Fully Engaged Classroom

There is often a stigma around the “fun” teacher. You see it in movies or hear gossip in the teachers lounge about the teacher that all the students love, but do they really get anything done? Are their students actually learning anything? Sure, you could be the fun teacher too, but you can’t sacrifice the standards or preparing students for the test for the sake of being liked right? Wrong. The days of teaching by the book are over, our students live in a world where short form media like TikTok and Reels dominate, video games can be played any time on any sort of device, and the demands of the 21st century go beyond being able to recall information and instead require the skills to creatively solve problems and build new realities. Below are just a few of the ways incorporating games into your teaching practice can enhance the learning experience for you and your students!

1. Creating an Engaging Learning Environment

Gamification makes learning engaging by incorporating elements such as rewards, levels, and feedback, which are common in video games. Matera highlights that students are naturally motivated by clear goals, instant feedback, and the opportunity for advancement key aspects of game design. By introducing badges, points, and leaderboards, students become more invested in the learning process, often putting in extra effort to master a topic. This increased engagement can translate into deeper exploration of subjects, as students feel motivated to “level up” their knowledge.

2. Encouraging Experimentation and Risk-Taking

A well-designed gamified classroom encourages students to experiment and take risks without the fear of failure. In traditional settings, mistakes are often penalized, but gamification allows students to “try again” without negative consequences. Matera’s framework, for instance, promotes a growth mindset where students view failures as learning opportunities. This safety net allows students to explore creative solutions and innovative approaches to problems, knowing that setbacks are part of the journey rather than a permanent mark against them.

3. Developing Problem-Solving Skills Through Narrative and Challenges

Many gamification strategies use story telling as a basis for learning. Matera describes how narratives can help students view assignments as quests, transforming routine tasks into exciting challenges. This storytelling component not only makes learning more engaging but also requires students to think critically and solve problems. When faced with a complex challenge, students are prompted to brainstorm and develop strategies, which builds problem-solving skills essential for innovation.

4. Promoting Collaboration and Teamwork

Gamification often includes multiplayer elements that encourage teamwork, cooperation, and collaborative problem-solving. In a fully engaged classroom, students might work in teams to accomplish missions or solve puzzles, each contributing to the overall learning experience. This cooperative learning fosters communication, which is essential for creative thinking. Collaboration allows students to see problems from different angles and combine their ideas, enhancing both innovation and social skills.

5. Enhancing Intrinsic Motivation Through Autonomy

By giving students choices in how they complete tasks or “quests,” gamification fosters a sense of autonomy that is crucial for intrinsic motivation. Matera emphasizes student choice, allowing learners to select different pathways or approaches to complete assignments. This autonomy encourages students to engage more deeply with content. When students feel that they have ownership over their learning, they are more likely to experiment and innovate.

TCE Threshold Concepts

The TCE threshold concepts are designed to illustrate the way we think about and practice teaching. I have identified two ways that gamification can demonstrate these concepts in the classroom:

1. Both teachers and students have empowerment/agency
   • Every game from Monopoly to Stardew Valley is designed to be completed either on your own or with a small group. Typically the game designer isn’t there to guide you, save for the instruction manual and helpfully designed NPCs. Games are inherently a space where you are on your own to explore and do things your way. In the classroom this can be utilized to your advantage for both your students and yourself the teacher. As the teacher, when students are fully engaged in the classroom, you have time to reclaim for the tasks we often push to the side such as attendance or grading. I know I sacrifice these tasks so that I may devote my full attention to the students, but that comes at a cost. Gamification can provide a refund on that time. For students, “sandbox” games like Minecraft put all of the creativity in the hands of the students. They are the architects of their world and have all the power to make it their own.
   • One particular way that this threshold concept plays out is the use of choice-board bingo. This game works like traditional bingo: five in row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The twist is that instead of random numbers being marked on a board, students choose 5 out of the 25 options available- everything from building with Legos to writing a song or poem to demonstrate their learning. This game gives students the agency to choose which assignments meet their styles of learning and showcase their creative skills rather. This game is highly motivating, and highly adaptable to fit the needs of any classroom.
2. Teaching and Learning honors peoples full humanity
   • The stories embedded in our games should reflect the lives of our students, instead of learning about dead white guys, students can experience history or science through the lens of a character of their own creation. One that reflects their personal identity, and perhaps parts of themselves they don’t always get to express or feel comfortable expressing outside of a virtual world (e.g. gender identity). Schools have not always been a place where students could express their full humanity, even if you do everything you can to make your classroom a safe space their may be external factors that prevent a students from living their truth. The virtual world has always served as a space where people could express themselves in whatever way the see fit.
   • This threshold concept can play out in a multitude of ways. Any game that includes some kind of avatar creation gives students the opportunity to create a version of themselves that they want. Outside of the virtual space, the use of team names and character creators can give students that chance to express themselves in any way they want. For more on character creation check out this blog. Students can create an avatar of themselves that they could then use as an icon for the google accounts or canvas pages.

Using Minecraft in a Biology Classroom

Over the past two weeks I have used Minecraft Education in a variety of ways in my 9th grade Biology classroom. I have used it as an open world platform, highly structured lessons, and as a reward. There was definitely a buy in from my students, the more I used it in the classroom the more students wanted to play. Some students weren’t as interested at first but as they saw their peers having fun playing they wanted to be in on it too. This led to one of the best things I saw: student leaders. Multiple students took up the charge of helping their classmates download the software and teaching them how to play. A task I usually have to complete 25-30 times a class as I run around like a chicken without a head. This was incredible to see, and made it so much easier to implement.

The lesson I used was on chemical reactions, in the game students went into a lab fitted with all the trappings of a university level laboratory. The students were able to take a variety of samples and experiment with them all without the risk of any harm. Students are always asking to blow stuff up, now they had the freedom to make any kind of compounds they could think of explosive or not. This lesson was designed by Minecraft, so it was highly structured with NPCs to explain essential content in short conversations, materials were clearly labeled and laid out for students to access. All in all it was super easy to use and very user friendly. This blog delves into just how engaging Minecraft is and how it can bridge the “engagement gap” for gen z students.

I used #minecraft in my classroom over the last two weeks. Lets just say the results spoke for themselves! Check it out in my latest blog #exemplaryteaching #TCE623 https://t.co/7Y62QFUETb@edutopia @Minecraft

— Mr. Turner (@MrTurne82324326) November 9, 2024