In this week’s Opportunity Forecast you will be completing three activities as you learn about gamification and game-based learning through our open educational resource (OER).
This OER addresses Game-Based Learning and Gamification within the Educational eco-sphere. You will find summaries of key values in Game-Based Learning, interactive readings on Gamification, insightful techniques and tips, as well as multiple examples of popular and tested applications in the K-12 educational system. Topic analysis of Game-Based learning and Gamification is through multiple small activities. These activities are meant to be completed in order, and within a tentative time frame to increase their value for you and our class.
Website Link: http://game-on-education.weebly.com/
Activity Breakdown:
- Activity #1: Prior-Knowledge Survey
- Recommended time: Monday – Wednesday
- Found on the Home Page, please complete the survey identifying your previous knowledge and biases within Gamification and Game-based learning, prior to exploring the OER.
- Found on the Home Page, please complete the survey identifying your previous knowledge and biases within Gamification and Game-based learning, prior to exploring the OER.
- Recommended time: Monday – Wednesday
- Activity #2: Gamification in your life
- Recommended time: Tuesday – Saturday
- Found in the Backstory menu, please submit one photo of an example of Gamification in your life. Along with your photo please attach a 1-2 sentence description of what it is, its relevance/example of gamification, and if you find it effective.
- Found in the Backstory menu, please submit one photo of an example of Gamification in your life. Along with your photo please attach a 1-2 sentence description of what it is, its relevance/example of gamification, and if you find it effective.
- Recommended time: Tuesday – Saturday
- Activity #3: Discussion Board
- Recommended first post: Thursday
Recommended response times: Friday – Sunday- Please post your responses on this blog post. Choose to answer one (or more) of the following question(s) to the best of your ability. Promote discussion by asking a question, commenting on at least one other(s) and demonstrating any other knowledge you have gained.
- In your own words compare and contrast Game-Based Learning and Gamification.
- In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
- What aspect of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you like to investigate further? Why?
- Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning/Gamification techniques?
- (Instructions and prompts are also hosted in Activity 3 found in the Game On menu)
- Please post your responses on this blog post. Choose to answer one (or more) of the following question(s) to the best of your ability. Promote discussion by asking a question, commenting on at least one other(s) and demonstrating any other knowledge you have gained.
- Recommended first post: Thursday
Hosted by Simin Rupa, Adrian Granchelli, Phillip Ihez -UBC MET 2021
In your own words compare and contrast Game-Based Learning and Gamification.
Game-based learning is learning through digital or non-digital games. It is an educational approach that uses games to reach learning outcomes, enhance the learning experience, and develop understanding through play. Students can learn and practice new concepts and skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving in a risk-free setting. Game-based learning is turning the content of learning material and into a game.
Gamification is the use of game elements in non-game contexts to encourage desired behaviours and solve problems. Gamification motivates and engages people to make progress and achieve learning outcomes often through the use of points, badges, instant feedback, and leaderboards.
Question: Gamification uses both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. In your experience, do you find intrinsic or extrinsic rewards more motivating?
Hi Joyce!
I love your distinction between the two. As well as addressing learning in digital/non-digital spaces. In this technology focussed course, it’s easy to forget that there’s a whole other world. Your question is incredibly reflective and I love it! As a person, I think extrinsic motivation is more rewarding for me, whether that be positive feedback, recognition or the ability to continue to strive. I wish instinct motivation was higher in myself, perhaps I missed that life long lesson at some point. As a teacher, I am torn. I want my students to develop intrinsic motivation, however with younger ages (and clearly even adults), it is an incredibly hard power to harness. Extrinsic motivators are more a classroom management tool and intrinsic are for life.
Hi Simin,
I like how you said, “Extrinsic motivators are more a classroom management tool and intrinsic are for life.” Similar to you, I tend to use extrinsic motivation more with my primary students as it works well for classroom management. Usually in term 1, I use more extrinsic motivation to get the behaviours I want and then I scale back halfway through the year and use more intrinsic motivation.
Joyce, I’m going to suggest it depends. I feel the success in using the two types of reward depends not so much on the educator’s delivery of it and rather much more on the learner’s personality. In my experience, one learner’s drive for something material is no less and no more than another learner’s drive for something a little less tangible. For example, I have worked with a lot of mid-level managers in the past. Many of them undertake an English enhancement program out of necessity for them to move up in their company; many of them, on the other hand, take such a program to build confidence for communicating with English speakers abroad. For prestige or poise, drive is a powerful feeling.
Saying this, I also think both types of rewards are sometimes unbeknown to the learner and are amendable. Using my example of mid-managers, sometimes I find they take a program for promotional reasons but eventually find the personal reward of using English to be of much higher value.
Though a good educator can usually find and feed the drive, a failed attempt is not without its risks. I remember reading in my psychology days about the danger of the overjustification effect where a task that was once implicitly motivating is replaced with the drive to receive an external reward.
Hi Joyce,
Great questions about intrinsic versus extrinsic behaviour.
