We’ve previously mentioned how people with a genuine sense of responsibility aim to contribute meaningfully, while those without it tend to prioritize personal gain. Before diving into the topic on engagement, we would like to acknowledge a recurring concern about our game-based learning, one that we completely understand. On one hand, game-based learning offers engaging experiences, but on the other, many people are concerned about the potential for addiction that may arise from its use.
We know that these concerns are important, and unfortunately, most people do not provide us with opportunities to address them in real-life. This is why we see this article as a chance to share what we have learned and offer some insights on the matter. Although research has shown that engagement plays a crucial role in developing responsibility, there is a common misconception that all forms of engagement are the same, but the reality is much more complex.
Many people simply assume that engagement is about being fully involved or interested in an activity, ignoring the emotional and cognitive factors that can affect a child in diverse ways. It is not the quantity of engagement that matters, but the quality and type that ultimately drives the results. Engagement comes in many forms, positive engagement which leads to growth, destructive engagement which can result in negative consequences and neutral engagement which falls in between.
What is Positive Engagement?
Positive engagement emerges from a foundation of genuine curiosity and an authentic desire for growth. When children are positively engaged, they exhibit what psychologists call the “flow state” or “optimal learning state”, they become completely absorbed in their activity and are fully present in the moment. This form of engagement creates a self-reinforcing loop, where children build self-reliance through positive experiences of success and growth, creating the ideal conditions for learning responsibility.
What is Neutral Engagement?
Neutral engagement represents a particularly tricky state in education because it often looks like effective learning is happening, when in reality, the child is not truly invested in the process. While they may skilfully complete a task or achieve perfect scores on standard assessments, they are missing the genuine enthusiasm or dedication necessary to make learning sustainable and enjoyable.
Children who operate in this state develop a form of learning that educators refer to as “strategic learning” – doing what is necessary to achieve the required outcomes without developing genuine interest or deeper understanding. Rote memorization and exam-related stress serve as indicators that a student may be operating in this manner. Without the emotional rewards that come from “strategic learning”, the process can feel like a persistent form of psychological strain.
It can feel like playing a game where the core game mechanics are broken – you face waves of difficult enemies, putting in more and more effort with each battle, but the game never provides the usual rewards like loot or experience points. You become trapped in an endless loop of increasingly difficult challenges, this broken cycle between effort and reward creates a psychological burden that slowly wears you down, resulting in mounting stress and reduced motivation.
On the other end, destructive engagement is frequently fuelled by a need to escape, driven by the desire to avoid discomfort or unpleasant situations. How does destructive engagement fuel stress and addiction? Discover the alarming connection in part 5!
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