On motivational tools of gamification in higher education: Theoretical aspect

Abstract

The digital turn in Russian education brings to the fore the problem of students' motivation, engagement and enjoyment. It is one of the most challenging problems inherent in all forms and levels of education, especially in e-learning. It can be partially solved through gamification. In foreign countries, gamification is a recognized technology having methodological and didactic advantages; it has been actively studied and used for many years. In Russia, this promising and popular technology has been addressed and started developing only recently. It should be noted that most studies on gamification (both Russian and foreign) tend to focus on its stimulus-response patterns without delving into its motivational capabilities underlying its efficiency. There is not enough understanding of the differences between external and internal motivations and their role in gamification to create a long-term and sustainable effect. Our research intends to make a theoretical contribution to this field. For this purpose, we look into gamification in terms of philosophical and cultural approaches and analyze motivation theories with regard to gamification. We will use the key concepts of philosophy of pragmatism and social phenomenology and the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the flow theory and the Transactional analysis (TA) as a theoretical and methodological framework. The philosophical concepts that we took as a theoretical and methodological basis have never been used in gamification analysis. Thus, they represent scientific novelty of our research. Based on the research results, the authors substantiate the thesis that intrinsic motivation plays an essential (but not an exclusive!) role in gamification. It is game thinking that contributes to the formation of internal motivation, in contrast to the game mechanics ('points, badges and leaderboards'), which is focused on external motivation. Showed that gamification is quite a challenging technology; when it is used, priority attention should be given to maintaining the balance between its utilitarian (educational) and hedonic (recreational) functions. In gamification, as distinct from any games (real and digital), entertainment is a method rather than a purpose; forgetting this obvious fact is fraught with negative consequences. It is concluded that gamification should never be seen as a universal remedy.