Gamification in

Learning

Environments

WSI December 2014

Games are engaging!

Player

Needs

Minecraft players are

motivated by:

● Choice / Creativity

● Challenge / Obstacles

‘It’s no fun without the Zombies”

● Sharing ideas and learning with

friends

● Showing off their work online

● Group games / roleplay

● Autonomy and Mastery

Business needs

Teacher Challenges:

● I have to repeat myself - I wish they

would listen (and turn up on time)

● I wish I had more time to spend with

each student at the level they need

● So much paperwork reduces my

teaching time

● Why don’t they ask me when they

need help?

● I don’t have enough time to assess

them properly

AlignmentMinecraft players

are motivated by:

● Choice / Creativity

● Challenge/ Obstacles

‘It’s no fun without the

Zombies”

● Sharing ideas and

learning with friends

● Showing off their work

online

● Group games /

roleplay

● Autonomy and

Mastery

Teacher

Challenges:

● I have to repeat myself,

I wish they would listen

● I wish I had more time

to spend with each

student, at the level they

need

● So much paperwork

reduces my teaching

time

● Why don’t they ask me

when they need help?

● I don’t have enough

time to assess them

properly

Simulated Workplace

Roleplay

Observation

Holistic Assessment

Formative Assessment

Portfolios

Self Assessment

Peer Support

Online Forums

Project Based Learning

Flexible Assessments

Feedback

Status, Access, Power

Badges, Points,

Smartphones & Social Media

Educational Technology Solutions

● Google Community (Groups)

● Google Forms (Feedback, Surveys)

● Google Documents (Collaboration)

● Google Sites (Free Portfolios)

● Moodle LMS (Badges)

● Free browser-based web apps (WeVideo.com)

and lots of sticky notes

Single

Sign on

to

multiple

services

Tasks, Events and SMS Notifications

Collaborative cloud documents

+Google Community

Daily Summaries

Class Absences

Sharing Work

Cats and silly stuff

Working above & beyond

Student Support

Educational Technology Solutions

● Google Community (Private)

● Google Forms

● Google Documents

● Google Sites (Free portfolios)

● Moodle LMS (Badges)

● Free browser based web apps (WeVideo.com)

and lots of sticky notes

Motivations: Bartle Player Stereotypes

Interacting (Collaborative)

Pla

yers

(People

)Acting (Competitive)

Killers

(socially dominant)

SocialisersExplorers

Achievers

Which activity BEST suits your player type?

Interacting (Collaborative)

Pla

yers

(People

)

Online survey: www.bit.ly/bartlex

Assignments - Write

Essay

Chat - Interview

Database - collect info

Forum asynchronous

discussion

Glossary - define

concepts

Lesson pathways of

learning

Quiz - Multiple choice

Wiki - collect info

Workshop - peer

assessment

Forum - online debate

Acting (Competitive)

Killers

(socially dominant)

Socialisers

Achievers

Explorers

Moodle for motivation toolguide

www.bit.ly/mfm2013

Which House will become the

noble family to rule over all of

Tareesteros?

Guilds

● Movie Makers

● Photographers

● Game Design

● 2D animation

● 3D animation

● Sound Editing

● Visual Design

● Coding

Houses

● House of Martel

● House of Blue

Phoenix

● House of Nomadic

Bastards

● House of Aldmers

HousesThese are friendship

based groups of 4 - 5

people. Attendance and

participation is rewarded

through points or group

voting on best product.

Each week one house is

declared the winner

based on total points of

individuals plus house

points earned.

Achievements are offered

to encourage teamwork,

eg

- Supportive

- Positive Feedback

- Originality

Guilds

Guilds are skilled-based

groups. There are 1 - 3

nominated Guild leaders for

each skill. Each learner

chooses their own area of

speciality. They collect

resources, provide

demonstrations and support

other people to improve

their skills in this area.

Badges are provided as

Master or Mentor levels in

each Guild.

Which House will become the

noble family to rule over all of

Tareesteros?

This classroom

gamification project

aims to increase

engagement in class

activities,

attendance,

confidence to

continue learning,

and increase

completion rates for

a qualification in

Certificate III /IV in

Digital Media.

The students are

mainly young men 17

- 22 with a few

mature age students.

The average

completion rates for

VET (TAFE) courses is

32%. In smaller

regional towns this

figure drops even

lower.

Expectations

1) Show respect

2) If your mobile phone

distracts other learners you

will be asked to keep it on

silent

3) Listen to other people’s

opinion

4) Contribute to group

activities

5) Offer assistance to other

students

6) Boost people's confidence,

we are all here to learn

7) Please consider your

fellow classmates and

shower and wear

deodorant

Flaying

1) Smelly feet - keep your shoes

on please

2) Swearing at other villagers

3) Criticizing (Unless someone

has asked your opinion)

4) Late back from breaks , so

others can’t learn

5) Not putting your rubbish in the

bin and cleaning up crumbs

6) Negativity

7) Bullying of students or the

teacher

8) Discrimination and harassment

9) Stealing content and ideas

without referencing

10) Pathetic excuses

11) Distracting other students (see

TAFE policies)

12) Misuse of the Internet and

computers (see TAFE policies)

Laws of the realm

Team work

achievements

Collect at least one of each

achievement to earn a Masters

badge

1. Timekeeper

2. Note taker

3. Observer

4. Leader

5. Empowerer

6. Presenter

Individual

Achievements

1. Media Management (Good

naming and being organised)

2. The Discoverer (For finding

something awesome and

sharing it)

3. The Night’s watch (For after

hours activities)

4. Mother Earth (Sustainable

practice)

5. Inspector (Safe workplace)

6. The Explorer (Going where no

man has gone before)

The Cards of Fate

Each Guild is given a learning space

on Moodle LMS to collect info.

They become the mentors for other

learners in this area. Two levels of

badges can be earned: Master or

Mentor. These badges can be

exported to an individual’s

backpack to display online. We

printed hardcopy versions too at

student request.

These badges match up to units on

specific media topics: Website

Design, 2D Animation, Audio.

Moodle configured as a gamification platform: www.truth-or-dare.org

A final award ceremony was held to announce the

winning house who will rule over Tareesteros.

We recorded this event on a video which you can find on

the Velvet Throne showcase, along with links to student

portfolios, and work samples. www.bit.ly/tafeshowcase

Final survey results

Gamification had a positive effect on

1. Successful completion of a TAFE

qualification (12/20 this year - about <

50%?),

2. Confidence to continue studies and desire to

keep learning

3. Participation in activities and attendance

My reflections

1. Fairness, negotiation and being explicit eg final

week / winner

2. People are proud of what they have achieved,

rather than feeling like a failure

3. Quantifying contributions made me aware of

how hard we push students to meet

performance standards consistently. It would

be better to work with the rhythms - they are

exhausted late in the day / week / term/

You are welcome to keep in contact