VOLUME: 10, Special Issue 02, (IC-IMAF-2023) Paper id-IJIERM-X-II, January 2023 7
TRANSFORMATIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF GAMIFICATION USING PRINCIPLES OF COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY THEORY
Jins Thomas
Research Scholar, APJ Abdul Kalam University, Indore Cinimol Joseph
Research Scholar, APJ Abdul Kalam University, Indore
Abstract - It is the faculty of human brain called Cognitive flexibility that helps people to think divergently and arrive at solutions to the problem they face by multiple paths. The cognitive tasks are often considered as effortful and frustrating and hence the inclusion of game elements in the cognitive tasks helps students to motivate themselves and engage in a particular task. People who have greater flexibility in thinking find solutions of a problem by creative thinking and analysing different choices before they reach a conclusion. This increases the self -efficacy of the students which is one of the main theories behind gamification. Here is a study to analyse the relation between cognitive flexibility and gamification in learning two different subject areas-Science and English. The researchers selected a sample of 30 students and 30 teachers in private and public schools of Kerala.
The Researchers used Kahoot, Moodle and Duolingo to design the learning tasks. The researchers used experimental study to collect quantitative data, and qualitative data is collected through survey method. Questionnaires were emailed to the teachers and students of samples selected. Data collected is analysed by statistical t-test. The results of the study reveal that students‟ think more creatively and retain more information if the teachers include gamification in their lesson plans.
Keywords: Gamification, Cognitive flexibility, academic achievement, Moodle, Kahoot, Duolingo.
1 INTRODUCTION
The term „education‟ has called for multiple definitions from intellectuals. Most intellectuals agree that education is not merely concerned with the transfer of knowledge and skills to young minds. At the same time acquiring transferable knowledge and skills would always be an integral part of education. To increase the attention span of students in this era is a challenging task for the facilitators. Multidisciplinary innovation helps teachers and learners to develop new ideas and a positive attitude towards learning process. Teachers must allow for this flexibility since students need it for their learning. Gamification encourages cognitive flexibility which is an executive function of the brain and is a better technique to provide students‟ freedom of choice. Students will only engage in active learning when they are intrinsically or externally motivated. Students will have numerous opportunities to choose multiple approaches to learning a single concept by implementing gamification strategy, and they can always review the concepts learnt. Moore and Malinowski (2008) claim that cognitive flexibility refers to one's capacity to approach a novel circumstance in a sensible manner while utilising cognitive techniques. According to Krems, students with high cognitivism are better problem solvers (1995). According Al- Atoum(2017), the ability to generate multiple ideas before coming to a decision makes creative thinking an essential part of cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility also includes a learner's natural ability to adapt to a particular circumstance (Amani, et al., 2018)
New inventions and technologies like Kahoot, Duolingo, and explorelearning enable students to learn at their own pace, which improves learning. An excellent software for learning languages with correct pronunciation is Duolingo. This aids in the development of the learner's communication abilities as well as intercultural learning. Modern technology also offers many learning platforms and caters to various learning styles. The ability to repeat the content whenever you want is the major benefit of gamification and cognitive flexibility. This enables the learner to retain the knowledge in their long-term memory in small chunks, making it easier for them to recall it at any time. The multiple exposure to the same topic and the immediate feedback helps the students to master the specific conceptTherefore, the aim of the present study is to determine how gamification and
VOLUME: 10, Special Issue 02, (IC-IMAF-2023) Paper id-IJIERM-X-II, January 2023 8
cognitive flexibility can help students improve their academic performance. Students were taught using both conventional methods and alternative methods, in which lessons were prepared using gamification. The experimental group of students anticipated better evaluation results than the control group.
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A very brief review of related literature about gamification and cognitive flexibility is presented below.
