore Wars: One of the aspects of Gamification it that in order to promote motivation it promotes
competition. But is not a competition that will finish in discord, is healthy competition to engage
people in achieving an objective. This type of competition is presented thru Chore Wars, which is often
used for employee motivation (Dale, 2014).
2.1.4 Motivation and Gamification
There are six principal perspectives in motivational research that has been linked to Gamification: Trait,
Behavioristic Learning, Cognitive, Self-determination, Interest, and Emotion explained in the work of
Sailer, Hense, Mandl and Kelvers (2013). Each perspective has its own characteristic, for example, the
Trait perspective observes motives as individual characteristics and some of the important one that it
presents include achievement, need for power, and affiliation (McClelland, 1961, 2009). On the other
hand, Behavioristic Learning is seen as a result of previous experiences, including past positive or
negative reinforcement, or stimulus-response bonds (Skinner, 1963). An application of these toward
enhancing L2 and Gamification will be to use reflexive journals or sharing experiences thru the
creation of an avatar. The Cognitive perspective perceives motivation as a means-ends analysis where
is dependent of situation-specific goals, and expectancies regarding the outcome of the situation itself,
expectancies of the consequences of the outcome, and the subjective value (Heckhausen, 1977;
Heckhausen & Heckhausen, 2008). Also the influence on the variables could differentiate a
performance intrinsic motivation (Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2010). The perspective of
Self-determination postulates the psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and social
relatedness. The fulfillments of these needs are necessary in intrinsic motivation and can be
extrinsically perceived by the fulfillment of the needs (Ryan & Deci, 2000). On the other hand, Interest
is seen by researchers as an affective and cognitive variable and evolves in content specific and
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interaction with the environment (Hidi, Renninger, & Krapp, 2004). Finally, Emotion can be influenced
by instructional strategies as it outlined by researchers as an emotional design of instruction, which
works with motivational mechanisms (Astleitner, 2004). Below are some of these implications based
on their perspective and adapted from the work of Sailer, Hense, Mandl and Kelvers (2013):
1) Trait: “Players with a strong achievement motive are likely to be motivated if Gamification
emphasizes achievement, success and progress. Players with a strong power motive are likely to be
motivated if Gamification emphasizes status, control and competition. Players with a strong affiliation
motive are likely to be motivated if Gamification emphasizes membership”.
2) Behavioristic learning: “Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification provides immediate
feedback in form of positive and negative reinforcement. Players are likely to be motivated if
Gamification offers rewards”.
3) Cognitive: “Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification provides a clear and achievable goal.
Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification highlights the resulting consequences of a goal.
Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification emphasizes the importance of a persons’ action
within a given situation. Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification fosters mastery orientation
regarding goals”.
4) Self-determination: “Players are likely to be motivated if they experience the feeling of competence.
Players are likely to be motivated if they experience the feeling of autonomy. Players are likely to be
motivated if they experience the feeling of social relatedness”.
5) Interest: “Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification meets the players’ interests and sparks
interest for the situational context. Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification enhances the
feeling of flow by providing direct feedback. Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification
enhances the feeling of flow by providing a clear goal. Players are likely to be motivated if
Gamification enables the feeling of flow by adapting the level of difficulty to ones’ individual skills and
competences”.
6) Emotion: “Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification decreases negative feelings like fear,
envy, and anger. Players are likely to be motivated if Gamification increases positive feelings like
sympathy emotion and pleasure”.
2.2 Gamification in Education
As the 21st century moves forward, and technology continues to be an integral part of it, new
pedagogical strategies have appeared. These strategies are developed based on the needs, the
environment, and competences of the 21st century learner. This 21st century learner is called “digital
native”. According to Prensky (2001), a digital native learns and processes information different. They
are described as living lives immersed in technology, “surrounded by and using computers, videogames,
digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age”
(Prensky, 2001). The digital native belongs to the Net-generation and in many cases is labeled as a
“millennial” (Howe & Strauss, 2000, 2003). According to Mongan-Rallis (2009), the digital native
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wants to be engaged by the instructor and expected to create and consume.

