*disclaimer*: not finalized
Literature review
Technology has placed a wedge between teachers and students in the modern classroom that spans wider than previous generational differences. No longer are teachers and students divided solely by vernacular or interests, they are divided by fluency with technology. This divide between teacher and students is more than just a comfort level with technology; it is a difference of how the brain categorizes information (Prensky,2001). Students who have grown up with technology are known as digital natives (Prensky, 2001) and use technology as fluently as a first language. Teachers who did not grow up with technology are known as digital immigrants (Prensky, 2001) and have to work to “speak the language” of technology.
The nature of my action-research is to investigate the relationship between digital natives on the online platform of Edomodo and learn what motivates their learning and participation. The research will use the context of a digital community of practice as a space for participation and will examine intrinsic motivation theory and gamification as vehicles for motivation.
Communities of practice are “communities where the learning component is central” (Wenger, White, Smith, 367, 2012) and “always involve who we are, what we do, who we seek to connect with, and what we aspire to become” (Wenger et al., 370, 2012). These communities of practice require three main aspects in order to be successful in a digital space: domain, practice, and community (Wenger et al., 2012). A domain must attend to “something that members really care about” (Wenger et al., 407, 2012) and members must have more than just a “passing interest” (Wenger et al., 407, 2012) in the topic. Practice requires “learning how to be a certain kind of person with all the experiential complexity this implies: how to “live” knowledge, not just acquiring it in the abstract” (Wenger et al., 428, 2012). Community is built on the “expectation that what is shared is going to speak to their own experience of practice – that they will learn something meaningful” (Wenger et al., 474, 2012). In summary, a community of practice requires a domain that is more than just a passing interest for all members involved, it requires members to live out their practice rather than just acquire knowledge of the abstract, and it speaks of their practice to other members of their community.
Daniel Pink provides a new perspective on motivation theory with the introduction of motivation 3.0 (Pink, Drive). As opposed to motivation 2.0, the belief that people are motivated primarily through rewards for service, punishment for failure and other forms of extrinsic motivation, Pink believes that people are primarily motivated by a desire to be a part of a greater purpose, autonomy in their decision-making process, and being able to master a skill (pink, Drive).
Gamification is the act of adding game-like elements to a process in order to increase motivation. Pink’s theory of intrinsic motivation is extended by Burke as a framework for transforming gamified solutions from forms of transactional motivation to an emotional motivation (Burke, Gamify). Burke also uses the following five spectrums in order to provide a framework for creating gamified solution: collaborative/competitive, intrinsic/extrinsic, multiplayer/solidarity, campaign/endless, and emergent/scripted. (Burke, 110). It is important to consider this player engagement model when creating a gamified solution.
The nature of my action-research is to investigate the relationship between digital natives on the online platform of Edomodo and learn what motivates their learning and participation. The research will use the context of a digital community of practice as a space for participation and will examine intrinsic motivation theory and gamification as vehicles for motivation.
Communities of practice are “communities where the learning component is central” (Wenger, White, Smith, 367, 2012) and “always involve who we are, what we do, who we seek to connect with, and what we aspire to become” (Wenger et al., 370, 2012). These communities of practice require three main aspects in order to be successful in a digital space: domain, practice, and community (Wenger et al., 2012). A domain must attend to “something that members really care about” (Wenger et al., 407, 2012) and members must have more than just a “passing interest” (Wenger et al., 407, 2012) in the topic. Practice requires “learning how to be a certain kind of person with all the experiential complexity this implies: how to “live” knowledge, not just acquiring it in the abstract” (Wenger et al., 428, 2012). Community is built on the “expectation that what is shared is going to speak to their own experience of practice – that they will learn something meaningful” (Wenger et al., 474, 2012). In summary, a community of practice requires a domain that is more than just a passing interest for all members involved, it requires members to live out their practice rather than just acquire knowledge of the abstract, and it speaks of their practice to other members of their community.
Daniel Pink provides a new perspective on motivation theory with the introduction of motivation 3.0 (Pink, Drive). As opposed to motivation 2.0, the belief that people are motivated primarily through rewards for service, punishment for failure and other forms of extrinsic motivation, Pink believes that people are primarily motivated by a desire to be a part of a greater purpose, autonomy in their decision-making process, and being able to master a skill (pink, Drive).
Gamification is the act of adding game-like elements to a process in order to increase motivation. Pink’s theory of intrinsic motivation is extended by Burke as a framework for transforming gamified solutions from forms of transactional motivation to an emotional motivation (Burke, Gamify). Burke also uses the following five spectrums in order to provide a framework for creating gamified solution: collaborative/competitive, intrinsic/extrinsic, multiplayer/solidarity, campaign/endless, and emergent/scripted. (Burke, 110). It is important to consider this player engagement model when creating a gamified solution.