Hi all! So, today I was very surprised to learn that I have not yet done a post here regarding "gamification" in the classroom. Which, if you know me (or even if you don't; my icon is literally a Toad from Super Mario), struck me as both a huge oversight and also a really well-timed opportunity.
The reason this post is well-timed is that I've recently been working alongside a super-awesome coworker, Pete Morris (@petemorris202), to create a presentation on gamification for NJAMLE next month. So, these past few weeks have been filled with reflections on how we both got started "gamifying" our classrooms and what initially drew us to the concept. And that's gotten me thinking: why does gamification work?
First, let me define my term. "Gamification," in a general sense, is mixing elements of games with academic content in order to increase engagement and retention of concepts in a classroom.
Pete and I will be presenting a talk called "Gamification 101," in which we get into our experiences with gamification, share resources with attendees, and explore how gamification can really fit into any classroom environment. I won't get too much into the specifics or content of that exact presentation right here and now (maybe it'll be posted after we give the talk).
For today, though, I just want to focus on my interpretation of why gamification can produce such amazing results when applied successfully. As the title implies, I will be examining this topic through the lens of a lifelong gamer. It's no secret that my love of games is what drew me to this concept when I was first presented with it; I'm hoping to dive a little deeper here and examine, from my perspective at least, what goes on behind the scenes of a gamification process that makes it work.
My goal here is to keep this post as sort of a preamble to Pete's and my presentation, but bits of what we're planning to talk about may creep in here and there. Please know that I would not have been able to put together what I hope is the cogent list below without Pete's insight and clarity. My many thanks to him!
1. Gamification, in my experience, seems to operate on one general constant: gamers don't view failure or frustration as permanent. If you've ever played a game (video, board, or anything else), I'm sure there have been times when you made a mistake, didn't understand all the rules, or needed to rethink or revise your strategy. We've all been there. But, for the majority of us, we kept on playing. And playing. And playing. And maybe we looked up walkthroughs or game guides; maybe we used whatever resources we could find; maybe we worked with a teammate to barrel through under sheer force of will.
But you know what we didn't do? We didn't think "we're never going to get this" and quit. We kept trying. We tried different tactics. And when we found one that finally worked...it was all worth it. I have distinct memories from early in my childhood about solving puzzles in games with my younger brother; I still, to this day, remember how great it felt to figure out what item or ability was needed to bring down a particular boss in a game.
And isn't that an attitude we want students in our classes to adopt? How many times have you heard the self-fulfilling prophecy of "I'm just not good at 'blank'" in your classroom? Designing situations that incorporate elements of games (such as cooperation, competition, logic, varied skill sets, and FUN) is a way to sidestep this common excuse and encourage students to develop their skills rather than just assuming their ability levels are stagnant.
Bottom line: Games never shame you for taking a while to reach the goal; they only celebrate you once you get there.
2. Here's a quick question: have you ever heard a student say "Why do we have to learn this?" or "When are we gonna use this in real life?" I know I have...and that I thought the exact same thing a few times throughout my academic career.
My go-to response when fielding this question is that you don't know what the future holds, so you can't know what skills you're going to need down the line. While I firmly believe this, it doesn't always stick with my students, mainly because it isn't an authentic reason for them to care.
While I'd love to believe that all my students aim to be literary scholars once they've finished school, the simple fact is that my interest in reading and writing may not be something that naturally resonates with some of them. And while it is partly my job as a teacher to impart why the things we study in class are worthwhile, authentic connections the students can make to their work is infinitely more valuable than anything I can tell them to, well, value.
Enter games. My principal once said something to the effect of, "It's essential that students form authentic connections to their studies, but what they view as authentic may differ from what we, as adults, think is authentic." I'm paraphrasing here, of course, but this idea really stuck with me. For many students, games are authentically important. They matter. They're a chance to show off their skills or confront a challenge. Suddenly the tangent about Iambic Pentameter that they thought would never ever apply to their lives is the most important thing because it'll lead to the next clue and maybe give them an advantage over their opponents. I've seen it happen; that last example is a direct reference to a Scavenger Hunt my 8th Grade students just participated in revolving around the central tensions and conflicts of the main characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Bottom line: Games can provide an authentic environment for students to refine and apply the skills being taught to them in class.
3. This third point is pretty self-explanatory: games allow for different "levels" of skills to be tested. A "Normal" level assignment could be something that students are required to do, whereas "Hard" or "Challenging" enrichment assignments could serve as extensions or deep dives into more complex territory. This has the dual effect of providing built-in differentiation while also showing that the tougher levels are something you have to earn by working your way up to them. Although I find this framing most effective within the context of a larger game, this simple shift of aspiring to do beyond just what is required is another attitude I definitely want to encourage in my students.
Bottom line: Gamification can ensure built-in differentiation and encourage students to extend their learning beyond what is required.
4. This next point is one of my personal favorites. Most of the games I choose to play in my spare time are not for any "stakes" beyond bragging rights. For me, the social interaction and execution of strategy so inherent to all gaming is the driving force of what makes it appealing. I don't often play games with the intent to "win" something external, but that does nothing to dampen my drive to win. The same can apply within your classroom.
The most successful attempts at gamification that I've witnessed over the years never seem to rely all the heavily on external prizes as motivation. Sure, the winning team in a year-long game may get a cool pencil or some extra time on the playground, but that far-off and modest promise isn't why most students get invested in the game.
They get invested because it's fun, nuanced, and challenging. They get invested because they're intrinsically motivated to be, not because they're being redirected by the promise of some external prize. I'll reiterate: it's fine to have prizes when implementing gamification. But you honestly don't need them every time, and, even when you do choose to have them, they don't have to be extravagant.
The best "gamified" classes that I've seen utilize well-constructed games that allow students to play around with different strategies and techniques to see which takes them to success. Having this ability to play and experiment alongside the general notion of healthy competition is what draws in students and keeps them engaged throughout the entire activity. I truly believe that the key here is intrinsic motivation, and isn't that another attitude we want our students to embrace? To actually enjoy and engage with the content of a class instead of pushing through it for some immediate reward?
Bottom line: Gamification allows for intrinsic motivation to be built into every classroom and around every subject.
5. For this last point, I'm going to need to directly cite/paraphrase Pete again. During one of our conversations in assembling our gamification presentation, Pete commented something to the effect of "Making these games is not only fun for the students; it's fun for you too. When you're excited and proud about something you've made, your investment and energy level goes way up, and the students really respond to that."
I have found this to be extremely true in my own experiences. I love the days when I have a scavenger hunt going, or a breakout game, or one of the many, many other types of games that fit under the umbrella classification of "gamification." We all know that our students are smart; they can tell when we're really excited about something or when we're proud of all the work we've put into it. This shines through in any work you create for your class, but I find that I'm especially passionate when putting together something "gamified."
Bottom line: Students respond when they see that you are excited or proud of something you've made for them.
Well, there you have it. I hope that this list does a decent job of scratching the surface of "why" I think gamification is a solid and worthwhile strategy that can be worked into any class. I recognize that this post focuses more on the "reason why" side of gamification and less on the "application/how to get started," but this is by design. After our NJAMLE presentation, I will see if it's possible to post some or all of our presentation here. If I am unable to, I will create another post getting into the application side of things.
Once again, I really want to thank Pete Morris for being a stellar example when it comes to getting gamification right and for working with me on this presentation. Come see us on 3/13/20 at Kean University for NJAMLE if you're able!
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