One of these new pedagogical strategies is Gamification. It is basically new to education and has
adjusted rapidly to the profile of the 21st century learner or digital native. According to Kingsley and
Grabner-Hagen (2015), Gamification in education let the instructor gamify an activity or a certain
literacy skill. It integrates game elements and rewards mechanisms as part of the lecture, while
motivating and engaging the student, and promoting healthy competition. The students learn a concept
and practice skills just like if they were playing in a game. This makes the educational experience
challenging and fun (Vassileva, 2008) and at the same time motivates the learner to move forward. The
objective for integrating Gamification towards education is to unchain a more attractive and effective
learning experience for the student (Figueroa, 2015).
Nowadays, more educators are using Gamification as part of their teaching strategies. This is due in
part to the recognizing that games designed in an effective form stimulate large gains in productivity
and creativity. In addition, Gamification has been successful in non-traditional educational settings
such as E-learning. Kaplan University embedded Gamification software to their LMS and ran a pilot
project in one of its courses. The results included an improvement of 9% on the students’ grades and a
16% course completion improvement (NMC-Horizon Report, 2014). Another success story, presented
in the work of Figueroa (2015), involves the Deloitte Leadership Academy. The academy was
successful implementing game elements such as badges for the students participating in the curriculum
based “missions” and completing the tasks. The students were able to share their badges on LinkedIn.
Gamification in education offers the learners an opportunity to interact among themselves as it’s
implied in a social game. Another detail is that when people perceive any form of social presence they
tend to respond in a natural way to feelings such as happiness, empathy, and frustration, or even follow
social rules like taking turns (Fogg, 2002).
In order to have a successful Gamification teaching and learning experience, where the 21st century
learner becomes engaged and motivated, the educator needs to plan accordingly. This requires that
every instructor follow the five-step model for educational gamification, which is presented in the work
of Huang and Soman (2013).

Figure 2. Educational Gamification Five Step Model

Each step of the model presented by Huang and Soman (2013) is described in the work of Figueroa
(2015). It includes the following:
“Step 1: Understanding the Target Audience and the context, in this step the instructor needs to know
who his or her students are. A combination of the target audience is necessary along with nalyzing the
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context to understand several key factors like group size, environment skills sequence, and length. Is in
this step is where the pain points are exposed. Pain points are real problems, which make an
entrepreneur look for solutions. In education there are somecommon pain points like: focus, motivation,
skills, pride, learning environment and nature of the course, and physical, mental and emotional factors.
By understanding these points the educator will be ready to determine the Gamification elements to
implement”.
“Step 2: Defining the Learning Objectives, is always necessary for a successful teaching and learning
experience. The objectives need to have general instructional goals, specific learning goals, and
behavioral goals. In order to have a successful learning experience thru Gamification the instructor
needs to have the ability of combining and implementing the learning objectives”.
“Step 3: Structuring the Experience, looks to break down the program and identify the main points. In
this stage the instructor prepares the sequence and quantify what the student need to learn and achieve
by the end of each stage. If students are staying behind, the instructor needs to re-think and provide a
push for motivation in order for the student to complete the stage. The educator needs to move his
educational program from simple to complex by starting with easier milestones so that the student stays
engaged and motivated”.
“Step 4: Identifying Resources, is shown at the moment the stages have been identified, the instructor
will have complete assurance of which stage can or can’t be gamified. The instructor needs to reflect in
regards to several aspects that need to be considered. These are: tracking mechanisms, currency, levels,
rules, and feedback. The image below presents these aspects along with definitions”.
“Step 5: Applying Gamification Elements, in this step the educator decides which Gamification
elements should be applied. The elements are divided in self and social. Self-elements most of the time
uses badges, levels and time restrictions. They focus on making students compete with themselves and
recognize self-achievement. Meanwhile, interactive competitions along with cooperation are seen as
social-elements. Is with this type of element that students’ achievements are made public and the
students become part of a community”.
After presenting the five-step model is important to reflect and envision the educational objectives in
order to properly gamify instruction. The 21st century learner will envision them as challenges and will
be motivated to move from one level to another, or from one stage to another. This could become part
of a learning outcome. The core of Gamification is motivation. In addition, if an instructor is willing to
commit its teaching passion and follow the model, the learner will be immersed in an instructional
scenario filled with plenty of creativity and healthy competition. This could include the integration of
avatars, badges, leader boards, and progress charts, similar to the one they have in console games that
will motivate and engage the digital native to achieve another educational task.
