The purpose of this paper is to explore the higher education space and employability agenda through the lense of Gamification. The Higher Education landscape is being shaped by many agendas; employability is a key theme in this.  Employability and the development of skills, knowledge and attributes of graduates form the basis of our programmes and any enablers to develop credible policy and change in this area is positive.  The growth of the consumerist paradigm in Higher Education is problematic.  Students relationships with their HE Institution and tutors are changing, and not for the better.  This paper will set out the potential for using Gamification to move higher education learners from passive learners to engaged learners, through the use of Gamification in teaching.

1. The role of
Gamification in
Teaching and
Learning in Higher
Education
Dr Tammi Sinha (Business Law and Sport)
& Dr Kim Bradley-Cole (Psychology)
University of Winchester
Solent Learning and Teaching Community Conference 2017
In pursuit of excellence: inspiring achievement through
transformative pedagogy. #SLTCC2017

2. Setting the scene
TRANSFORMATIVE PEDAGOGY
“ENGAGED LEARNING,
DEMOCRATIC,
CONTEXTUALISE, DEMANDS
ACTION, ENGAGED STUDENTS,
CRITICAL QUESTIONS,
INFORMATION LITERACY, PEERS
AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS,
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING,
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE,
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
COMMUNITIES”
Desk based review
http://www.joanwink.com/gifs/poster.jpg

3. Games in teaching
• Experiential learning provides a
richer and deeper learning
experience.
• The NUS have recently surveyed
UK employers and developed a
list of skills for the 21st century,
this together with the QAA
employability skills set is used to
critically assess the employability
landscape and the use of
Gamification in HE.

4. DESIGN / METHODOLOGY / APPROACH
• The methodology takes a
theoretical perspective, using a
desk based literature review
outlining learning theory and
the link to Gamification, in
order to present propositions
which will then be empirically
explored in future work. This
paper sets the agenda for
further research in this area.

5. https://christopherjwwilkins.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/transformational-teaching.jpg

6. 21st Century skills
+ QAA Employability
skills set 2017

7. Immersive, transformational
and experiential learning
• Lean games (Lego, coins, sandwiches,
paper folding)
• Systems thinking (string)
• Going to the gemba (immersive games
and live projects)
• Student led seminars – linking SDGs
(sustainability development goals) and
MSP (managing successful programmes)
• Kaos Pilot (kaos Business School) and
New Engineers (HAN Arnhem
University)
• Gamestorming
• Collaborative problem solving (Ketso)

11. FINDINGS
• Theories of learning and the benefits of
Gamification.
• Transitioning from passive learners to action
learners.
• Embedding higher order thinking, cognitive
flexibility and social cohesion.
• Theoretical framework linking employability
and outcomes from learning through
Gamification.
• Skills gap and agenda for closing it.

12. RELEVANCE /
CONTRIBUTION / IMPACT
• The use of Gamification in teaching and
learning has immense potential in order
to engage learners and move them from
the consumerist paradigm and passive
learners to fully engage in their discipline
and the development of higher order
thinking.
• The work provides a summary and will
build on the employability body of
knowledge and provides clear
propositions for future research.

13. Resources
• http://prezi.com/83lclycrx1tm/curriculum-for-future-minds-by-sunni-
brown/
• http://sunnibrown.com