Gamification: Enhancing Leadership and Learning in Sports Management

This essay delves into the application of gamification within the field of sports management and education, examining its potential to enhance student engagement and leadership. It highlights how gamification, through the integration of game-design thinking and digital technologies, can foster active learning, creativity, and a deeper understanding of teamwork and regulations. The essay discusses the importance of change management in educational institutions to successfully implement gamification, addressing challenges related to technology adoption and leadership styles. It also explores the benefits of gamification, such as improved learning experiences, instant feedback, and increased student motivation, while acknowledging the need for careful consideration of potential downsides. The essay emphasizes the role of educational leaders in guiding students through this innovative approach and provides relevant references to support its arguments. Gamification is presented as a cost-effective and supportive method for both students and teachers, with the potential to transform sports management education.

Research
Problem

INTRODUCTION
Field of study or education plays important role in society which engage different parties
to take effective decision and extract valid outcome in the direction of growth and success. An
educational leader must possess necessary qualities to have control over students and make them
more focused over learning activities. The concept of gamification shows that game-design
thinking to non-gaming applications whereby learners and teachers both can work with
coordination. However, being educational leader, Stephen can focus on gamification as an
innovation in the field of study under which students like to be creative and put their best
towards achieving their career objectives. At this juncture, active learning can be made possible
with the help of implementation of serious games. This proves to be effective to give the upward
direction to learning curve of individual and support them to invent new and unique for keeping
the study up. For example, digital nursing students seek for engagement, realism and simulation
which can be made possible only with the help of gamification under which varied kind of
technologies can be used to support learning. This is the main reason that serious gaming
technologies are being added into the course.
However, sport management is another important field under which students can be
motivated by using varied tools and technologies related to gamification. Here, focus is laid on
engagement of individual for make them understanding related to importance of team work. The
same concept is also important in the field of sport management whereby different activities can
be aligned together to produce the valid outcome. At the same time, an example of video game
can be taken under which students come to know about ways to win and defeat other or counter
party. This was made possible only due to association or implementation of digital technologies
whereby sport management can be handled effectively (Johnson and Christopher, 2016).
However, gamification can be applied in the study to make the students understand regarding the
rules and regulations as well as different ways to play the game. It can be critically evaluated that
implementation of costly digital technologies is a typical task. Similarly, students should also be
digital natives otherwise they cannot cope with changing scenario related to implementation of
new technologies.
Initially, leaner face several issues in learning the technologies along with gamification.
This creates need to line up all learning activities and provide appropriate environment to learner

so as to make the procedure more effective as well as successful. However, necessary issues can
be resolved by using appropriate leadership style so that at initial face chance can be managed
without higher level of issues or problems. For example, teacher can adopt participative kind of
leadership style just for the sake of motivation of students. In this situation clear communication
is maintained to keep pupils informed about new learning approach and benefit of the same for
their career growth. It can be critically evaluated that timely adoption of autocratic style of
leadership is also important under which students are asked to follow the given guidelines only
and then later they are handled effectively (Miranda and et. al., 2014). This reflects that initially
changing phase must be managed effectively otherwise all learning activities will be affected to a
great extent. Thus, university change management program must be developed with association
of highly skilled and talented personnel or teachers who cooperate students to change their
learning procedure for their own betterment. In this manner, effective change management
procedure contributes towards effective implement the new learning approach and make the
students more comfortable.
Furthermore, pedagogical approach includes open-ended introductions, discovery
learning a,d value clarification as well as interdisciplinary learning. Along with that, case studies
and peer teaching as well as co-operative learning are also included. Here, application of Co-
operative learning is more effective group of students remain satisfied and motivated to learn
tough approach (Pedagogical Approach, 2017). At the same time, open-ended instruction can
also be used in order to get reviews of students to implementation gamification in sport field of
the study. This proves to be effective for bring out game-based mechanism and procedures to
provide guidelines for students. It is the advantage over traditional sport games (Wang and Kai-
Li, 2015). It is because implementation of current technologies and different tools make it
possible for stakeholders to students to adopt new aspects of learning in their daily life.
It has been found that gamification has potential to enhance athlete participation and
performance of the players through increasing the presence and quality of flow. In addition to
this, specific learning gains are considered so that digital tools and portable devices are used. It
would be effective to carry out all operational activities. It supports all related parties by using
social activities and mobile phones. It proves to be effective to speed up all related activities and
accordingly accomplish all related activities in an effectual manner. There can be number of

