DOI: 10.4018/IJGBL.2017100102 International Journal of Game-Based Learning Volume 7 • Issue 4 • October-December 2017 Copyright © 2017, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Gamifying the Media Classroom: Instructor Perspectives and the Multidimensional Impact of Gamifcation on Student Engagement Katie Seaborn, University College London, London, United Kingdom Deborah I. Fels, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada Rob Bajko, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada Jaigris Hodson, Royal Roads University, Victoria., Canada ABSTRACT Gamification, or the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has become a popular and increasingly accepted method of engaging learners in educational settings. However, there have been few comparisons of different kinds of courses and students, particularly in terms of discipline and content. Additionally, little work has reported on course instructor/designer perspectives. Finally, few studies on gamification have used a conceptual framework to assess the impact on student engagement. This paper reports on findings from evaluating two gamified multimedia and social media undergraduate courses over the course of one semester. Findings from applying a multidimensional framework suggest that the gamification approach taken was moderately effective for students overall, with some elements being more engaging than others in general and for each course over time.” Post- term questionnaires posed to the instructors/course designers revealed congruence with the student perspective and several challenges pre- and post-implementation, despite the use of established rules for gamifying curricula. KEywoRdS Game-Based Learning, Gamification, Gamified Learning, Instructor Perspectives, Student Engagement INTRodUCTIoN Gamification is an approach that uses game elements, such as leaderboards and in-game economies, to improve human engagement and motivation to participate and perform well in non-game contexts, such as education (Deterding, Björk, Nacke, Dixon, & Lawley, 2013; Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke, 2011). Indeed, it has captured the interest of educators as a pedagogical tool for engagement and rich learning experiences (Kapp, 2012). Given that the educational system is arguably a kind of game itself—involving rules, structured (intellectual) play, goal-setting, and levelling, to name a few gameful characteristics (Kapp, 2012)—the use of gamification as an approach to pedagogy seems appropriate. However, the study of gamified learning experiences is still relatively underdeveloped. In a review of the literature, Seaborn and Fels (2015) showed that there remains some contention over the effectiveness of gamification in learning contexts. Further, there is much room for expansion of the literature in terms of comparisons between course disciplines (e.g., business versus media), course content (canonical versus contemporary topics), and pedagogical approach (readings-based versus exam-focused versus hands-on activities, or some combination of all three). Finally, although 22