Learning Beyond Gamification | Generated by AI
Question: Why in modern society do few people treat studying/learning as a game? What are the differences? What are some unpopular ideas about this?
Answer:
In modern society, few people naturally treat studying or learning as a game primarily because traditional education systems emphasize extrinsic motivations like grades, exams, and future rewards (e.g., jobs or credentials), rather than intrinsic enjoyment. Schools often structure learning as mandatory, high-stakes, and repetitive tasks with delayed or punitive feedback, which contrasts sharply with the engaging, voluntary nature of games. Additionally, societal values prioritize quick information access via technology over deep effortful learning, and cultural perceptions view serious study as “work” while play is seen as frivolous or distracting.
Key Reasons Few People Treat Learning as a Game
- Institutional Design: Education is rigid, curriculum-driven, and focused on standardization, leaving little room for autonomy, experimentation, or fun. Games thrive on player choice and failure as progress, but schools punish mistakes with low grades.
- Motivation Mismatch: Learning is often extrinsically driven (fear of failure, parental/societal pressure), leading to boredom or anxiety. Games foster intrinsic motivation through immediate rewards and flow states.
- Time and Resource Constraints: Modern life demands efficiency; deep learning requires sustained effort without instant gratification, while games provide quick dopamine hits.
- Cultural Norms: Society admires wealth, influencers, and instant success over scholarly pursuit, diminishing the perceived value of playful, exploratory learning.
Differences Between Treating Learning as a Game vs. Traditional Studying
Games and playful learning induce flow—a psychological state of complete immersion, enjoyment, and optimal challenge (Csíkszentmihályi)—more easily than traditional studying. Here’s a comparison:
| Aspect | Games/Playful Learning | Traditional Studying/Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation | Mostly intrinsic (enjoyment, curiosity, mastery) | Mostly extrinsic (grades, exams, future benefits) |
| Feedback | Immediate, clear, and iterative (e.g., scores, progress) | Delayed (tests, reports) and often punitive |
| Challenge | Balanced to skills (adjustable difficulty for flow) | Often mismatched (too easy → boredom; too hard → anxiety) |
| Failure | Low-stakes, encouraging experimentation | High-stakes, discouraging risk-taking |
| Autonomy | High (player choice, voluntary) | Low (mandated curriculum, teacher-directed) |
| Outcome | Flow state: loss of self-consciousness, time distortion, joy | Often stress, procrastination, or disengagement |
| Social Element | Often collaborative or competitive fun | Individualistic or competitive pressure |
Games are designed to keep players in the “flow channel” by dynamically adjusting challenges, providing clear goals, and offering constant feedback. Studying rarely achieves this, leading to lower engagement.
Unpopular Ideas About This Topic
- Gamification Often Fails or Harms Learning: Superficial gamification (adding points/badges/leaderboards to boring tasks) is criticized as “chocolate-covered broccoli”—it relies on extrinsic rewards that can undermine intrinsic motivation over time (overjustification effect). True game-like learning requires deep integration, not overlays.
- Mandatory “Fun” Isn’t Fun: Forcing games into education (e.g., required educational games) kills enjoyment, similar to how assigned play feels like work. Real flow emerges from voluntary, self-directed activities.
- Education Shouldn’t Always Be Fun: Some argue deep learning involves necessary struggle, boredom, or discomfort that games avoid; treating everything as a game oversimplifies complex topics and may reduce long-term retention or critical thinking.
- Games Can Distract from Real Learning: Critics claim gamified education prioritizes engagement over mastery, potentially creating addiction-like behaviors without substantive knowledge gains.
- Societal Shift Needed: An unpopular view is that modern education’s factory-like model (designed for compliance) is incompatible with game-like learning; true change requires dismantling standardized testing and grades, which many resist as they ensure accountability.
These ideas challenge the hype around gamification, suggesting it’s not a universal fix and can sometimes exacerbate issues if poorly implemented.
References:
- https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/the-thin-line-between-gaming-and-learning
- https://bedrocklearning.org/literacy-blogs/the-pros-and-cons-of-game-based-learning/
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-51645-5_22
- https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/v984bp/why_hasnt_play_to_learn_educational_games_serious/
- https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2013/03/games-education-tool-030113
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01682/full
- https://hechingerreport.org/is-making-a-game-out-of-learning-bad-for-learning/