Graduate Research Papers

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Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Abstract

Gamification in education transforms traditional, non-gaming contexts (i.e., classrooms) by incorporating challenges and scenarios with their own rules, stories, and stakes. In geography education, teachers have sought ways to gamify the classroom, develop students’ spatial reasoning, and develop place-based capabilities for critical thinking and problem-solving, making complex geographical and environmental concepts more relatable and accessible to the students. Regardless of the documented achievements with gamification, such as more engagement, deeper understanding, and increased motivation, there remains a lack of a comprehensive typology of games used within geography education. This paper aims to develop a typology of games used in education generally and, more specifically, in geography education. In doing so, attention was given to the context and settings where games are most effective, as well as assessing the educational outcomes associated with each type. Against this backdrop, four gaming dimensions were identified in education, more broadly: (1) game design elements, (2) target audience and educational levels, (3) implementation, context and strategy, and (4) educational development, evaluation and assessment goals. For geography education, four categories stood out in the literature: (1) location-based games, (2) storytelling games, (3) simulation games, and (4) virtual-augmented reality (VR/AR) games. These typologies demonstrated unique strengths in promoting collaborative learning, engagement, and a better understanding of geographical concepts. This paper considers the challenges teachers face in the implementation of gamification, such as teacher readiness to apply it, digital inequity, and the risk of overreliance on extrinsic rewards. Addressing these challenges requires initiating consistent professional development of teachers, advancement of curriculum-aligned game designs, and provision of equitable access to technological resources. By providing a categorized framework that indicates challenges and best practices, this review provides a foundation for an inclusive and efficient use of games and gamification in geography education, contributing to the broader field of educational technology.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Geography

First Advisor

Thomas Larsen

Date Original

2025

Object Description

1 PDF file (45 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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