3 Edtech Tools You Can Use To Gamify Your Classroom Gamification is one of the buzzwords in education right now, and for a good reason: Gamification is empowering, exciting, and under the right circumstances can be the disruptive innovator many teachers desperately need in order to change the dynamics between knowledge and the learner. There is an explosion of EdTech tools destined to gamify the classroom, most of which are web-based, while others come in the form of an app. Understandably, a teacher might wonder what is the best way to navigate through this sea of new, and subsequently, not thoroughly tested activities and tools. Throughout the school year I tried several game-based platforms with my students. Socrative The first, and probably the most popular game-based classroom platform is Socrative. Socrative supports multiple choice, true/false, and open response items. Here is a short introductory tutorial on Socrative Kahoot Kahoot takes a somewhat different approach than Socrative. Here is a short introductory tutorial on Kahoot
The Secret to Effective e-Learning Games Serious games do more than just offer a few badges for finishing a quiz here and there. An effective serious game creates a learning environment where learning objectives are translated into important behaviors, where the context is meaningful to the learner and decisions are consequential. Serious games go a long way toward creating a unique, effective learning experience. Learning expert Clark Quinn reminds us in his book, Engaging Learning that “We are not, cannot be, about designing content. A fundamental perspective I want you to take away is that we are designing experiences.” As Quinn says, “You have to start thinking about putting the learners into a context where they have to make decisions, understand why those decisions are important, want to make those decisions, and know that there are consequences of those decisions.” Take a look at these 5 essential elements found in effective e-Learning games
10 Specific Ideas To Gamify Your Classroom - 10 Specific Ideas To Gamify Your Classroom by Mike Acedo In today’s classroom, educators are constantly required to mold their teaching methods to give students the best opportunity to succeed. It is not only imperative for students to learn the required material, but also critical that students gain a sense of confidence toward their work, and find motivation to expand their learning. However, this can be difficult for some students, who may struggle in traditional, lecture-based class styles. We’ve talked about designing your classroom like a video game before. Though some teachers may use game-based learning, such as having students play games like Little Big Planet (featuring Sackboy, pictured above), Minecraft or Civilization to reinforce content, Gamification uses game elements such as challenges, feedback, levels, creativity, and rewards to motivate students to learn, and master concepts. How To Gamify Your Classroom: 10 Specific Ideas To Get It Done 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Design Your Class Like A Video Game How Video Games Have Mastered Learning Engagement Terry Heick Agreeing on how to best establish what a learner understands isn’t simple — if for no other reason than understanding isn’t simple. Gamification and game-based learning (which are different, by the way: the former uses encouragement mechanics to promote engagement, while the latter uses video-games as core sources of learning material or cognitive action) is one response. By embedding diverse achievements into activities and assessments, learning progress can be refracted infinitely. But video games have even more to offer formal learning systems. To be able to do this before moving on to that. Stifling the Fun Hated tropes in video game mechanics include “training” sessions, where players must prove to the video game that they can perform a basic function before moving on. Not much different than school, then. Most game designers have learned, however. Climb a mountain or slay a robot enemy? Takeaways for Learning 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
30 Facts About Gamification in eLearning How Can Gamification Improve eLearning? What is the Future of Gamification in eLearning Industry? Judging by the following 30 Facts about Gamification in eLearning, the future of Gamification in eLearning is brighter than ever. eLearning Industry in numbersThe eLearning market is now more than 16 years old (the word “e-learning” was coined in 1998). At Fortune 500 firms, 73.6 percent of technology-delivered training comes through networked, online methods. (1)Corporations can save up to 70% by replacing traditional training with eLearning (IOMA 2002).Over 18,000,000 college students are taking at least one of their classes online. Over 75% people are gamers (50% casually and 27% moderately to fairly often). (4) Learners recall just 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear. Favorite Gamification Techniques (4) Progressing to different levelsScoresAvatarsVirtual Currencies Less Favorite Gamification Techniques (4) The Most Effective Uses of Gamification in Learning (6) References:
Gamification in Education The breakthrough happened after the student took the Bartle's Gamer Profile Quiz and we found out that he was a "killer." Off-the-charts killer, but achievement meant nothing to this student. Just like grades. No, we haven't identified the next school shooter, and I sure wish that Bartle hadn't named one of the four gamer profiles "killer" -- but nonetheless, this student identified with this profile. Jane McGonigal mentioned it in her Gaming Can Make a Better World TED Talk when she discussed an epic meaning. My ninth grade students have partnered on an epic quest with grad students at the University of Alaska Southeast and members of the Gamifi-ED OOC to study serious games, create an encyclopedia of serious games, and ultimately to create their own serious game in Minecraft. 1. Game mechanics are part of game theory. 2. As we saw with my "killer" student, there are four game-player types using this psychological evaluation. 3. 4. 5. 6. Endgame: Finding a "Killer" Tool
6 Steps To Get Started With Gamification Getting started with gamification is easier than you think. A playful attitude and curiosity prepare you for understanding the power of gamification. If you are interested in getting started with gamification check the following 6 steps! Gamification has seen a lot of buzz in the past year. But while many misunderstand it as “building games,” the truth is far from it. Because games reward players and level them up, games need to know how well the players are performing. Due to this inherent tracking of player data, gamification is here to stay and will fundamentally change the way business is done, employees evaluated and promoted, and what the role of managers and HR business partners is. Make it a habit to look out for applications that people are talking about. In the next articles we will learn about motivational factors for gamification, and introduce gamified systems that you probably use, but haven’t realized that they use gamification to change your behaviors.