Shaun does indeed identify one of the largest issues with extrinsic rewards, in that it can replace the intrinsic ones.
I have learned the motivation spectrum (I believe in the Gamification MOOC by Werbach, 2015) which puts extrinsic motivators as less motivating than extrinsic ones.
The spectrum is as follows:
Amotivated -> Extrinsic Motivators: External Regulation (external forcing) -> Introjection (internal forcing) -> Identification (personal importance) -> Integration (synthesis with self) -> Intrinsic motivation (inherent satisfaction)
Additionally, self determination theory is the pursuit of intrinsic motivation which can be synthesized to the need for competance, connection, and autonomy. More on that here: http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/
I made a mind map and these two topics can be seen at the bottom (I went a little out of hand with a ETEC 512 assignment)
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bb5212_4dbcd4b693eb4bf2a7dda8a3163f4ce0~mv2.png
Adrian, you mind map, needs a mind map! 🙂 love it! Positive emotions makes us and keeps us young!
Hi Joyce, well defined. I’m an introvert and my tasks, however small or big, are intrinsically motivated and I find joy when i accomplish a task, project or even a music composition. Perhaps its my cultural nature or being raised up, I never had any extrinsically motivated rewards come my way hahah. So, I was always doing things on my own, for my own benefit and as Adrian showcased above, synthesis with self approach.
That is where the idea of participation perhaps comes into play in my adult life. My very nature of being introverted or intrinsically motivated, makes me avoid some group games in a class, less participatory, and more conscious around other students. I have experienced this many times in courses and also notice that in some international students, especially in our online learning environment, do not fully partake in any game based learning fully. I would think it would be easy being online.
Hi Joyce, thank you for explaining the two definitions; it helped me understand both of them better. In terms of determining whether intrinsic or extrinsic rewards more motivating, I believe it is difficult to compare the two. In my experience, for students around 5th grade, it is easier to engage them with external motivation than with internal motivation. Internal motivation on the other hand, is longer and deeper than external.
Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning?
KODU is a simple programming tool that enables students to create their own 3D video games without digging into complex codes. What makes it so easy to use? It provides tutorials to explore the design process and promotes creativity. My students use it for storytelling and to develop their basic coding skills. It is very interactive and fun!
Hi Analesa,
I haven’t heard of KODU that sounds amazing though! We will add it to our repertoire on the website.
Simin
Hi Analesa,
Thank you for sharing Kodu. I find it so great that a STEM tool is bringing in creativity from language arts/storytelling, we need more of these.
I am wondering if you would be able to share how your students interact with KODU. Do they enjoy it? What would you say is the primary motivator motivation?
Thank you everyone for your Activity #2 examples on gamification and keep them coming! I also recommend checking back as more are being added http://game-on-education.weebly.com/activity-2.html
One quick word of feedback is to make sure that your example is one of gamification, which is distinctly different than game-based learning. That is, gamification is not turning education into a game, rather it is utilizing game elements to engage and motivate learners. We outline the subtleties between the two at the top of the Gamification theory page found here: http://game-on-education.weebly.com/gamification.html
As a group, we too had many discussions and confusions on separating the two ideas, so if you have any questions or want to discuss the distinctions further, please reply to this post.
Wonderful work on the website Simin, Adrian, and Philip!
1. In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
2. What aspect of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you like to investigate further? Why?
1. In a junior science classroom where scaffolding is key to progression, I tend to look for and use websites offering interactive practice questions that give immediate feedback and utilize some aspect of gamification. I will use these apps/ websites even after doing full lessons, in-class activities and worksheets, because games/ some feature of gamification reveals itself to be a language that ALL my learners understand proficiently, even for my ELLs (English Language Learners)! It’s not surprising though, since there are certainly better visuals/ audio, access to immediate feedback, a casual/ fun element, and ample opportunities to use what they have learned at their own pace. I haven’t found that many science apps at the high school level so I am always looking for more, but some apps I have used in the past are ck12, Centre of the cell, Phet simulations, and Khan. Occasionally we’ll play jeopardy as a review!
2. My two areas of future investigation:
Having taught junior sciences one semester and art the next, I noticed that gamification/ game based learning apps exist largely in the areas of science and maths. This is perhaps due to the nature of scientific knowledge requiring concrete answers, whereas literature or art involve more abstract knowledge and are often open-ended. I would love to investigate game-based learning/ gamification opportunities in subject areas that follow a less rigid structure, where sequencing of concepts and getting “the right answer” is not necessarily a big portion of the learning experience. With topics/content that might not have a definite right or wrong answer and are more discussion based, can gamification / game based learning still be employed? Additionally, would gamifying it/ creating a game-based learning opportunity still increase the quality of learning compared to a more traditional approach?
