Unit 1: Games and Learning
Return to Course Home Page: Gamifying_the_Classroom
Unit 1 Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to...
- define gamification and consider its applications in education
- demonstrate your understanding of how games can be used to increase motivation and engagement in school
First off, Congratulations on deciding to take on the daunting, yet exhilarating task of gamifying your classroom! Not only do I believe that your students will be more engaged and highly motivated in their learning, I believe that you will very much enjoy teaching in a gamified classroom!
Before we dive into Gamification and its applications in the classroom, I would like for us to think about the games we enjoy to play! While I would like for everyone to share any and all games they enjoy playing whether it be board games, video games, sports, mobile phone games, and so on, we will use the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of a game as, "an activity or sport usually involving skill, knowledge, or chance, in which you follow fixed rules and try to win against an opponent or to solve a puzzle." to drive our thinking about games.
Use the link and join code below to access a Flipgrid discussion board (more on boards later)
Add a post to the board with some of your favorite games! Start to think about why you enjoy playing these games in particular. Posting on the discussion board will earn you 150 XP!
Flipgrid Join Code: 56e7fede
Mini-Lecture - 250 XP
What is Gamification? So now that we have began thinking about games, more specifically games that we enjoy playing, lets dive into what Gamification is and its applications in Education. Merriam-Webster defines Gamification as "the process of adding games or elements of game design to a task as means to promote participation".
The driving force behind gamification and its applications in business, education, social spaces, and management is to increase engagement by using games, or parts of games, that the vast majority of people find enjoyable. In simpler words, if someone is having fun while doing something, her or she is more likely to stay engaged, and engage with again, whatever he or she is doing.
To expand upon this idea of how gamification increases engagement, gamification pioneer Yu-kai Chou created the Octalysis Framework to explain how common elements of game design appeals to Humanity's 8 Core Drives:
- Meaning – the desire to feel that our actions have purpose
- Accomplishment – The drive to achieve and overcome challenges
- Empowerment – The desire to choose one’s own direction and try a variety of solutions to a problem
- Ownership – The desire to own things and have possession
- Social Influence – The drive to interact with, help, learn from, and compete with others
- Scarcity – The drive of wanting things you can’t have
- Unpredictability – The drive of wanting to know what will happen next
- Avoidance – The drive to avoid pain or negative consequences
We will return to these 8 Core Human Drives in the Unit 2 when exploring game mechanics like experience points and activity boards used in this course, as well as Unit 3, when you begin to gamify your own classroom!
Activity Board - 1000 XP max
Unit 1 of Gamifying the Classroom requires you to earn a total of 1000 XP to unlock access to Unit 2: Game Mechanics and Classroom Dynamics. Completing Unit 1’s Flipgrid Discussion and reviewing the information in the Mini Lecture, will have earned you 400 XP! Nice job! The Activity Board below, provides multiple learning opportunities connected to Unit 1’s objectives, along with options towards earning the remaining 600 XP needed to unlock the next unit. You can use the Activity Journal Google Doc to record your completed work within the activities you have chosen to complete, as well as keep track of how much XP you have earned.
Activity 1 - Gamify.com Exploration - 250XP: Explore the information presented in the What is Gamification? tab on Gamify.com. To complete this activity respond to the following in your Games and Learning Activity journal:
- What is Gamify.com's definition of gamification?
- What examples does the website provide for applications of game elements in contexts outside of education?
- What is one piece of new information about gamification you learned from exploring Gamify.com?
Activity 2 - Extra Credits Tube - 250XP: Watch the following video within the Extra Credits YouTube series and respond to the questions below in your Games and Learning Activity journal:
- The video states that, "the world is currently in a crisis with engagement." What explanations does the video provide for this statement and how can gamification help solve this "crisis"?
- What reasoning does the video provide for why applying elements of game design to work related tasks improves productivity?
- Did any example of gamification within the video resonate with you? If not, explain.
Activity 3 - Classcrafting - 300XP: Classcraft is a gamification platform designed specifically for teachers. The platform has multiple degrees to which teachers can integrate elements of game design into their classroom settings. To complete this activity explore the Classcraft for Teachers page and respond to the following in your Games for Learning Activity Journal:
- The page immediately makes mention of Classcraft's ability to promote positive behaviors within the classroom. What reasoning is provided on the page to explain why the game elements within the platform have a positive influence on student behavior?
- Does Classcraft seem like a program that you would be able to integrate into your field of education? Why or why not?
- What explanations do teachers who utilize Classcraft provide for why they continue to use the platform? Do you notice any common themes between the teachers' explanations?
Activity 4 - Return to Flipgrid - 200XP: Return to the Flipgrid share you used at the start of Unit 1. Add an additional post to the board responding to the following:
- What elements of the games you posted earlier did you recognize in this units reading and/or videos?
- What are your thoughts on gamification in education after exploring Unit 1? Are you sold yet, or do you feel that games should be saved for "play" rather than engagement for learning?
Unit 1: Games and Learning Activity Journal
Completing every task on the Activity Board will award you the...
Games and Learning Leadership Badge!
Unlock Unit 2
After you have earned your 1000XP for Unit 1 you may move on to Unit 2: Game Mechanics and Classroom Dynamics
REMINDER: You can always return to Unit 1 at a later time to complete the remaining tasks on the Activities Board if you want to earn the Games and Learning Leadership Badge!