Gamification, or the incorporation of game elements into non-game settings, provides an opportunity to help schools solve challenging issues regarding student motivation and engagement.  However, if gamification is to be of use to schools, researchers, designers, and practitioners must better understand what gamification is, how it functions, and why it might be useful.

Joey J. Lee (Assistant Professor of Technology and Education) and Jessica Hammer (Mellon Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Fellow) at the Games Research Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University have published a journal article that addresses all three questions regarding gamification – what, how, and why bother? – while exploring both the potential benefits and pitfalls of such an approach.  You can download the article here.

Lee, J. J. & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2).  Available at: http://www.gamifyingeducation.org/files/Lee-Hammer-AEQ-2011.pdf