Abstract:

Gamification, as the idea of using gaming features in non-gaming circumstances and especially in education, in order to engage learners with it, started growing during the decade of 1980 and by the beginning of the new millennium it was the hype in the field of teaching. A lot of research was suggesting that learners and workers could be more engaged with education if they become evolved in gaming activities and consequently, the mid 2000s gave rise to the first gamification platforms and initiatives that were dedicated to education. After almost twenty years, the feelings for gamification in education seem to be mixed. On the one hand, there are those who believe that indeed gamification is a factor that leads to engagement, but nonetheless it does not lead to actual learning. On the other hand, gamification has evaded our lives in the form of mobile apps and a lot of educational apps (such as foreign language apps) are using gamification elements.

This paper will try to shed focus in the current status of gamification in the field of education. After a short journey in the history of gamification and a review in research and gamification apps that were considered as innovative, it will examine the current standing of gamification in the field of education and it will make an attempt to answer one of the most crucial questions: Is gamification in the field of education expanding or shrinking? And in either case, what are the critical factors that influence the major trend towards the one or the other direction?

Keywords:

Gamification, Serious Games, Education.