In the “Objectives” portion of the reading on the amazing website (kudos to the group!), it quotes the study by Fullerton (2014) and says “The range of objectives fall on a spectrum between open-ended to precise and immediate to distant. “The objective is a key element without which the experience loses much of its structure, and our desire to work toward the objective is a measure of our involvement in the game” (Fullerton, 2014, p. 34). It is very clear through this quote that the objective is what drives the motivation. This leads me to wonder, does the language of the objective or type of objective have an impact on the motivation level? In other words, does the motivation and involvement fall with a more open-ended objective (e.g. “go explore”) compared to a more direct objective (eg. “find your way out of the maze”)?
Hi Tiffany! I’m so glad to hear your integration of Games/Gamification into the classroom, even as a formative assessment tool. I have not heard of these apps and am always looking for meaningful science-based apps. Your insight on Objectives is incredible, Joyce also posed a question about motivation (intrinsic vs extrinsic). It is an area worth continually exploring. For myself, I would say your Objective comes with your purpose within that time frame. Is it a ‘catch all’ game, in which explore is enough to motivate students? Or is it still not as enticing compared to a regular game and would only hold attention for short periods of time.
Thank you for your contribution, Tiffany!
Hi Tiffany,
Thanks for your insightful post!
I think you identified the reason why there is so much gamification in the sciences/maths versus that arts: quantitative data is easy to analyze by simple rules (sciences/maths) versus qualitative (arts) is very difficult. I am sure as teachers marking, we experience these issues often.
Hopefully as technology develops we will be able to analyze texts, etc. by means of AI. Then gamification can occur easier.
I read a great article (unfortunately I don’t know where), on assessing creativity. The article focused on the process as opposed to the end in order to motivate students to try new things or to fail. I could imagine gamification to be used on the process more, for example, points can be awarded for the amount of time that a student spends writing in a free writing exercise. Or maybe giving out badges during a class discussion, such as “a divergent idea badge”.
I challenge you to come up with another creative use of gamification in the arts.
Hi Tiffany,
I wanted to address your thoughts on objectives in a different thread.
You bring up a really questions about the link between objectives and motivation! I reflect on some of the games I have played, if they are easy, hard, or some of the life objectives I have set for myself, and there isn’t an easy one-size fits all, or ‘catch-all game’ as Simin mentioned.
One area of an objective effecting motivation is the difficulty. If and objective is too easy, the player will be bored, but too hard, and the player will feel anxiety. In both cases, the player may lose motivation. More on this in the ‘Scaffolding’ section here: http://game-on-education.weebly.com/gamification.html#scaffold
I really loved your question comparing something open-ended to something very close-ended because I can imagine scenarios in both, in reflection, that are highly motivating and highly un-motivating. It reminded me of something I learned in engineering design and the importance of properly defining a design problem (see model here: https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522/files/2021/06/constraints-versus-solutions.jpg). I think it kind of fits in comparing objectives with motivation, what do you think?
There are a couple of things when I initially skimmed your OER that stood out for me. First, I appreciated the multimedia aspect. Second, rather than having only static pages, I thought you did a good job with creating an environment where your peers in 522 could interact with the content. Both of these elements gave me the motivation to dig deeper and ultimately helped to create an enjoyable experience as I pass through your OER.
Question to be answered (Activity 3): Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning/Gamification techniques?
One of my jobs during my previous stay in Korea was teaching business English in the community. In this story, engineers from GM and Hyundai were presented with a customizable 10-week course (consisting of 2 full days a week), which was offered three times a year to different learners of the two companies. One particular element I created for inclusion in the course, that being a scavenger hunt, represents the fundamentals of GBL. Working as a part of a team (there were usually about 8 teams of 6-8 people per team), The goal of each group goal was to find specified items around a specific district in Seoul. Once an item was found, the participants were instructed to take a picture of it as evidence. Some of the items involved making a video.
There was a little twist in my design. Items were in the form of clues (problems) for which they first needed to solve before they begin searching for it. For instance,
1. Rhyming clues: a message using rhyme for keywords of the clue (e.g., The clue would be to find a take-out venue from a Chinese restaurant). The team would have to solve the problem (i.e., a take-out menu from a Chinese restaurant) before finding the item and taking the picture.
The following are other types of clues for which teams would have to solve before searching for the item.
2. Mirror clues: a message written backward (e.g., nopuoc “eerf eno teg ,eno yub” A = A “buy one, get one free” coupon)
3. Rebus clues: a message encoded by pictures and letter
4. Riddle clues: A message encoded in a riddle (e.g., I have keys but I don’t open a door = A computer)
I assigned a scale (2-10 points) for determining the value for each of the 60 items on the list. Because teams were based on their English accuracy and fluency, I further developed different versions and separate scoring systems for four different English levels.
Beyond the benefits of GBL, I believe this game provides many other benefits. The notion of effective communication, collaboration, and persistence were additional skills required for teams to win the scavenger hunt.
At the end of the day, I can testify to its’ success. My scavenger hunt was adopted by my former organization as a one-day staple for subsequent sessions for the duration of my time with the company (I did 11 sessions). And from then, I don’t know.
My question: I kind of have an idea about the advantages of game-based learning. It seems to me, however, an ethical obligation with GBL may be the risk of over competitiveness among players – especially with digital play. What other drawbacks of GBL might be concerning to educators and ways to mitigate them?
