Author(s): Sofia Mysirlaki | Fotini Paraskeva
Journal: International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC)
ISSN 1867-5565
Volume: 3;
Issue: 4;
Start page: 21;
Date: 2010;
Original page
Keywords: e-learning | games | motivation | generation
ABSTRACT
The “Next Generation”, “Net Generation”, “digital natives”, “millennials” or the “Google generation”, are some of the names used to describe the new generation entering to the workforce, growing up in a networked world and having a different set of needs and expectations as to learning and training. Thus, there is a need to find new e-learning environments that would ensure the learners’ greater motivation and engagement to e-learning courses, in order to avoid high rates of drop-out. The current research in e-learning is focusing its attention in using innovative environments, such as MMOGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games) and virtual worlds as training tools. This paper dignifies the need for creating collaborative educational online games, by presenting the findings of a research which revealed that the strong sense of community that the players build in the game, in a popular commercial called World of Warcraft (WoW), was linked with high intrinsic motivation and performance scores. Thus, the ability to collaborate and form communities in a game could trigger cognitive, affective and social aspects of the player’s behavior. This paper also presents an expanded framework for creating intrinsic motivation in MMOGs, proposed by Malone and Lepper, adding the element of sense of community as a support of intrinsic motivation.
Journal: International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC)
ISSN 1867-5565
Volume: 3;
Issue: 4;
Start page: 21;
Date: 2010;
Original page
Keywords: e-learning | games | motivation | generation
ABSTRACT
The “Next Generation”, “Net Generation”, “digital natives”, “millennials” or the “Google generation”, are some of the names used to describe the new generation entering to the workforce, growing up in a networked world and having a different set of needs and expectations as to learning and training. Thus, there is a need to find new e-learning environments that would ensure the learners’ greater motivation and engagement to e-learning courses, in order to avoid high rates of drop-out. The current research in e-learning is focusing its attention in using innovative environments, such as MMOGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games) and virtual worlds as training tools. This paper dignifies the need for creating collaborative educational online games, by presenting the findings of a research which revealed that the strong sense of community that the players build in the game, in a popular commercial called World of Warcraft (WoW), was linked with high intrinsic motivation and performance scores. Thus, the ability to collaborate and form communities in a game could trigger cognitive, affective and social aspects of the player’s behavior. This paper also presents an expanded framework for creating intrinsic motivation in MMOGs, proposed by Malone and Lepper, adding the element of sense of community as a support of intrinsic motivation.
