🗓️ Wednesday 21 May 2025  🕛 12:00-13:00

• 🟣Theme: Investigating the role of digital games and play in educational psychology

Gamify the language education: a false promise or an innovative educational approach?

Stefanos Alifierakis

Recording

Abstract

While gamification is often celebrated for its motivational potential in language education, this presentation takes a more critical lens to examine whether it delivers on its promises—or simply repackages learning through superficial game mechanics. Drawing on the cases of Duolingo and Classcraft, we explore how and why gamification captivates learners, but also when it risks devolving into “pointsification”—where extrinsic rewards replace meaningful engagement.Rather than merely explaining what gamification is, this session interrogates its widespread adoption by tracing the forces behind it, including ed-tech industry trends.

Based on this analysis, we introduce a practical framework developed through critical evaluation of gamified platforms, educator experiences, and emerging research. This framework is designed to help educators distinguish between effective gamification and strategies that fall flat or manipulate learners without pedagogical value. By foregrounding this framework, we argue that gamification often constitutes a “false promise” when implemented uncritically—enticing educators with engagement but offering limited educational return.

The presentation aims to equip educators with the tools to move beyond the hype and design game-based learning experiences that are both ethical and effective.