Basics of gamification in the classroom

2. Gamification 101
Sarah Teubner
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy
Grand Prairie ISD

3. Who is this describing?
• This group “regularly exhibits persistence, risk-taking, attention to detail, and
problem-solving…”
• Full quote: “Game players regularly exhibit persistence, risk-taking, attention
to detail, and problem-solving, all behaviors that ideally would be regularly
demonstrated in school.” – The Education Arcade at MIT

4. Things to consider
• 28 million people harvest their crops on Farmville every day.
• Over 5 million people play an average of 45 hours a week of games
• As a planet, we spend 3 billion hours a week playing video and computer
games.
• In the US, 9 out of 10 kids play electronic games.
• On-line gaming market is worth more than $15 billion
• 58% male; 42% female
• 65% of US households play video games

5. What is gamification?
• The process of using game thinking
and game mechanics to engage
• Use of gaming principles in the field of
education in order to get students
students involved, engaged, and
excited about learning
• Introduces concepts like badges,
levels, achievements, and game points
• Students are rewarded with these
concepts when they succeed, but are
not penalized when they don’t.
• students are not afraid to step outside of
their comfort zone and fail
• Gabe Zichermann video

6. Why Gamification?
• “Game design is the art of enjoying the hard part. It’s the art of making goals
more difficult to achieve, for no good reason, other than the fact that we have
more fun that way” – JM
• “Studies showed that, on average, using academic games in the classroom is
associated with a 20 percentile point gain in student achievement.
• “Helping students navigate and fully participate in this new media landscape,
however, requires more than simply allowing mobile devices into schools.
Instead, it requires developing learning experiences that allow students to use
and develop the multi-literacy practices associated with mobile media.”

7. How is the brain affected by
gamification?
• “When an animal, be it fish or human, wins
a contest, there is a large release of
testosterone and dopamine into their
brain. Over time this changes their brains
structure and chemical makeup, making
them smarter, more confident and able to
take on larger challenges than
before. Cognitive neuroscientist Ian
Robertson explains that “success and
failure shapes us more powerfully than
powerfully than genetics and drugs.”
drugs.” Nurture changes nature.”
http://www.gamification.co/2014/02/21/the-winner-effect/
• Strengthens brain cell connections
underlying memory and learning
• Improves ability to reason and solve new
problems independently of previously
acquired knowledge.
• Can improve peripheral vision, way-finding
skills, hand-eye coordination and mental
rotation.

8. Planning Gamification

9. Types of fun
• People fun
• Friendship
• Amusement from competition and
cooperation
• Easy fun
• Novelty
• Curiosity from exploration, role play,
and creativity
• Hard fun
• Challenge
• Fiero, the epic win, from achieving a
difficult goal
• Serious fun
• Meaning
• Excitement from changing the player
and their world

10. Types of players
Marczewski 2.0
• Socializers
• Motivated by relatedness
• Social status
• Social connections
• Belonging
• Free Spirits
• Motivated by autonomy
• Creativity
• Choice
• Freedom
• Responsibility
• Achievers
• Motivated by mastery
• Learning
• Personal development
• Levels
• Philanthropists
• Motivated by purpose
• Altruism
• Meaning
• A reason why

11. How they go together
• Socializer
• People Fun
• Philanthropist
• Serious Fun
• Achiever
• Hard Fun
• Free Spirit
• Easy Fun

12. Game framework
• Gather
• Gather information by asking:
• What are you gamifying?
• Who are your users?
• Why are you doing it?
• How will you measure success?
• Act
• Act on information you have.
• Design the best solution for your goals
and the engagement and experience
of your users.
• Test it with them.
• Measure
• Measure user activity and goal
outcomes.
• Get feedback and iterate
improvements.
• Enrich
• Enrich your system over time.
• People change over time
• Keep up with them or get ahead!

