Question

Studying is an important part of student life, but it might not be much fun sometimes. Students can conquer study-time blues with the help of learning activities featuring or based on games. This idea is known as gamification. While critics point to some drawbacks of the concept, gamification can contribute in important ways to learning.
2 Gamification succeeds by increasing student motivation. Think about your own favorite game. One reason you play is probably to discover what comes next. Gamification applies this “what comes next” idea to learning. Perhaps you are struggling with new vocabulary words. If knowing the definition of a word opens the gates to the next realm in an imaginary land, you have a new, exciting reason to learn the word.
3 Gaming principles can be applied in other ways to support learning. For example, most games have reward systems. By imitating games and rewarding students for their accomplishments, educators can encourage good study habits. A student might be rewarded with points or some free time after completing a certain number of problems. Leaderboards can help track student progress as they gain points and progress from one level to the next. Students may study more diligently to gain these rewards. In doing so, they are acquiring knowledge and good habits.
4 Critics of gamification are concerned about changing student’s motives for learning. Let’s take a student who wants to play the violin. Once the student is offered a prize for playing a piece well, she may practice very hard to win the prize. However, research shows that the student may then lose interest in practicing—even though she originally wanted to learn the instrument. Her original reason for playing has been replaced by an interest in rewards. These critics would prefer that students learn to love learning for its own sake, not for a reward.
5 It may be, though, that gamification offers a great way for unmotivated students to get started. Students who are at first motivated to learn by rewards may later discover their own reasons to learn.
6 And, games and gamification work! In one study, college students were organized into groups. All groups heard a lecture and then took a quiz. One group, though, played a related game before taking the quiz. This group did about 45% better on the quiz than those who just heard the lecture. Another group read a related text instead of playing a game—but their performance was only around 30% better (Legaki).
7 See what gamification can do for you. The next time you are not feeling very motivated to study, think about your favorite game. How can it help you to practice better study habits and make studying more enjoyable?

Work Cited

Legaki, Nikoletta-Zampeta, et al. “The Effect of Challenge-Based Gamification on Learning: An Experiment in the Context of Statistics Education.” International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Volume 144, 2020.
How do paragraphs 3 and 4 fit into the overall structure of the selection?
A. The article is organized to compare and contrast different kinds of games. Paragraph 3 identifies games related to studying, while paragraph 4 contrasts these games with games related to practicing music.
B. The article is organized to present advantages and disadvantages of gamification. Paragraph 3 identifies some advantages of gamification, while paragraph 4 identifies a disadvantage.
C. The article is organized to present the advantages and disadvantages of studying. Paragraph 3 identifies some advantages of studying, while paragraph 4 identifies a disadvantage.
D. The article is organized to compare and contrast the different ways of supporting learning. Paragraph 3 discusses reward systems, while paragraph 4 contrasts these systems with ways to change students’ motives.

Answer 1

B. Paragraph 3 describes advantages of gamification (rewards, leaderboards, improved habits), while paragraph 4 presents a disadvantage (rewarding can undermine intrinsic motivation).