Gamification
Gamification, according to Deterding (2011), is the inclusion of game aspects to non-game circumstances. Gamification is mostly used to boost students' enthusiasm and engagement, which encourages active learning. By allowing students to select questions based on their own interests, gamified assessments increase students' excitement. Thus, the addition of gaming features encourages learning flexibility. It makes it simple for teachers to evaluate students because it allows students to receive quick feedback on their learning. Serious games are mostly utilised in education with the goal of changing students' attitudes toward the teaching and learning process.
Cognitive Flexibility Theory
According to cognitive flexibility theory, the challenging topics are not to be oversimplified and it has to be structured in such a way that the learners should make their own connections between the facts and concepts and explore them in different ways. In this way the learner will understand the topic thoroughly with interest and no wastage of time. The CFT follows a constructivist approach in which the students will take the responsibility of their own learning and explore different scenarios and reach to a conclusion. this will help the learner to apply their knowledge in real life applications. Today's world requires more dynamic and complex situations, and therefore cognitive flexibility plays an important role.
A lack of cognitive flexibility can lead to stagnation and a fixed state of mind. Therefore, teachers should include activities that promote cognitive flexibility, so play is a better tool for this. Many cognitive studies show that cognitive flexibility enhances cognitive processes involving information acquisition and conflict resolution.
Constructivism and Cognitivism
The theory of cognitivism is developed by Piaget states that students understand the concept states the children actively construct their understanding of the world and go through stages of cognitive development.Piaget's constructivist theory states that a theory is built on understanding a given concept from simple to complex. The basic principles of cognitive theory are organization and adaptation. To organize means to connect, organize and combine gathered information into schemas based on experience. On the other hand, customization means adding new information to the schema. information in our thinking system because it is important more information The importance of cognitive theory in education is to help them improve problem-solving skills and critical thinking. The teacher can facilitate cognition by adding playfulness to the lesson. Technology improves cognitive skills by allowing students to think in different ways using many tools such as concept maps, blogs, games, etc. Shim and Lee (2006) correctly note.
Research in the field of neuroscience has revealed that cognitive flexibility encompasses several cognitive processes, such as attention shifting, conflict monitoring, and knowledge representation (Cañas et al., 2006; Ionescu, 2012). The ability to flexibly update mental sets further builds upon inhibitory control and working memory and, accordingly, constitutes the basis for higher‐level executive functions, such as reasoning, problem‐solving, and planning (Diamond, 2013).
2.1 Research Questions
How does gamificationaffect cognitive flexibility of the Learner?
How does gamification help language development of students?
VOLUME: 10, Special Issue 02, (IC-IMAF-2023) Paper id-IJIERM-X-II, January 2023 9
What is the relation between gamification and cognitive flexibility on the academic achievement of students?
What is the relation between gamification and cognitive flexibility in improving motivation of students?
What is the relation between gamification and cognitive flexibility on developing creating thinking in learners?
2.2 Hypothesis
H1: There is a significant relation between the gamification and cognitive flexibility of the Learners on the academic achievement of the learners.
H2: There is a significant relation between the gamification and cognitive flexibility on the language development of the students
H3:There is a significant relation between the gamification and cognitive flexibility on developing creative thinking in learners.
3 METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS
Both experimental and survey methods were employed in this research to gather qualitative and quantitativedata. Applying the cognitive flexibility theory, the researchers developed courses in Kahoot and Moodle that included gamification and implemented them with the experimental group, while the control group's learners were taught using the conventional approach. The researchersselected 60 samples (30 teachers to collect the qualitative data, and 30 students to collect quantitative data) from two private schools of Kerala in this research. To determine the significance of the difference between the means and the deviation from the findings, the independent sample t-test is utilised. The qualitative data for the current study were gathered using questionnaires and the descriptive survey approach. The researchers independently assessed each item on the questionnaire to ensure its face validity and content validity.The correlation between gamification and cognitive flexibility & motivation was determined by using spearman Correlation Test.