Ed Games Week Highlights the Emergence of Video Games in Education Ed Games Week wrapped up with a 48-hour Education Game Jam that brought together over one hundred veteran and independent game developers, teachers, and students. (Photo credit: U.S. Department of Education) Games and play are a central part of childhood and can stimulate creativity and learning. Today, increasing numbers of teachers are incorporating games to supplement and enrich classroom instruction. Ed Games Week brought the discussion on educational games to Washington, D.C. The Ed Games Expo The Ed Games Expo showcased 25 newly developed learning games developed with funding from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs at ED’s Institute of Education Sciences (ED/IES SBIR) and other federal programs. For more, check out the Office of Educational Technology YouTube channel: Ed Games Workshop The Ed Games Workshop brought together the Expo game developers and a team of federal experts. The White House Education Game Jam
What is gamification? Gameplay has a lot to teach us about motivating participation through joy. ‘Gamification’ is a new term, coined in 2008, for adapting game mechanics into non-game setting — such as building online communities, education and outreach, marketing, or building educational apps. Here are some ideas for how to do it. Achievements Badges, trophies and points represent having accomplished something. Since antiquity, people have been honored with medals, crowns and other decorations. Judd Antin, at Yahoo! Achievements can be easy, difficult, surprising, funny, accomplished alone or as a group. “This has already occurred in education for a long time with things such as merit certificates and awards,” says Australian science teacher Alice Leung, but “gamification is more than that “because the game guides learners towards those goals, and gives constant feedback.” It’s not about winners and losers, says Leung. Other game mechanics Many other game dynamics can help engage your audience. Two examples
50 Great Sites for Serious, Educational Games By Rose Jensen Serious games are making the news almost every day. From teaching children about the cancer in their bodies to helping college students reinforce lessons from their business classes, these educational games take playing to a whole new level. Take a look at these 50 sites for serious and educational games you can play. No matter what you may be studying in college, there is a good chance that these educational games can enhance your learning or help you teach others. Business and Management From practicing your business skills to learning about book keeping in your courses at online colleges for accounting, these games will help you get a handle on your business school lessons. EVE Online. Games for Students These games bring powerful first-hand experience to students with games ranging from early elementary to high school and focusing on everything from science to civic responsibility. PowerUp. Training Games America’s Army. Health and Medical Games Fatworld. Darfur is Dying.
Tips for Gamifying Your Classroom In the fall of 2012, during my first semester as a middle school language arts teacher, I taught my classes as a multi-player game (MPG). At the start of the year, I invited my students into a world I'd created and dubbed Veritas, and I asked them to take part in an adventure that would weave together tales from our literature study and narratives of their own making. I had a mountain of research to support my instructional choices, but truth be told, standing before them on that first day, I had absolutely no idea if it would work. Then they started asking questions. “I live on this island,” said one eighth grader, pointing to a tiny circular land mass on the map of Veritas. “What's the mail system like? “My family is from those mountains up north. They may seem like simple questions, but they showed me something incredibly important. My answer to all their questions: “You live there. In the days and weeks that followed, my students added many points to the map. Why Games? Start small.
ASCD Express 9.20 - No Technology Required to Gamify Your Class No Technology Required to Gamify Your Class Linda T. Darcy Applications like Class Dojo, Socrative, Nearpod, Zondle, and Play Brighter dominate most conversations about gamification in education. Not so fast—it is possible to gamify your class without technology, even without electricity. There are several factors that make games so engaging. With these tenets in mind, teachers can encourage game-like engagement in the classroom by following these five practices, none of which require technology. Use gaming vocabulary: Traditional school tasks carry traditional labels. Any teacher who is interested in gamifying their class need not wait until the technology is available. Source: Reprinted with permission from The Educator's Room. ASCD Express, Vol. 9, No. 20.