Exploring Higher Education Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Gamification

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of university teachers’ attitudes toward gamification. A broader goal is to lay the groundwork for a better understanding of how university teachers gaming habits and preferences might be leveraged in efforts to introduce gamification in Higher Education (HE). Building on previous research, showing no differences in teachers’ attitudes towards gamification by age, gender or type of institution (public or private), this exploratory study tries to assess whether teachers’ level of familiarity with games may have an influence on their attitudes and their expectations about the use of a gamified approach in a Higher Education course. The data were collected through focus groups, involving 13 teachers all in-service in a private Italian university, and were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Participants were divided into three groups according to their playing habits and preferences (well-rounded gamers, casual gamers and non-gamers). Results show that, even though the participants’ overall attitude towards gamification was favourable, there were some differences between the three groups. For instance, teachers in the “well-rounded gamers” group expressed the highest level of concern about the possible negative effects of the use of gamification in HE, while “casual gamers” and “non-gamers” seemed to be less cautious and more focused on the possible advantages of a gamified educational strategy. “Non-gamers” were the group more concerned about the time and guidance needed to really be able to use this new pedagogical approach in their courses.