3.1 Results
Table 1 Pre-test and post- test achievement scores of the students in Experimental and Control Group
Variable Group N Mean SD SE
Pre-test Control 15 26.46 10.6 2.73
Experimental 15 26.9 10.6 2.83
Post -test Control 15 27.8 10.448 2.69
Experimental 15 41.46 4.764 1.23
A normal distribution is followed by the sample mean. The means analysis clearly shows that there is no statistically significant difference between the post-test results of the control group. However, there is a substantial correlation between the experimental group's pre-test and post-test scores, demonstrating that gamification has a favourable impact on students' academic progress.
3.2 Analysis of data using ANOVA
ANOVA is used to find out the significant relation between the pre-test and post test scores of the students. To analyse the variance between the means, the researchers utilised the one-way ANOVA test. The ANOVA test results are displayed as follows:
Table 2 ANOVA of Post-test achievement scores by eliminating the effect of pre-test achievement scores
Variable SV SS df MSS F P
Pre-test
BV 1.63 1 1.63 0.0141 0.0906
WV 3246.7 28 115.95
T 3248.3 29
Post-test BV 1400.833 1 1400.833 21.246 0.000081 WV 1846.133 28 65.933
T 3246.9667 29
VOLUME: 10, Special Issue 02, (IC-IMAF-2023) Paper id-IJIERM-X-II, January 2023 10 3.3 Findings of the study
There is no discernible difference between the pre-test scores of the control and experimental groups, according to the f ratio and p value. The achievement scores' Falue after treatment is 21.246, and the matching 95% confidence interval P value is 0.000081, which is significant. Students' achievement scores significantly increase when gamification based on cognitive flexibility is used.
Table 2 Independent Sample Test
N Mean SD SE Variance t-value P value
Try to make decisions in difficult situation
15 Control Group 2.06 1.0997 0.2839 1.209
-2.7629 0.0050 15 Experimental
Group 3.2 1.1464 0.296 1.314
Try to avoid new and
challenging situation 15 Control Group 2.8 1.146 0.2960 1.314
3.2376 0.0016 15 Experimental
Group 1.6667 0.7237 0.1868 0.5238 Try to think in
different ways to resolve a new problem
15 Control Group 1.8667 0.7432 0.1919 0.5523
-2.8749 0.00381 15 Experimental
Group
2.8 1.014 0.2617 1.0285
Consider multiple options before
reaching a
conclusion
15 Control Group 2.2 1.082 0.2794 1.1714
2.82773 0.00428 15 Experimental
Group 3.33 1.1126 0.2872 1.238
Willing to work in
different situations 15 Control Group 2.866 0.9944 0.2557 0.9809
0.00 0.50 15 Experimental
Group 3.067 1.099 0.2839 1.2095 4 FINDINGS
According to the findings, gamification empowers pupils to solve new problems on their own and in novel ways. It improves learning flexibility and enables students to weigh several possibilities before making a decision. Gamification and the cognitive flexibility theory give students more options while learning a particular idea. The data analysis reveals a significant difference between the experimental group's and control group's abilities in terms of cognitive flexibility. The treatment improved the students' capacity for dealing with difficulties. The data also demonstrates that there is no discernible difference in students' propensity to cooperate in various circumstances between the experimental group and the control group.
5 CONCLUSION
High levels of competitiveness are required in the workplace and in education in this century. Students that are capable of cognitive flexibility will make an effort to overcome obstacles and thrive in life. Teachers can boost student enthusiasm and, as a result, academic accomplishment by incorporating gaming aspects into their teaching. This study highlights the requirement for tech-savvy teachers and gamified lessons. Gamifying a lesson boosts cognitive flexibility as it offers multiple paths to reach a conclusion, and also learners feel more motivated to reach a solution even if their first or second attempt fails as gamified lessons provide them with multiple opportunities.
A traditional class room where the learner has no options but to depend entirely on the pedagogy adopted by the teacher offers far less possibilities for divergent thinking as compared to gamified lessons. The present study is one of the first studies in this area and suggests the need for further research and at the same time clearly throws light into the irrefutable relation between development of cognitive flexibility and gamification of learning outcomes.
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