13. Building Blocks of gamification
• Gameplay
• Transparency
• Infinity
• Competition
• Creativity
• Strategy
• Self-Education
• User Generated Content
• Communication
• Feedback
• Self-Expression
• Bragging
• Virality
• Sharing
• Social Networking
• Referrals
• Reward
• Scores
• Leaderboards
• Prizes

14. Names to Know

15. Jane Mcgonigal
• Author
• Reality is Broken
• Using games to save the world

16. Gabe zichermann
• Gamification Corp
• Author
• TED Talks

17. My use of Gamification
• Students were given the task of
creating a game that would teach
people about cultures around the
world
• Could choose group
• Nerd Herd – two or more (no more
than 6)
• Solo Nerdo – work alone
• Culminating projects displayed a
Gamification Convention

18. At Convention

22. Ways to Implement
Existing Technology

23. Classdojo
• Behavior management system
• Students see immediate results
• Compete for points
• Parents can receive notifications of
changes in points in real time
• Points can be used for rewards
• Free
• App

24. classbadges
• Students complete teacher created
tasks and receive badges
• Teachers create badge
• Stock pile of badges
• Design your own
• Teacher creates a class; gives
students code; student creates free
account – AUTO FILLS NAMES!!!
• Free

25. Playinghistory
• Directory of games based on
historical events or time periods
• Provides links, reviews, and game
summaries
• Free

26. brainscape
• Flashcards on steroids
• Use confidence based repetition
• Can create on cards decks
• Can purchase existing card decks
that are subject specific
• App (not android)
• Free, unless you want existing decks
• http://youtu.be/eHi9PdmhEL0

27. Kahoot
• Create quizzes, discussions,
surveys for class to participate in
• Students can use any modern
internet capable device
• Students must be in area of your
projection system
• Students are given a code and then
join
• Free

28. GeoGuesser
• Players are given a photo to analyze
• Can change point of view
• Have to guess where the picture
was taken
• Free
• Online

29. Ways to Implement
Existing Technology

30. Classroom
• Use gaming grading with levels
besides alphabets or percentages
• Award students with badges for
completing tasks
• Integrate educational video games
into your curriculum
• Create competition between classes
• Gamify homework
• Make students co-designers
• Allow for second and third chances
• Provide instant feedback
• Make progress visible
• Embrace failure; Emphasize practice

31. Instruction design
• Learning outcomes
• Use action verbs
• Make them measurable
• Choose a big idea
• Has to carry the course the to the end
• Can be theme, idea, or a challenge
• Students must master all learning
outcomes
• Storyboard the game
• Use a Model Canvas
• Be sure to add points where students
safely fail
• Design learning activities
• What challenges will students face?
• Obstacles to overcome?
• Build teams
• Alone or group?
• Student created or teacher created?
• Apply game dynamics
• Competition
• Permission to fail
• Motivation
• Sense of play
• Rewards

32. Information sources

33. Websites
• http://www.gamified.co.uk/ - 4 User Types & planning resources
• http://www.gamification.co/ - Gabe Zichermann; getting started resources
• http://janemcgonigal.com/ - Jane McGonical website; research info
• http://www.pinterest.com/steubner/gamification/

34. Sources used
• http://youtu.be/O2N-5maKZ9Q
• http://youtu.be/O2N-5maKZ9Q
• http://blog.demandmetric.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Gamification-Infographic.png
• http://calvinayre.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/gamification-gaming-industry.jpg
• http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/70/b9/af/70b9afc379370bf44716bb6fce68a88d.jpg
• http://www.slideshare.net/zaid/gamify-classroom-learning
• http://www.arturogoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Optimized-Neurology-of-Gaming-800.jpg
• http://elearningindustry.com/the-gamification-guide-for-teachers
• http://www.slideshare.net/zaid/gamify-classroom-learning
• http://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/how-to-gamify-your-classroom.jpg
• http://thingsigrab.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/how-to-gamify-your-classroom-in-6-easy-steps-
edudemic/?utm_source=feedly