Shaun, that sounds incredible! You created an engaging language course for an atypical audience. Language learners, especially the later in life you go, tend to quit within the first 3-4 weeks as it is significantly harder than they expect, with no rewards to continue to motivate them. As well you had a more atypical group which were more conscious of their time spent learning other factors not related to their companies success. Th integration of clues and point scales seemed to create an environment where your ‘students’ were significantly engaged and applying their learnt knowledge. Wow!
Simin, yes, you’re absolutely correct!. Language learners are commonly lost in the first month of training. For this reason, we included this element in the middle part of our 10-week program. As there were instructions at the beginning of the day and presentation and feedback at the end of the day, the teachers also were somewhat rewarded for having a comparatively light day…works for building good morale.
Hi Shaun,
What lucky students you had! That scavenger hunt sounds fun and has educational merit as a formative assessment.
There are indeed many drawbacks. One danger I identify in game based learning, is over-emphasizing what a game system places value on. Some players go so far above and beyond to get the points in a game, for example collecting every last coin in a Mario game, or doing random tasks to get a XBOX or Steam achievement. But these issues are not only in games. In the education world, we distill student achievement into a singular score – grades. Often times students follow the same trends as players, doing whatever they can to maximize what the game system values. I find it so heart-breaking as a teacher when students try to phish what exactly is on the test.
There are many more disadvantages than too much competition, or an over-emphasis on the game points. What others can you think of?
Adrian, I can see this danger in the over-emphasizing of GBL, and your relation of it to grades is especially important. Many learners look to a numeric at the end of the report…first. They then look at the feedback. What is more important to them? Well, let me say it this way. When you change the learner’s grade upward, most learners are grateful and may even have a new perspective on the value of the assignment. If you change the feedback, well, it isn’t so easily predictable.
If I were to answer your question directed at me, I’d feel like I was answering my question in my original post. I have my opinions on the matter but am curious about the opinions of others.
Question: In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
I work with adult learners, currently in post-secondary as an instructional designer, but sometimes in the private/training sector too.
I’m interested in learning more about ‘gamification’ because I think weaving elements of games into learning, rather than developing complete “games” aligns more with the kind of shorter training sessions I often design/deliver and would create efficiencies for me if I could re-purpose techniques across the consultative design work I do.
One example I’ve (very briefly) seen of gamification was in an asynchronous, online course that used basic ‘conditional releases’ to trigger “power-ups” that were basically little extra packages of information students unlocked after completing specific course material. It was a really simple concept: basically just using the language of games by calling the items “power ups”- and also carefully crafting the description and content to make it light-hearted, fun and interesting. I think this could be further developed to collect little items, or maybe a puzzle piece that forms a picture, as you progress through the course.
To connect to the intrinsic vs. extrinsic discussion, I agree with you, Shaun- and I think this is always a tricky question because different learners are motivated in different ways. To me, this links a little bit to conversations I have frequently about “to grade, or not to grade”…with many instructors determining that students won’t bother doing something unless it is worth points (extrinsic motivation) even if it’s important and helps the student practice/prepare (intrinsic value) for something that will be graded. I definitely don’t fall strongly on one side or the other of this argument, though I know some people do. I think points/grades in formal education hold their own value in our communal psyche, and although I’d like to design/teach/learn in the world where learning is valued more highly than the grade, I’m afraid practicality and busy lifestyles often get in the way of that noble endeavor…. Does the concept of grades/points mean that we’ve already “gamified” learning? Hmmmm… I never considered that before.
Lastly I just wanted to add that, I’ve not had very good experienced with GBL as an adolescent or adult. I’ve never enjoyed the experiences or found them motivating or useful. However, the game Shaun described for business english sounds like something I would enjoy in that context. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi Sally,
You make very good points in your comments. Very true, every learner is motivated differently. most especially, adult learners are not motivated by game-based learning unlike the younger group but by intrinsic values. However, the idea of gamification which enhances learning motivates most types of learners including adults. Actually, I never thought about the concepts of grades/points as gamifying learning. If truly it is, we already see how grades/point appeal to most learners including adults.
Do you find some of the examples we provided on activity #2 page motivaing?
Hi Philip,
Oh yes! I am motivated by gamification in a variety of contexts and many examples from activity 2 resonate with me; I’m less motivated by explicit games within educational contexts; I’m not sure why. I think those I’ve been exposed to in the past have rewarded quick recall and used competition for motivation. I’ve never excelled at memorization/quick recall, and I don’t tend to get ‘hyped’ for things in general, so the excitement of a ‘friendly competition’ with classmates has always seemed artificial to me and has not been a positive learning experience. Admittedly, I recognize that could stand to learn a few things about being a good loser and “failing”.