2.3 Game Based Learning
At this stage it’s imperative to mention that nowadays computer games for entertainment had
influenced the socio-cultural aspects of today’s society. In addition, society has stereotype the players
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of these games labeling as “teenage boys” when the data tells a different story. Scholars such as Epper,
Derryberry and Jackson (2012), mentioned that a study conducted by Newzoo and Humana Games in
2011 found that 47% of game players were women and 29% were over age 50.4. The study also
included that educational games were gaining prominence and media attention, which indicated a
positive adoption towards Game-Based Learning (GBL). Supporting this statement was Johnson (2011),
as he cited the 2011 NMC-Horizon Report, which indicated that GBL, already a pedagogical strategy
suited for the 21st century learner, was likely to become one of the mainstreams in the coming 2-3
years.
According to Perrotta Featherstone Aston and Houghton (2013), GBL refers to the use of video games
to support teaching and learning. It is a natural evolution from traditional methods of teaching, which
include static, non-interactive elements, such as textbooks, chalkboards, and lecturing at students rather
than exploring with students. It’s a form of experiential engagement in which people learn by trial and
error, by role-playing and by treating a certain topic not as “content” but as a set of rules, or a system of
choices and consequences. Games in education provide a vehicle by which students can explore, solve
problems, attempt challenges, make decisions, and educational games contribute to learning broadly
(Mead, 2011). GBL has shown to be an effective means of enhancing both learning motivation and
academic performance (Chang, Wu, Weng, & Sung, 2012; Virvou, Katsionis, & Manos, 2005). GBL
could be considered the “big brother” of Gamification in Education and Gameplay in Education.
One important aspect to consider is that GBL is a strategy that can adapt educational video games and
leisure use video games, which the digital native plays a minimum of 3½ hours a week (Mongan-Rallis,
2009). This gives the learning process a certain type of flexibility because the teacher is able to
implement video games played by the 21st century on a daily basis as part of the instruction. This leads
to different blended experiences during the process. In order to implement GBL, is necessary to
understand the principles and mechanisms that support the strategy. Both concepts are mentioned in the
work of Perrotta, Featherstone, Aston and Houghton (2013). Lastly, is necessary to for the educator in
order to prepare develop a good learning and environment and achieve learning outcomes, to compare
and contrast GBL and Gamification.
2.3.1 Principles and Mechanisms of GBL
In order to engage the 21st century learner, the teaching and learning process needs to be precise. This
digital native wants to learn and is eager to use video games and compete. In order to plan a proper
curriculum and achieve successful learning outcomes with GBL, certain principles and mechanisms
must be taken into consideration. The term “principles” imply underlying assumptions and concepts as
explained by Perrotta, Featherstone, Aston and Houghton (2013). The following are the “principles” of
GBL:
1) Intrinsic Motivation: “Gaming is intrinsically motivating because by and large it’s a voluntary
activity. Therefore, gaming for learning works best in the context of invitation and persuasion, rather
than compulsion”.
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2) Learning through enjoyment and fun: “Several authors suggest that games can be a vehicle for
engaging students in a ‘flow’. Flow is a state of consciousness during which an individual is in control
of his actions and completely absorbed in the task at hand”.
3) Authenticity: “Authenticity means a concern for the real nature of learning, which is supposedly
different from the ‘artificial’ or decontextualized forms of learning that take place in schools. In the
name of authenticity, contextual skills are prioritized over the abstract notions and facts valued in
traditional instruction. Therefore, ‘good’ gaming reflects actual learning processes, which are always
grounded in specific settings and practices. These can be actual professions, but also extravagant,
fantastic roles and endeavors”.
4) Self-reliance and autonomy: “Gaming encourages independent inquiry and exploration; interests and
passions can branch off from the individual game, towards aspects of the ‘ecosystem’ that surrounds it.
These aspects include technical and artistic skills like programming, writing, drawing, making music;
but also the desire to find out more about certain topics, e.g., about science, history or mythology”.
