Leveling Up: Gamification Pedagogy in the Hagiological Classroom
Religions September 27, 2024 Alexander E. Massad
Gamification, a form of experiential learning that emphasizes student choice and activity, can transform information-heavy courses like those on religious mysticism and hagiology. In a "Masters and Mystics" course comparing Christian mysticism and Muslim Sufism, gamification's use of game mechanics and experience design promoted intrinsic student motivation, even when dealing with complex, affectively charged material. The article analyzes successes and failures of this approach and describes how lessons learned led to a redesigned "Comparative Mysticism: Christianity and Islam" course with new gamification practices.