I think newer educational games (like apps. referenced in your market analysis) appeal to me more. For example, if I could play something in my own time, essentially competing against myself for a “high score” or to achieve the next level. This does appeal to me. Or, in the context of a class, if it was a cooperative game/puzzle, I think I might find that motivating and fun too, depending on the context. I’m also a big fan of game design learning (theory?), also referenced on your market analysis page. I am reminded of Judy Willis’ proposed “Game Design Model” (GDM) which explores how the things that keep a video gamer motivated can be used in a classroom. Her theory, based in neurology, suggests that “…challenge is a powerful motivator when students take on tasks they find meaningful and, through their efforts and perseverance succeed.” (Willis, 2011)
Source:
Willis, J. (2011, April 14). A Neurologist Makes a Case for Video Game Model as a Learning Tool
[Web log post]. Retrieved October 2, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/neurologist-makes-case-video-game-model-learning-tool
Hi Sally,
I think game based learning can be used in either individual or group settings, and a teacher may have to find out which one works best for a learner.
Willis’ game design model intersects Plass (2015) magic circle in her idea of Challenge as a motivator. Plass (2015) suggests that when a player responds to a challenge, the feedback received is a motivator for the player to want to try out a new challenge. In your case, I think, the feedback would be the score received and the motivation to try out a new level/challenge.
Reference:
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533
Hi Sally, I think your recognition that having points in education means gamification all along Is important. We have used scales and quantitative measures since the beginning of academia. I believe gamification is a newer sub-branch of that, however, there is some truth to the fact that 90% creates a higher sense of success than 89%. WHist both indicate the student knows the material to an almost above level of proficiency the 90% may feel a higher sense of success.
Hi Simin,
Absolutely! There’s some interesting psychology involved here, isn’t there? Similar to the reason advertising companies will make a sale $4.99 instead of $5.00; the perception, or automatic response is stronger to one number and not the other, and this same psychological mechanism can become problematic in the context of grading in school when the sense of success becomes too closely linked to a specific number.
And scales and measures are important components of some games for the same reason I suppose, to reflect a level of achievement.
It is an interesting thought-experiment to think about “the game of schooling”, and whether there could be any advantages to spinning the idea up to something more explicit as a framework for a course.
Hi Sally,
YES! Grades are indeed gamification (I’m sure it proceeds the term) and it comes at a cost I outlined above https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522/2021/06/06/week-5-game-based-learning-and-gamification/#comment-1721
Your thoughts regarding students only doing something for grades is the exact issue.
The purpose of points in games, are to categorize efforts, and to conclusively determine which player is better. It appears that the history and purpose of grades are a means for standardization and to compare students (https://classroom.synonym.com/history-grading-systems-5103640.html), and I find it sad when achieving grades become the primary motivator for students.
ps. I really like that you identify something a bit more fringe in gamification, which is conditional release. And great idea with collecting puzzle pieces.
Hi Adrian,
Yes, I see your response above: “…we distill student achievement into a singular score – grades. Often times students follow the same trends as players, doing whatever they can to maximize what the game system values. I find it so heart-breaking as a teacher when students try to phish what exactly is on the test.” – well put.
Thinking about Shaun’s question, I think another disadvantage of GBL may be the potential to underserve students who consistently excel and under perform in the game? This wouldn’t apply (as often/much) perhaps to more personalized game-based apps. (perhaps) but certainly could for any game that is set to the same level for an entire group of students. In this case, there will be some who participate in the game and it’s at exactly the right level of challenge to allow progression and learning, but those who succeed immediately have likely learned very little, and those who under perform may be discouraged. It must be a difficult balance to strike, for an entire group of students…
Hi Sally,
Very good point about setting the difficulty. It would be very difficult to offer individualized games/gamification on a per student basis. Differences in difficulty settings may also be done in a manner in which students know about it which could breed unhealthy competition or form a student ‘class’ system (as in lower class, middle class, etc.).
1) In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
In professional development at a large organization, its a challenge for external and internal instructors to provide quality material to staff in an hour or so, using some form of game based learning. Most training are via PowerPoint or videos due to the dry nature of topics in HR. While my background is more technical in nature in managing the LMS, I have seen some instructors bring in objects and products to enhance the learning for staff and create groups, competitions among teams, etc etc. There is more engagement when applying the these ideas right in class than just watching it on screen and trying to formulate its use. There is a form for game-based learning happening here.
I cannot speak for the student side of things, but faculty might be un-inclined to approach or integrate gamification in their lectures, if they are managing 100s of students. Perhaps they need support to develop a form of gam based learning that is scalable for small groups all the way to larger ones. There needs to be an open mind attitude in looking at tweaking pedagogical teaching outside the box. While research has highlighted benefits of gamified learning, there needs to be attitudinal changes on the historic nature of what games stood for, and look to the benefits on integrating it in our day to day lives and work place.
Since most of the class here,either work in k-12 or some post-secondary, curious to hear how you would scale up gamified learning that works in your classroom currently, to an adult learning environment? Any examples of game based learning that an instructor teaching adults, can take a page out of?
