Gamification Techniques Capitalizing on State-of-the-Art Technologies

Introduction

Students are quickly bored with the traditional learning methods, and most of them do not appreciate paper books and long text studying. Students seek interactive and fast-paced content to intrigue their attention and boost their interest. Therefore, Gamification techniques are essential to spark the students’ interest and keep them motivated and engaged with the learning material. The goal of gamification in education is to use the motivational power of video games in the classroom (Ahmad, Migniot, and Dipanda, 2019). Teachers achieve motivation by changing students' gaming involvement into an instructional context that intends to influence students' behaviour and encourage the completion of learning objectives (Vidakis et al., 2014). Goals related to knowledge acquisition and the old teaching model are being transferred to a new method outlined in previous decades by the educational community. The use of knowledge and the construction of a pleasant classroom environment for enhanced creativity are two of the main goals of this innovative method (Mahayuddin and Saif 2020). Students may stimulate curiosity through discussion, investigation, and experimentation, making learning more enjoyable.

Traditional teaching methods do not make substantial use of new technologies, causing students to lose interest in school. While students are accustomed to working and being engaged in environments with a wide range of stimuli in their daily lives, the traditional school remains a place with limited options (Mahayuddin and Saif 2020). A transition to a new model is required to make learning more creative and engaging by incorporating new visual learning modes (Huang, Chen, and Chou, 2016). Students can increase their thinking and concentration (Schechter et al., 2015) around a topic by playing, a fun and engaging way to achieve particular learning goals (Téllez Alarcia & Iturriaga Barco, 2014). Students' engagement aids them in achieving a range of goals outside of learning, such as improved awareness and a deeper understanding of the subject (Chu and Hung 2015).

As a result of technological advancements in software and hardware and particularly significant advances in the performance of smart devices, our daily lives have been adapted to the utilization of such devices (Papadakis, 2021). One of the many areas where these technological breakthroughs are gradually becoming apparent is education (Kapaniaris & Zampetoglou, 2021). Virtual worlds that offer immersive experiences, Augmented Reality (AR) applications that superimpose virtual content into the physical world and general applications utilizing touchscreens, cameras, or head-mounted devices are expected to diversify instruction in the coming years (Radu, 2014).

AR technology is compatible with and may be used in conjunction with gamification, and Game-Based Learning (GBL) approaches to improve educational processes. It can also help learners with their studies' cognitive and motivational aspects. In this book chapter, the authors aim to show how gamification techniques and GBL approaches can be combined with modern Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to provide an enhanced learning experience that is best suited to the needs and requirements of students. The expectations are that combining the two will increase learners' interest and motivation in the subjects they are studying.