Our society thrives on games. They’re everywhere, from our social lives to our work lives to our school lives.
People kill time on the bus, in a doctor’s waiting room and even in the bathroom (eww … but true!) playing games on their smartphones and tablets.
The sports world is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s all focused on games. Billions of dollars are exchanged in various professional, semi-pro and amateur sports, from salaries to equipment to apparel.
There are reality shows. Game shows. Quiz shows.
As people, we’re fascinated with games. And so are our students.
Bringing games and game aspects into class can help focus and motivate hard-to-reach students. They can provide a structure and “playing field” that students need to wrap their brains around certain tasks and concepts.
Game-based learning takes many forms, from a simple 10-minute review game to a complex system of XP (experience points) that lasts all school year — or beyond!
During the weekly #DitchBook Twitter chat (Thursdays at 7 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. MST / 9 p.m. CST / 10 p.m. EST), we discussed gamification in the classroom. It featured fantastic moderator Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) and special guest Michael Matera (@mrmatera), gamification guru and author of the new “Explore Like a PIRATE” book.
The conversation spanned the broad ideas around integrating educational gaming to the specific tools you can use to create it.
You’ll find 20 entries in today’s blog post below about gamification, but you’ll see that there are far more than 20 resources. With the lists and webpages of resources, there are dozens and dozens of ideas … and certainly at least a handful that are relevant to you right now!
Check out the Storify archive of the chat to see the whole discussion. Also, check out Michael’s website, explorelikeapirate.com, for more resources and ideas!
Before we jump into the list, the resource below is probably the most rich of them all! Moderator Karly Moura created a Padlet wall where we could share resources. Check out all the treasure! (Had to do the pirate reference for “Explore Like a PIRATE”!)
1. Power-ups and control over character sound a lot better than red pens and disciplinary referrals.
I love how games allow you to build, create and most importantly grow. #Ditchbook pic.twitter.com/zeyFpE1N3e
— Michael Matera (@mrmatera) February 5, 2016
2. This infographic digs into some of the terms, research and history that have affected game-based learning.
The Gamification of Education Infographic https://t.co/Hapxkl2isb #DITCHBook pic.twitter.com/nwAlMjcPs9 — Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) February 5, 2016
3. These aspects of gaming in the classroom can boost engagement!
Games give us …
competition
structure (rules)
unpredictability
laughter
strategy
Sounds like a great class to me! #DitchBook— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) February 5, 2016
4. A leaderboard is one way to show students where they stand and encourage them to reach the next level.
A1: leaderboards! Just added this to an activity this week & I couldn’t believe the motivation Ss got from that #Ditchbook — Sean Fahey (@SEANJFAHEY) February 5, 2016
5. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same old thing in class. Games are different every time you play them.
#gamification has so much to offer school. Teachers need to see this as a fun change and check it out! #Ditchbook pic.twitter.com/0McASITQ4L
— Michael Matera (@mrmatera) February 5, 2016
6. Redo’s are a normal part of real life, and they’re a natural, logical way to learn without stigmatizing failure.
#DITCHBook a1: infinite chances and replays. Create an environment of success- either immediate or eventual. — Gollihar’s Class (@golliharsclass) February 5, 2016
7. Among the facts in this post: 75 percent of people consider themselves gamers!
30 Facts About Gamification That Teachers Can’t Overlook https://t.co/GfCMtnFiJI via @markbarnes19 #Ditchbook
— Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) February 5, 2016
8. Rewards, even if simple and extrinsic, can really motivate!
@mathkaveli Food or candy! It’s amazing how engaged Ss become when a Tootsie Pop is at stake! #ditchbook — emosier3 (@emosier3) February 5, 2016
9. Brad lays out the details of his Call of Duty/Halo/World of Warcraft-style XP points system in his class. (It includes professional wrestling-style belts, too!)
A2: Never encounted #ditchbook b4. Can I jump in? Gamification is something I believe in. Check out my “XP” Systemhttps://t.co/40hWw07QQV
— Brad Jacobson (@BradJacobson23) February 5, 2016
10. Authentic team work. Achieving this in basic “do this activity in groups” assignments is tough.
@golliharsclass Agreed. Competition also leads to authentic team work! Why don’t we ever talk about that side. #Ditchbook — Michael Matera (@mrmatera) February 5, 2016
11. Classcraft: “Track behavior, motivate students with clever fantasy-themed game.”
A3) Many utilize @classcraftgame to help to gamify their room. Here’s review on @Graphite https://t.co/JI0nDKHIH4#Ditchbook
— Craig Yen (@craigyen) February 5, 2016
12. When we can catch students in the “moment of learning” with feedback, I’ve found they’re more likely to internalize that feedback!