Hi Luke, I completely agree. As a teacher I see my staff create incredibly engaging and even gamified activities in the classroom. Then we go to staff meetings/professional development and it’s all dry PowerPoint sit & listen to style learning. The science and our experience show us that interaction is key, yet when it comes to educating at a peer-peer level we lack that ability or motivation. I hope your LMS uses appreciate the differences you off them. Large-scale teachings may also be an outdated practice, as we know data supports smaller groups for effective education which will also allow faculty to create more engaging practices.
Congratulations on a fantastic OER. You set a high bar. I really liked how you provided suggestions for us as to when to complete the activities.
The question I will answer is, In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
I’m currently teaching Music and French. I use Kahoot! to reinforce vocabulary for French, and to reinforce musical terms, instruments, and the sounds they make. This works really well, because the kids have fun, and when they have fun they learn. But I also notice that it provides discussion while they’re playing. They’ll discuss why their answer was correct or wrong, and explain why.
I also use a music platform called MusicPlay for my primary classes. There is a selection of musical games that compare high pitch/low pitch, loud sounds/soft sounds, fast rhythms/slow rhythms. I use these with my Ks, 1s, and 2s. Some of the games are in the form of a car race, one is blowing a giant bubble gum bubble that explodes at the end, or and someone holding balloons that float off at the end. They’re not really playing the game, but it helps them identify those elements of music, and they’re so excited just to see the result; bubble gum popping, person flying away, and one of the cars winning.
Hi Mark,
I like how you add the discussion part to Kahoot so that the students have the chance to discuss the “why” and not just guess the “what”. I have always been so keen on getting students to discuss and reflect upon their responses during/after games.
My question is: have you ever noticed that some of the students focus a bit too much on the entertainment side of the game rather than the educational one? How do you make sure that the students do not drift away from the academic objectives set for them?
Hi Feras,
Good question, that’s a challenge. I always have a handful of kids who actually ask me every single class if we’re playing Kahoot or not. I try to incorporate it at a point where we’ve done some work, and maybe I’ve already assessed, to lighten the mood a little bit. They do have a feature where you can actually set it as a quiz and receive each student’s result; though I’ve never done that. I’d like to keep it fun, as a treat basically. I think it helps them retain a little more if they’re having a little fun.
Mark
Hey Mark,
I am I high school shop teacher and when I do use Kahoot, I use it in the same manner. That is to promote discussion. My Kahoot questions will often be a picture of a tool and the students have to identify it. Once the answers are in, I almost always pull the picture back up to have a little discussion on the tool. I do find if I don’t do that, they focus on the entertainment side as mentioned by Feras.
Hi Mark! I absolutely love Kahoot! And have used it for language learning myself. I find it an incredibly interactive way that allows students to reflect on their own learning. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks Week 5 team for a great interactive OER. I particularly like your use of H5P interactive elements in your blog – these small interactive pieces are really successful with students in my experience. I learned quite a lot from your OER on the distinct differences between what game-based learning is and what gamification is in education. It made me aware that although I have used both in my courses with university students, I focus much more on gamification. In a previous life before my PhD I taught high school for a couple of years, and in that context I did used more game-based learning. This had me thinking about whether it is an age or education-level which determines which we use and why. I know that as adults many of use enjoy board games and video games, but I don’t see much game-based learning in university courses. Maybe there is a space for this! Why are we so certain that only children and youth like to play games. Gamification on the other hand has been and continues to grow in its popularity within higher education. This is especially true with the use of immersive technology tools in the classroom, and specifically tools which allows the instructor to have students actively participate even in larger lecture settings. Your question: {What aspect of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you like to investigate further? Why?} got me thinking a lot about why it is that there is not as much game-based learning in higher education. It seems we are taking the very competitive elements of game-based learning (e.g. points, leader-boards) and leaving behind the ‘fun’ that engaging in a game actually brings. Are we preparing our students for a harsh competitive job market? But shouldn’t all learning be fun? Thanks for the question and having me ponder on this.
Hi Siobhán,
I agree that game-based learning is fun for all ages and should be used more often. However, in order to use game-based learning effectively, educators need to have the right games to connect to the learning outcomes. A lot of time is needed to find or create games to use in lessons.
It would be wonderful to have a website that contains lists of recommended games to use with different target audiences in the classroom along with how the games can be tied to different learning content materials. Please share if anyone knows of such a site. If not, this could be a venture idea!
Hi Siobhán,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with GBL and Gamification. I especially enjoyed reading the part about the use of competitive elements (i.e. points and leaderboards) and sometimes leaving the “fun” factor behind as an afterthought.
This left me pondering as well… what is the point of learning? Should all learning be (ideally) fun? Or is the thought of preparing our students for a future jobs overshadowing the purpose and planning for their learning?
I agree that learning should be fun and that students learn best when they are engaged. Perhaps this is a reflection for us to think outside of societal norms and remember that students can both “learn” and have “fun” at the same time!
