Smart gamification: Exploring the application of gamification in smart learning environments

Abstract

Smart Learning Environments are conceived as environments able to understand the student needs and context, and to propose adapted informal learning activities that might involve physical and virtual elements. However, SLEs can potentially fail in engaging students to perform such generated tasks as they are not part of the learning design and they might not be assessed by the teacher. Therefore, considering the positive effects observed in other educational environments, gamification is proposed to increase the student engagement and participation in such informal activities. Nevertheless, the gamification of activities that are not part of the learning design and which are generated on-the-fly becomes a difficult task as the gamification design needs to be created on the run without the intervention of the teacher. To make this process meaningful, the cornerstone is the adequate use of Learning Analytics and Learning Design information. This work-in-progress paper introduces a technological architecture supporting this type of gamification, and Smart GamiTool, a prototype of a smart learning environment supporting the orchestration and enactment of smart gamification.