Gamification Techniques for Teachers
- Provide Feedback Right Away
- Make Progress Visible
- Opt for Quests or Challenges
- Offer Individual Rewards and Badges
- Allow Many Chances
In today’s classroom, teachers are continuously required to alter their teaching methods in order to allow students the best chance of success, and gamification in education is one technique that is becoming increasingly useful in schools across the country. For students who may fall behind during traditional, lecture-based classes, finding motivation to prepare for class or complete homework can be a constant struggle. However, modeling your class after a video game can strongly encourage students to participate and do their best. Here are five ways to use gamification in your classroom.
1. Provide Feedback Right Away
In video games, feedback is critical for players to know how they are doing. If a player makes a choice, he or she usually knows instantly whether that choice was the right one. Model your classroom to work in a similar way so that students are able to give and receive feedback and thus know if they are taking steps in the right direction. However, keep in mind that while computers provide instant feedback in games, it might take a little longer to provide individual feedback to students right away, particularly if the classroom is large.
2. Make Progress Visible
Progress bars in video games show players how well they are doing. Implement a similar idea in the classroom that indicates how far students have come and how far they need to go to reach the next level. Instead of issuing percentages or grades, teachers may either assign progress bars to students and monitor the bars themselves or allow them to manage their own progress. With each completed project, test, or assignment, add a specific number of points to the students’ progress bars and bring them closer to the next level. This is extremely helpful for boosting student confidence as they can learn from their mistakes, and they may be more motivated to increase their achievement in order to progress to the next level.
3. Opt for Quests or Challenges
Video games require players to meet challenges such as completing quests, breaking codes, or identifying patterns in order to advance. You can apply these same elements to the classroom. By altering the way you present assignments, you can turn dull work into an epic, more enjoyable activity. For instance, instead of assigning a math worksheet, introduce the assignment as a code that your students must crack in order to open a safe or box full of goodies.
4. Offer Individual Rewards and Badges
Rewards such as badges are a great way to recognize student achievement and incentivize students to continue reaching their goals. Offering an achievement symbol that students can physically hold can be an effective way of celebrating accomplishments and a great tool for increasing student confidence. Even if you give a badge for students who have continuously tried to reach a goal, completed extra credit, or simply attempted homework, the recognition of effort can be a powerful motivator for students.
5. Allow Many Chances
As is the case in video games, students should get second, and maybe third, chances. When they fail in a video game, players can learn from their mistakes and try again. In the classroom, students who succeed the first time should have the opportunity to either try to raise their score or move on to something new. Those who did not pass the first time should be allowed to try again and again until they are successful. This motivation allows students to learn in order to master the required skills and raise their achievement while simultaneously eliminating the stigma of failure or pressure. Although this may require more work in terms of the way you grade, student understanding and performance will likely increase.
Though there are some who criticize gamification in the classroom, it is undeniable that this technique provides teachers and students with an innovative, new way of fostering learning. Gamification in education can transform the classroom to facilitate creativity and collaboration, teach students practical skills, and motivate them to further develop their own education through self-guided learning.
