As 21st century is an IT era,

technological advances such as game-based learning are

implemented as learning strategies for both students and
employees. However, people are still debating whether
game-based learning or gamification is really successful in
learning or not. Solomon Robles, Ed.D who is an Professor
of Education at Winborne College, suggests that game-
based learning is not as effective as person-to-person
method since it can reduce people’s improving soft skills. On
the other hand, Janette Morgan, Ph.D., Professor of
Business, Saratoga State University, proposes that
gamification provides positive impacts on learning because
it can both enhance people’s decision-making skill and
become repeatable leaning for people. From my point of
view, I agree with the argument of Janette Morgan which is
better-supported with certain facts, practicable thinking and
reasonable supposition.
Firstly, Morgan describes assured
statistics in her argument to prove that not only youngsters
but also adults are familiar with playing games. In
accordance with the Entertainment Software Association,
we can see that the average age of a gamer is 37 years old
and 29 percent of people over age 50 get used to the video-
game habit. Only 15 percent of the over 190 million video-
game users in U.S are young people. These statistics can
support that all people with different ages can use game-
based learning effectively on their learning. Conversely,
Solomon states that only younger employees will applaud
gamification since older employee does not have
technological skills to learn by playing games.
Secondly, Morgan expresses her
logical thoughts about the advantages people can get from
gamification, in her argument. She points out that video
games possess many pros such as compelling storylines,
attainable challenges, rewards, recognition and control
which can stimulate leaners. Moreover, she adds the fact in
2002 report, that game-based learning offers many positive
impacts on higher order skills such as improving decision-
making skill or problem-solving skill and reducing training
time. From these points, we can understand the benefits of
gamification obviously. In contrast, Solomon only conveys
that game-based learning is just a trend and it will fade
away soon due to lack of effectiveness on people.
Finally, Morgan reasonably
demonstrates her assumptions on the game-based
learning’s success in his argument. In the conclusion, she
mentions that game-based learning favors people
repeatable leaning that cannot be allowed in person-to-
person method. People can start the games again and fix
their needs in this progress by getting feedback from the
game. According to this assumption, we can assume that we
can create supportive learning environment if people can
seek all of the benefits of gamification and practice them in
learning usefully. Unlike Morgan’s assumption, Solomon
thinks that in-person learning is more convenient for people
and he portrays his reasons in the forms of his one sided-
opinions in his argument.
In sum,