Thank you,
Joe
Hi Siobhan, Joe and Joyce! I love your discussion there. Luke had a similar note, that post-secondary any of these engagement tools get completely removed. It makes me question how outdated our education system is at that level. We know cumulative and intensive testing is not a fair representation of learning and can favour a particular type of student. We also know P.S. education is viewed as ‘serious’ and for ‘the strongest academic achievers, who do not need help’. Perhaps that view also plays a role? Faculty members tend to be well-established professors, who are research geniuses in their field, ad perhaps not all-star educators, thus not caring of the new theory or headway within education. Perhaps they do and the intense curricula do not allow them any le-way. It makes me wonder how much of this system is bound by old views on education.
In your environment what application of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you use and why?
As an ESL teacher, I have always noticed that plenty of gamification software and websites are available online to aid the teaching/learning process. Learning English through apps and games has always been there online for me to use with my students. When I was teaching my 5th graders, I always used games to teach vocabulary, spelling, grammar and even writing. The point features and the incentive system of such games are very motivating not only for the young learners but also for the adults. Regardless of the course or students’ age, using competitive games such as Bamboozle, Skribbl, and Kahoot have always helped me to effectively review key items or test my students’ comprehension. As long as the game is purposeful and brief, no student complained about integrating it in class.
I should not forget to mention that other games such as Classdojo and Quiz Your Friend helped me to manage the class magically well and scaffold students to work on a higher thinking level. Moreover, I have witnessed how reading interactive apps like Raz Kids had a significant impact on the attitude of students towards English and reading in particular. My student told me that reading became fun, and it was no longer seen as a boring assignment to be ticked off the task list. After all, when learning is amusing, who needs a break?
But the question is: When can gamification be a bad idea?
Hi Feras! Glad to hear you have such success with game-based learning in your classrooms. I find your question intriguing because intently I love GBL but I wonder how bias my viewpoint is. I would say GBL is incredible, furthering/supporting tool. It needs an educator to guide to make sure students are maximizing their learning. AS well I would say GBL would have problems If you have a game-addicted child already, or one that has behaviour accelerated by usage. think as a whole GBL can be successful, however, as with any educational technique, individual cases need to be re-addressed for the success of the learner.
Wonderful job Adrian, Simin, and Phillip. I enjoyed being a player in your interactive OER – thank you.
1) What aspect of Game-Based Learning/Gamification would you like to investigate further? Why?
2) Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning/Gamification techniques?
1) I would like to investigate GBL & Gamification from a special-needs lens further. Specifically, I am interested in exploring how to establish “objectives (that) seem challenging – yet achievable – to the players” (Fullerton, 2014, p. 68). I am also interested in learning how to set up experiences that “matches the skill level of the player… (where) too easy of an experience and a player may become bored and lose interest… (and) too hard and the player may become anxious and frustrated”. Although the above applies to students of all abilities, I am interested in learning about and advocating for our special-needs students.
2) An example of Gamification I can share is a “points-system”, where if that day’s learning tasks have been completed, then enough points are collected for the student to watch a panda video at the end of their school day. Of course, this idea is just one of many possible Gamification options available, but this “points-system” seems to be working (for said student to be motivated enough to complete the required tasks) at this time.
Comments/questions welcome!
Joe
Hi Joe,
Diverse needs and GBL would be an incredible scope to analyze. We know that the gaming community can be both incredibly inclusive and incredibly ableist all within itself. Unfoudntely I presume eth sesame to be true with Ed Tech Apps. Whilst it seems for many companies accessibility controls are a second thought, I would love to find some that that is their primary focus. For GBL to be a truly successful field for me, I would need to see more accessibility features wildly accepted.
Great job week 5 team. I thoroughly enjoyed your OER.
Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning/Gamification techniques?
As a shop teacher, I have in past years incorporated a point system for cleanup during the last 10mins of class. Two students will be the “clean-up foreman” for a couple days and give out points to groups that have assigned tasks. In the wood shop a group may be responsible for cleaning the vices, another for cleaning the table saws, one for putting clamps back in the rack, etc. Every student will be the shop foreman at some point and distribute points. The daily points represented how well they cleaned their area. The total points represented their clean up mark and a slice of their final grade.
Lately, I have stopped incorporating this game as I want to put more stress on “it being the right thing to do” as it is a communal shop and we all share it. The idea of doing it just for marks would not translate to a job site and the real world. It’s a tough one and I go back and forth on it. Regardless, I did use this technique in the past. Maybe I’ll have a change of heart and try incorporating it again one day…
Hi Michael,
I find that so interesting that you have stopped utilizing the point system clean-up game. The reasoning why (wanting to stress “it being the right thing to do”) sounds so similar to the conversation above on cultivating more intrinsic motivation.
https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522/2021/06/06/week-5-game-based-learning-and-gamification/#comment-1758#comment-1717
Maybe utilizing different gamification elements than points may be a better avenue to go. Maybe a badge system so that the points rewarded can be more random and specific (ie. best sweeper or least mess maker)? Brains love random rewards and making the rewards less frequent may even give space to grow a more ‘it-is-the-right-thing-to-do’ mindset.