participants for single game so it contribute towards growth ans success in the sector of sport
management. In this manner, varied activities can be used for concentration of players and create
sense of achievement among them (Hamari, Juho, and Max Sjöblom, 2017). They get higher
level of motivation for the same and work with greater level of coordination and concentration.
Apart from this, team work can be promoted among them as social activities contribute towards
gaining their attraction as a group.
Therefore, it is all based on educational leader or teacher that how he make students
understand about specific information related to their studies. For example, a chapter can be
presented by using gamification which make the lecture more interesting and worthy. Thus, field
of sport management can use gamification for non-gaming situation in order to make education
more accessible, engage individuals and complete the complex projects with systematic thinking.
However, the downside of gamification cannot be ignored and it is the main reason that change
management practices must be implemented in the university (Stuart and et. al., 2016). It is the
only way to manage the learning of students along with technological innovation for their
classroom activities. Here, it is necessary to assign particular tutor or instructor for group of
students in order to manage the sport related activities effectively along with gamification.
An example of scorecard can be taken under which students are provided varied choice to
keep record related to their assignment. It will be presented with projected points, achievement
points etc to reward a particular student who meet all the listed or pre-communicated criteria. In
this manner, gamification shed light on positive correlation with motivational strategies used
under sport management field. Thus, Game-based mechanics play vital role to engage athletes
towards their goals in adventure (Danelli and Federico, 2015). At the same time, fitness coach
and teachers associated with field of sports management uses gamification to provide guidelines
for students and motivate them to accomplish their set objectives and make their lives more
easier as they would be accomplish their career goals.
Gamification applied in sports management can derive several benefits such as better
learning experience and appropriate learning environment where students get higher level of
motivation in order to survive in the friendly environment. The another potential benefit of this
approach is instant feedback so that students get their issues resolved on the spot and accordingly
better learning is promoted among them. This happens due to higher level of involvement in

learning through which teachers or educational leaders can have control over performance of
learners. Not only this but gamification will help sport students to explore their soft skills,
compliance as well awareness creation. This would be effective to meet expectations of all
related parties who are associated in imparting learning and gaining the same. It shows that
approach of gamification is cost effective and very supportive for students and teachers both.
There are several success factors which must be considered by business for successful
gamification such as challenging task, teaching and capturing the attention of learners. Similarly,
entertainment is also important which reflects that individual complete their task with greater
interest. For this purpose, teachers can manage all learning related activities and promote
students to manage their work in an effectual manner (Sport Management Students Try Out A
New Gamified Classroom, 2017). Moreover, gamification resolve many issues of learners and
enable them to explore their careers by becoming expert in several related fields. Therefore, e-
learning s made possible by using gamification and accordingly teacher bring huge changes in
university. So, college can go for these effective techniques for engagement and motivation of
students and creating sense of achievement among them.
The aforementioned essay concludes that gamification technology make the learning
more interest and grab the attention of students effectively. This would be effective to manage all
learning activities in sports management and retain students. It also shows that gamification
reduces absenteeism rate of learners and make them highly motivated to achieve something in
life by accomplishing the current learning activities. It can also be said that, appropriate
leadership approach and engagement aspect can be applied to effectively implement to
innovation in the field of sports management.

REFERENCES
Journals and books
Danelli, Federico. "Implementing game design in gamification." In Gamification in education
and business, pp. 67-79. Springer International Publishing, 2015.
Hamari, Juho, and Max Sjöblom. "What is eSports and why do people watch it?." (2017).
Johnson, Christopher P. "Gamification in Adventure and Wilderness Sports: A literature review
of game-based mechanic's ability to increase attraction, engagement, and retention in
outdoor sports." Sport Journal (2016).
Miranda and et. al.,. "Professional sports teams on social networks: A comparative study
employing the Facebook Assessment Index." International Journal of Sport
Communication 7(1). (2014): 74-89.
Stuart and et. al.,. "Return to Drive Counseling After Sports-Related Concussion: A Quality
Improvement Project." Pediatric Quality & Safety. 1(2). (2016): e006.
Wang, Kai-Li. "Application of Wearable Devices to Running during Training." International
Journal of Machine Learning and Computing. 5(6). (2015): 445.
Online
Pedagogical Approach. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://resources4rethinking.ca/en/resource-review-tool/pedapp>. [Accessed on 21st
February 2017].
Sport Management Students Try Out A New Gamified Classroom. 2017. [Online]. Available
through: <http://www.lewisu.edu/experts/wordpress/index.php/sport-management-
students-try-out-a-new-gamified-classroom/>. [Accessed on 21st February 2017].