A2 As a fan of trivia, I love the instant gratification I get from right answers, and I remember Qs that I got wrong, too! #Ditchbook — Erin M. Farrell (@erniem04) February 5, 2016
13. Great digital tools to create game conditions in class!
So many tools, but my fav are the ones build by a teacher for teachers https://t.co/obvCkuv80b #DitchBook pic.twitter.com/0unlD1jjry
— Michael Matera (@mrmatera) February 5, 2016
14. Alice Keeler (@alicekeeler) presented on gamification at the BETT Conference in London. These are her slides and resources!
Gamification of the Classroom https://t.co/l3MIhfhXIa via @alicekeeler #DITCHBook — Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) February 5, 2016
15. Turn a coordinate plane math lesson into a Battleship game!
A3: Coordinate plane Battleship on Google Slides (via @alicekeeler)https://t.co/ygS1p7C4JY #DitchBook
— Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) February 5, 2016
16. This template can turn your class OR professional development into a game with badges.
A3: Gamify your PD: Badges and level up AWESOME template via @alicekeeler https://t.co/hCEOOfM26W#DitchBook — Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) February 5, 2016
17. Engage students in class games with movie trailers.
A3: Another tool is just to make a movie… Check out this years intro video to class game. https://t.co/xlmtFZeq6m Ss blown away. #Ditchbook
— Michael Matera (@mrmatera) February 5, 2016
18. Includes “make students co-designers” and “allow second chances … and third.”
10 Specific Ideas To Gamify Your Classroom https://t.co/crKUnGzWMu via @teachthought #Ditchbook — Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) February 5, 2016
19. “Educator Al” shares a TON of links to gamification resources, including 13 days of World of Warcraft in science class!
A3: Check out Mr. Gonzalez’s blog on Gamification also https://t.co/asZD0TggNw #ditchbook
— Lisa Guardino (@LisaGuardino) February 5, 2016
20. Not everyone believes in gamification. Here’s a look at the debate.
[reminder]How do you feel about game-based learning? How have you used it in class? Which of these ideas could you start using?[/reminder]Gamification in the Classroom: The Right or Wrong Way to Motivate Students? https://t.co/3alPgmfazu #Ditchbook — Karly Moura (@KarlyMoura) February 5, 2016
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[…] 20+ resources for engaging game-based learning | Ditch That Textbook […]
Having read Sheldon’s work and others, I had been trying to figure out how to gamify my curriculum, but without having taught the class before, I just couldn’t figure out ahead of time exactly what I’d need students to do, how many points everything should be worth, etc. All those decisions had paralyzed me since I seldom teach the same class for more than a year or two. Something I believe Alice Keeler had posted at one point resonated with me. She said not to use it for a grade. HUGE turning point for me. I decided to start small, and instead, I use an XP system to motivate class participation, homework completion, following class procedures and expectations, etc. I started this semester with just two sections, and it’s working so well, that I’m expanding it to another section next week. It’s a hugely simple system that allows me the freedom to even randomly assign XP for anything I want participation for on any given day, similar to what Frau Davis described in her comment above. Anyone interested, feel free to copy, tweak, use however you might like.
https://goo.gl/DOkLny
What a ridiculous amount of resources and a chat I am very disappointed I missed!!! One of my very favorite topics. I have been gamifying my classroom since last school year. It has had a fantastic impact on my students, me, my teaching and my creativity. It is such a versatile too. It can be different things to different educators, different students…its potential is endless. A great piece here!!! Thank you for all the resources!!!
I use a class points system in my classroom. Ideally, students earn points by being on-task and using the target language exclusively. But anytime I think “oh wow, that’s awesome!” by something a student says/does, I give a class point. If the entire class is doing something negative, I will deduct class points, but I try not to take away class points for a single person’s behavior. I really feel like Mr. J’s wrestling is what I’d like to get to. I’m at the point now where there are some students who just won’t do homework, or participate in class and I’m out of academic solutions. How easy would it be to say “If 100% of students turn in this assignment” or “If your entire table participates in the class discussion” that they could earn class points? Of course they’re still receiving actual grades so if they don’t make that it’s no loss. I think it’s also appealing to perhaps incorporate levels or ranks for making a certain number of class points. I’ve pondered using ClassDojo before but it was presented to me as something more for elementary and middle schools. Thanks for giving me something to think about!
Frau Davis- I think it might be easier then you think. You also might even be doing some gamification components and don’t even realize it. A gamified classroom can have a huge impact to improve student skills and learning. I have had a similar experience. Here are some of my gamification resources: http://carriebaughcum.com/tag/gamification/
Any suggestions for adding game-based learning to a high school U.S. History class? Already using Kahoot and Socrative. Looking for something directly related to American History.