Rather than a reward system, you could experiment some ways to make it fun – 10 min dance party cleanup (where students can pick the songs)? or basketball hoops over garbage bins? Maybe each role can get a quick costume (I’m imagining a ghostbusters vacuum cleaner) … … on the other hand teenagers may think every one of these suggestions is a bit silly.
I really like this topic and its content. Good Job!
Do you want to share any other examples of Game-Based Learning/Gamification techniques?
Buzzmath allows students to assist an inventor in restoring the population’s math knowledge in order to save the disordered Mathlantis. In the game, students will meet a number of mathematicians and will be able to assist them in finding mathematics-related knowledge. Each time a student completes an assignment, they will be rewarded with a badge. Teachers and parents can also keep track of students’ learning progress. My cousin once used this technique, and the feedback he gave me was far more engaging than the teacher’s usual lessons in the classroom. I also hope to have the opportunity to use it in my class in the future.
Hi Menghan,
Thank you for sharing Buzzmath. I am always for using game-based learning to teach Math especialy with young learners. I was wondering if it is the badge reward system within Buzzmath that students found engaging or introducing gaming part of the learning.
Thank you Adrian, Simin, and Phillip for the OER. I really enjoyed the gamified reading section on gamification, this was very clever.
Something new that I learn using your OER is the difference between game-based learning and gamification.
In gamification, educators adapt elements from games into conventional or non-game learning activities. For example in class management, teachers can provide badges, or point systems for tasks completed. In game-based learning, educators design learning activities as a game that have learning outcomes, for example, students using prodigy to practice their math skills.
One question I might have is whether using Kahoot, or Quizzes, or Jeopardy style reviewing sessions are considered gamification or game-based learning?
Hi Adriana,
Drawing the line of what is a game and what isn’t was something we explored in ETEC 565D: Digital Games and Learning (I would highly recommend it). There are many definitions and some of the conversation gets philosophical.
I really liked this diagram from Juul: https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec522/files/2021/06/Standard-Game-Definitions.png
Which display what a game is and is not. They state a game must have fixed rules, variable outcome, valorization of outcome, negotiable consequences, player effort and player attachment to outcome.
By that definition, Kahoot nor Quizzes are games since they have pre-negotiated consequences. Jeopardy however is a game as it gives autonomy to players over the outcome.
I also built a mind map around the question of What is a Game: https://478567c5-8ded-4f58-a33c-2c591de834db.filesusr.com/ugd/bb5212_b76c2211322b4d9fb3587a0795c4e2c9.pdf
Thank you Adriana, the resources provided are very useful!
I’m not sure if, prior to this, I really thought about the difference between gamification and game-based learning. I have often tried to incorporate game-based learning into my teaching. For example, using theater sports for reading comprehension activities such as predictions and real-world connections: what would lunch look like if you were eating it with the main character? Using Minecraft for Education for math lessons and having students try to outdo each other for the best way to show the concept in the game. I guess I have included gamification as well, but just not as intentionally. Reward systems for keeping sound in the class under a certain decibel point during focus times, bonus recess time for teamwork during cooperative tasks, or rewards for class chores. It is a very interesting topic and the distinction between the two concepts is clear. It is nice to have learned with you about this, now practice can be paired with intention!
I would like to explore what self-created reward systems might look like within the gamification paradigm. Is this even a thing? not sure, but worth looking into.
Thank you for all the work you put into the learning activities this week. You set the bar high!
Hi Paul, I love hearing how you use Minecraft. I am a big fan of using student-loved games in learning! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Paul,
Similarly, before our work on this OER, I was not certain on the distinction between game-based learning and gamification and we thought there may also be others who would benefit from the distinction. I am glad you found the OER helpful in providing clarity.
Most people use the self-reward system as a motivation to achieve things they would otherwise not be able to do under normal circumstances. How many times have we heard people perhaps reward themselves with a vacation after achieving a certain goal.
Hi Paul and Philip,
Self-reward systems are so interesting. We do indeed do it all the time with vacations, cookies, ice cream, etc.
I read a new concept to me called ‘Revenge Bedtime Procrastination’. It is where people procrastinate going to bed in order to steal back more personal time in their days, but in order to do that, they give up sleep (which is bad). I see it from a gamification lens since the person who engages in this activity has a strong view of a personal-reward system. In this case, if I work a long day (the action) then I deserve leisure time (the reward).
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201123-the-psychology-behind-revenge-bedtime-procrastination
Thank you very much this week’s content and activities, well done! I’ll admit, integrating game-based learning or gamification into my instruction (Physics) is something I’m interested in but I haven’t implemented many of these strategies/elements. I have however found success when setting up activities in the format of challenges and friendly competition between students. An example was an egg bungee project. Students had to design and test a device that would allow an egg to bungee jump from an elevated platform. The egg not only had to survive, but come as close to the ground as possible for maximum thrill! Students received points/awards depending on how close they were, and were in a competition with their peers. Using these gamification elements, students were seriously engaged in the project.