Gamification – What is it and How is it Changing the Way Kids Learn?

October 7, 2014 – Today’s guest blogger is Lilia Ortiz, a freelance writer, graphic design student and bookworm with three years of writing and editing experience, particularly on lifestyle, design and tech topics. She edited Pax the Polar Bear, a children’s book on global warming. Her topic is about the use of game-based learning in classrooms. Let me know if you would like to see more articles like this at 21st Century Tech blog.

Allowing your students to play video games in the classroom might seem counterproductive to their success. However, a study conducted by the University of Virginia and the Korea National University of Education found that game-based learning combined with meta-cognitive strategies actually increases students’ performance in the classroom. Gamification, or the process of using game design elements in non-game contexts, allows students to visualize success, have a sense of pride for a job well done and continuously unlock information, reports an infographic created by Knewton. Here are a few ways to add gamification to your classroom:

Award Badges

Positive reinforcement is one of the many reasons gaming is so widely enjoyed. Apply B.F. Skinner’s theory in your classroom to turn learning into an interactive experience. You can reward students with badges, a method that closely simulates the emotions gamers feel after leveling up. If you decide to implement badges, Top Hat cautions that it is important to also integrate bonus points and skill levels for added value. Some good examples of badges include a “Test Taking Expert” for students who get an A on three tests in a row or a “Homework All-Star” for homework turned in on time the entire semester. Additionally, you can use ClassBadges, a free online tool that lets teachers award customized badges to students.

Create Competition

Adding the right amount of competition in the classroom is a great way to motivate and energize students, says TeachHub. Make sure to tailor the difficulty level to your students grade when implementing gaming in your lesson plans. For instance, educational bingo is an appropriate game for all ages, but can be varied based on the content. Spelling bees, game show contests and group versus group activities are other great ways to get students excited about learning new classroom material.

Avoid the negative effects of competition by keeping activities short, fair and symbolically rewarding, states John Shindler, author of “Transformative Classroom Management.”

Allow Play Time

Mark Griffiths, a professor at Nottingham Trent University, stated that there has been “considerable success when games are designed to address a specific problem or teach a certain skill.” In other words, it is possible for students to build or strengthen language, math and reading skills by playing the appropriate video games.

Introduce this gamification concept by giving students access to educational video games. Create a play space complete with a PlayStation 4, bean bag couches and even a mini fridge, and watch how quickly your students strive to achieve in the classroom. Then, choose fun and popular games like The Lego Movie Videogame, which improves reasoning skills, encourages creativity and cultivates collaboration, says Common Sense Media, an advocate of educational games.

Assign Quests

What does World of Warcraft and homework have in common? Quests! TeachThought recommends assigning quests instead of homework to your students because assignments presented in a gamified context gets kids excited about tackling the next challenge. Once a quest is assigned to your students, they must complete it to receive a reward, much like in Warcraft. Classroom-friendly quest ideas include completing the assigned reading to advance on a map of a virtual world, earning experience points for turning homework in on time and math assignments that reveal a code needed to unlock a real or imaginary treasure chest of rewards.