Gamification in the Classroom

Gamification

I used Kahoot to gamify an informal assessment for maths - I wanted to know
how much they learned and their next steps with fractions. I wrote all the
questions as I wanted it to be specific to what we had been learning and
what I wanted t know. although there are ones that you can choose from
already that others have made. The kids were then asked to do their own Kahoot
where they wrote the questions.  This was a hit and quite useful in terms
of highlighting what they can do and can't do...

A big part of gaming is instant feedback, and the article above mentions how it's
not always easy for teachers to give instant feedback. They suggest developing a
strong culture of peer feedback within the class. When I was teaching in the
classroom I have noticed this afternoon, while my kids were constructing
cardboard arcade game prototypes, that there was a lot of peer feedback going
on. Kids can be pretty critical of one another, but I find my class is good at
pointing out the positives to their peers too.

When I first read the above article about second chances, and third,
it didn't make too much sense until I carried on reading the article and it
explained this concept further. In a game, when your life ends, you get to play
again (as many times as you like). A gamified classroom offers a similar
approach - if a kid fails at something, they get to try again. If they succeed,
they can attempt to get a better score or move on to the next level.
This fits with what we do, and it highlights also the mistake-making idea,
and learning and growing from these.

"Gamification provides students and teachers with a new and innovative way of facilitating learning. Gamification has the ability to transform the classroom to teach students practical skills, foster collaboration and creativity, as well as motivate students to advance their own learning through self-guided instruction."

I wanted to know how much they learned and their next steps with fractions.
I wrote all the questions as I wanted it to be specific to what we had been
learning and what I wanted t know. although there are ones that you can
choose from already that others have made.
The kids were then asked to do their own Kahoot where they wrote
the questions. This was a hit and quite useful in terms of highlighting
what they can do and can't do. 

I used Kahoot to gamify an informal assessment for ma- 

 

"Games can be a very strong motivator for students when the same game elements are applied in an educational context. Thus, some educators have adopted the concept of Gamification, where the structure of gaming is applied to a non-game framework."

Having visible progress is another aspect - kids need to see they are making
progress. I've adapted the system in Classcraft so that kids are rewarded for
aspects of our Can Kid philosophy, such as showing perseverance and
resilience, etc. They can see when they open the app, which thing they
have received points for.  The Tracking Sheets are other ways of showing
the kids the progress they are making. I'm not a big fan of the grading system
in Google Class so I think using this may be good. I found when I don this in
the past it was especially beneficial for the boys and their competitive side.
It is also a good way to communicate with parents. 

Giving students voice and the choice is another aspect. I think I already do this
quite well. The article describes this as "allowing students different options
they can use to reach their academic goals." and "students are given the
choice to choose different paths in learning the curriculum." 

Rather than telling my kids which apps to use specifically, I often suggest they
select the app they would like to use to best meet the purpose.
This is something I can obviously set once the basic is already established
with several different apps and extensions.