5) Experiential learning: “The notion of experiential learning is a very old and influential one in
education, dating back to the seminal work of John Dewey. Many claim that gaming provides a cost
effective alternative to learning by doing in real settings”.
On the other hand the term, “mechanisms” is defined as the processes and dynamics which makes
people understand how video games can, in theory, assist the pursuit of educational goals (Perrotta,
Featherstone, Aston, & Houghton, 2013). The following are the “mechanisms” of GBL:
1. Rules: “These rules can be more or less complex depending on the choices they elicit and the related
consequences. For instance, rules can be simple and binary (if/then); or multifaceted and
accommodating a broad range of decision making processes”.
2. Clear but challenging goals: “The presence of clearly defined, demanding activities which, although
might appear arbitrary and unnecessary, allow people to see the direct impact of their efforts”.
3. Fictional setting or “fantasy” for compelling background: “This is an essential but easily
misunderstood aspect of gaming”. Notwithstanding the tendency to indulge in escapism and
compensatory fantasies, classic studies on playing suggest that pretense can also be a deliberate and
conscious strategy that assists learning. A consensual and transparent adherence to a fictional setting or
role allows players to experiment with skills and identities without suffering the consequences of
failure in real life.
1) Progressive difficulty levels, underpinned by understandable criteria for progression: “Over the years
game developers have devised mechanisms for progression and ‘levelling up’ to a considerable degree
of refinement. Not all of these mechanisms may be appropriate in an educational context, but they raise
interesting questions for educators—not least the fact that players are allowed to tackle challenges and
tests (like exams) as many times as necessary—and with no lasting consequences—in order to progress
from one level to another”.
2) Interaction and high degree of student control: “This mechanism is strongly related to the notion of
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‘agency’: the feeling of being in control of one’s destiny through actions and choices. Most importantly,
it concerns the certainty that effort and dedication will be acknowledged and rewarded”.
3) A degree of uncertainty and unpredictability: “As long as it does not contradict point 5, a measured
injection of uncertainty into tasks is consistent with many game developments tenets. For example, in
the Quest schools students are not given assignments as such, but asked to choose between numbers of
possible ‘missions’. The scope and purpose of the missions become clear only when certain clues have
been gathered and deciphered”.
4) Immediate and constructive feedback: “One of the most powerful mechanisms of video games is the
ability to provide feedback in real time, not only as evaluation, but more often as guidance to facilitate
and correct performance. This is largely in line with the idea of formative assessment in education”.
5) A social element that allows people to share experiences and build bonds: “As mentioned several
times in this chapter, a game is not simply a product or tool, which may or may not have a relationship
with learning. The ecosystem surrounding the game is just as important. In fact, it is probably even
more relevant from an education perspective, because it provides players with a range of opportunities
to share, interact and pursue interests and passions”.
2.3.2 Comparing and Contrasting Gamification in Education and GBL
The 21st century has provided educators with different approaches to work with the digital natives.
Those approaches or learning strategies try to be suited to the 21st century learner needs. Two of these
learning strategies are GBL and Gamification. Both have been widely used interchangeably by
instructors in K-12 and in Higher Education in order to transform social situation with game-like
situations. Many people think that both approaches are the same, because they part from the word
“game”, but that’s not the case. For example, Gamification involves applying game design thinking to
non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging and it can be applied to any industry to
create fun and engaging experiences. In education, Gamification is used to motivate and change the
learner behavior using fun and engaging game-like environments. It encourages fun, intense focus,
competitiveness, collaboration, retention, productivity, and creativity/exploration. The use of
Gamification in education brings plenty of strengths to the teaching and learning process but it can also
bring problems if not used properly. Some of the benefits that a 21st century learner encounter in a
gamified class include: fun and engaging classroom, a constant motivation for the student to complete
the learning activities, promotes that the student becomes more focus and attentive to their learning,
and promote healthy competition between peers. Some of the problems that an educator could
encounter by gamifying a class include: predictable and boring gamification activities by the learners,
not meaningful experiences for the learners, and not well-defined objectives.
On the other hand GBL is game-play with defined learning outcomes and with the idea to get students
to play in order to fulfill a learning objective. According to Isaacs (2015), GBL relates to the use of
games to enhance the learning experience. Educators have been using games in the classroom for years.
