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The Power of Gamification in Education | Scott Hebert | TEDxUAlberta

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TOP 5 Gamification Examples In Education today!

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Gamification in the Classroom for English Language Learners

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Why we need Gamification in Education with Elon Musk

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How To Play Hot Seat | Fun Classroom Game

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Gamification in Higher Education | Christopher See | TEDxCUHK

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How Gamification Can Improve Learning: Advantages and Best Tools

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How Gamification Can Improve Learning: Advantages and Best Tools

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How Gamification Can Improve Learning: Advantages and Best Tools

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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Increasing student motivation and keeping their interest in class can sometimes be difficult. Incorporating other types of activities that students enjoy in a non-academic context can help us to foster a learning environment where they feel more engaged.

This is where gamification comes in, a method used not only in the classroom but even in the workplace to increase motivation and develop problem-solving skills.

What is gamification?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, gamification is 'the practice of making activities more like games in order to make them more interesting or enjoyable'. This means we take activities that already exist and add elements or features to make them more interactive and challenging, and therefore more engaging. While this is very common in apps and online games, it is also possible to gamify your English classes too.

Features of gamification

Most games share a number of common features. As you read the examples below, think of ways to include each one in one of the activities you do in class:

Goals: a mission or an objective the player must achieve or solve

Badges for achievements: every time a player reaches a milestone they get a medal or badge (and become motivated to get more)

Progress bars and leaderboards: this shows a player's position and how much is remaining for them to achieve a goal

Rules: guidelines and limits for the players during a game, thus challenging them to be creative and develop strategies to win

Levels: each challenge or activity becomes more difficult as the players unlock goals or continue to the next level

Rewards, points and second chances: when collecting medals, points or objects, some games provide a new tool, superpower, immunity or even an extra life they can use in the future

The story, plot, setting, characters and role-play: includes a storyline with characters and different settings where the events take place

Choices: make decisions and depending on their choice, they face different challenges

Competition, cooperation and challenges: play against others or work as a team to overcome a shared goal

Time: add extra pressure to the game by including a time limit to complete the level or challenge

Gamification in the classroom: 6 ideas to get started

Did you come up with any ideas based on the features listed above? If not, I have got some for you to try, whether you are teaching face-to-face or online.
1. The story, plot, setting, characters, and role-play
The first step to gamifying your classroom is deciding on the topic or theme. The classroom can transform into outer space and your students can become astronauts, or it can even become a different dimension where students are spies or superheroes. Students can decorate the classroom, design costumes and invent the character they want to be. This can be done either onsite with materials or online with slides, videos, or even VR chat rooms. Don't forget to link your learning goals to the theme!
2. Goals, badges, progress bars and leaderboards
This is a great way to make students aware of their own progress through formative assessment. Teachers can set common goals for the term or year, or construct them in class with students' help. The steps for achieving the goals can be represented by a progress bar and students can receive specific badges each time they overcome a challenge (these can be based on the theme (space, jungle, detectives, etc).

A leaderboard can also be created where you highlight a number of students that did well during the week, month, semester or topic. This can be created by the students with arts materials. Alternatively use a version from an online learning environment like Google Classroom or Edmodo which you can display regularly to the class.
3. Competition, cooperation and challenges
Working in groups and competing against others is an easy way to engage your learners. Before starting the game or challenge have them work together to choose a name, a motto or even a shield that represents all the members. One way you can get groups to compete is by using a tool like Kahoot. To get first place, the group must answer the most correct answers in the fastest time possible.
Look at more ways of using Kahoot to promote teens' critical thinking skills. 4. Rewards, points and second chances
Points can be represented using physical objects such as stars or stamps or with pictures for online classes. If you want to be more creative you can use things the students have created themselves, such as shields, badges, gems or any other object that represents the theme. It's important these are displayed somewhere in the class, so that students can refer to them regularly.

If you want to boost motivation further, why not have an exchange system? A specific number of points can be redeemed for prizes (individuals, groups or as a whole class) such as a class picnic. Points could even be redeemed as a second chance for presenting a task. Although this is at the discretion of each teacher.
5. Choice
A great way to get students invested in your class is by letting them choose the next activity. Provide different alternatives and have the students vote on the one they prefer. For example, let's imagine you are studying countable and uncountable nouns. Give students the option to choose between writing shopping lists, visiting a market or doing a Masterchef competition, etc.
6. Time
Whether it's with regular reminders or by using a digital stopwatch, giving students a time limit will add an extra element of challenge to your activities (and help you stay on track with your lesson too). It also fosters cooperation and competition between groups and adds a touch of adrenaline just as in many games.

Learn more

Gamifying language learning is also something students can try on their own. Share my Learn English with Cambridge video with them for more ideas.
Want to read more on gamification? Greg Wagstaff's blog post looks at using quizzes and gamification in the teenage classroom. What are your experiences with gamification? Share your tips in the comment section below.

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6 ways to gamify your English classroom | Cambridge

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Increasing student motivation and keeping their interest in class can sometimes be difficult. Incorporating other types of activities that students enjoy in a non-academic context can help us to foster a learning environment where they feel more engaged.

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Increases student engagement (Kapp, 2012)
Improves knowledge absorption and retention
Provides immediate feedback to help players adjust to learning challenges

Sumdog is an online gaming program that reinforces math and language arts skills, players receive automatic feedback when a question is answered, at the end of a level corrective feedback is given ( www.sumdog.com

Applies and practices learning within a meaningful and authentic context (Bellotti, Berta, & Gloria, 2010)

The Radix Endeavor - players explore biomes with unique plants and creatures to test scientific hypotheses and instruments

World Without Oil - an alternate reality game where participants problem solve and strategize how to survive an oil crisis ( www.worldwithoutoil.org

Places students within systems where they can safely manipulate and explore functions (Squire, 2006)
Assists with transfer of learning to real world contexts and problems (Kapp, 2012)
Promotes cooperation, teamwork, communities of learners and practice (Bellotti et al., 2010)

Lure of the Labryinth fosters collaboration and a community of learning through its "Tasti Pet Communicator" which allows players to communicate and share problem-solving strategies.

Requires access to computer and Internet
Distracts learners from learning objectives (Bellotti et al., 2010)
Leads to overstimulation or game play addiction (Bellotti et al., 2010; Cohen, 2011)
Replaces other learning activities such as hands on experiments and simulations
Does not meet the learning needs of all students
Blurs boundaries between virtuality and reality (Bellotti et al., 2010)
Absorb teaching resources or budget for other resources (Lee & Hammer, 2011)

Budget is allocated to new computers or server provider when math manipulatives like counters or shape templates are needed

Budget for field trips to the seashore or forest are cut in order cover the licensing cost for an educational game or program online

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Gamification

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(AsapSCIENCE, 2014. Can video games make you smarter?)

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IT WORKED: Gamification in the Classroom