Some of the benefits of using GBL with the 21st century learner includes: using self-directed learning and
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promoting the students to become problem solvers, promote the game design thru the students, foster the
learning of new modalities, and promote healthy competition between peers. Some of the problems that
could arise include: the unfamiliarity of the instructor with the games or with GBL, not clear learning
objectives, instruction becomes play time only, and technological infrastructure issues within the
classroom setting.
The decision of which learning strategy or approach should be used with the 21st century learners falls
into the instructor. The following figure tends to portray the differences between Gamification and GBL.

Figure 3. Differences between Gamification and GBL

2.4 Educational Resources for Gamification and GBL

Nowadays, there are plenty of accessible resources that can be implemented by instructors interested in
using Gamification and GBL as parts of their strategies towards the 21st century learner. Most are
available in software, online, and mobile applications.
2.4.1 Gamification Resources
The following are a list of Gamification resources to implement in the teaching and learning experience
and suited for the 21st century learner:
1) Class Dojo: This main purpose of Class Dojo is to provide the instructor with a platform for student
behavior management. It also helps in motivating elementary school learners thru strategies that combine
avatars, points, and leader boards. Parents can be involved and connect with the educator. It track, shares,
and evaluate student participation along with immediate feedback. It can be accessed via the Web
interface or an Android or iOS app.
2) Duolingo: Is a Gamification language learning translation platform where users progress through
several levels. It works for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android. It covers the areas of speaking,
listening, grammar and vocabulary necessary for L2 learning and content is always presented in whole
sentences. The user can select between six languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian,
German, and French. The feedback is immediate and the learner can easily track progress. Educators can
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use it as part of daily homework. It motivates student-driven work along with communication and
collaboration.
3) Edmodo: It’s a safe social networking platform for education with Gamification elements like badges
and quests. It can be used as an extension of the classroom for all educational levels. In addition, it has an
interface very similar to Facebook. Students can comment on posts, submit assignments, and track their
progress. Educators can post polls, open discussion boards, design quizzes, and post assignment. It’s a
great motivating tool instruction because it promotes collaborative learning, teamwork, and parents have
an account where they can receive feedback from the instructor. Edmodo works with any Web browser,
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Windows Phone.
4) Socrative: Is a dynamic smart student response system that engages students via smart phones, tablets,
and laptops, and empowers educators to formative and summative assessing their students. Students can
answer questions forgetting about the stress involved in trials and errors, which lowers anxiety. It allows
the users to import images to the question items and it feature Gamification strategies including live
results, immediate feedback, and effortless data analysis.
2.4.2 GBL Resources
The following are a list of GBL resources that an instructor could be adapted in the classroom setting for
the 21st century learner:
1) World Peace Game: It’s a hands-on political simulation that gives players the opportunity to explore
the connectedness of the global community through the lens of the economic, social, and environmental
crises and the imminent threat of war. The goal of the game is to extricate each country from dangerous
circumstances and achieve global prosperity with the least amount of military intervention. As “nation
teams”, students will gain greater understanding of the critical impact of information and how it is used.
2) Minecraft-Edu: Let teachers quickly host servers and build custom maps with integrated content as
well as create and administer assignments and lessons. There is also a useful set of classroom
management tools that make it easy to define player abilities and items; to freeze, mute, and teleport
students; and to create specific building areas with player permissions allowing for different lessons or
projects on one map and preventing participants from angering or getting irritated during the video
game or in other word “griefing”.
1) Ten Frame Game: Online educational game suited for young learners. The objective is to have fun
while learners understand the concept of value.
2) 3rd World Farmer: It’s a browser simulation game that let the advanced learner experience some of the
hardships of farming in 3rd world country.
2.5 Conclusion
In conclusion, Gamification and GBL are two learning approaches that become excellent strategies for
the 21st century learner. The promote student engagement along with novel techniques thanks in part to
the gaming industry. It’s difficult to create games or gamify instruction without proper understanding and
knowledge of the approaches. In addition, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of the 21st century learner is
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something that needs to be taken into account at the moment of designing new curriculum using any of
these approaches. There is still plenty of research that needs to be done in regards to the digital native, the
approaches, and the teaching and learning experiences.

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