Gamification presents material with game-like practices. The idea of Gamification is seen all over the world, especially in marketing tactics. This practice is outlined by Michael Matera and John Meehan, in Fully Engaged: Playful Pedagogy for Real Results, as a way to provide “player” autonomy, curiosity, and motivation.
Gamification and the Learning Experience
- Gamification engages students in the learning process. Excitement is not just a reward, it is a part of the practice of learning.
- Gamification responds to the choices that the “players”, or students, choose. The learner gets to showcase their curiosity and find ways to dive deeper into cross curricular ideas.
Why Gamification?
- Curriculum is more than Standards, textbooks, and courses of study. In Giacomo Gambino’s talk, Why Video Games Should Be Played at School , he touched on the idea that video games can be collaborative and social. He also spoke about the opportunities that video games present in terms of current and future careers. Using video games for learning can allow students to develop the life skills needed to join growing career fields in technology, software design, graphic design, marketing, etc.
- Teaching and Learning honors people’s full humanity. Today, video games are a part of most peoples’ lives in at least some capacity. Gamification in school reflects real life for many adults. Whether you play the daily Wordle or you are streaming on twitch daily, most people are using games in some way. The use of video games have received a bit of a negative stereotype, when in reality it can be a great hobby for many adults. Creating a culture around gaming in the school systems can give students the skills to be safe digital citizens, creating a better online world for future generations.
Gamification in the K-1 Special Education Classroom
I started introducing Illustrated Choice Boards, a gamification strategy outlined in Fully Engaged: Playful Pedagogy for Real Results. Alice Keeler outlines the process of implementing Gamified Choice Boards in her blog. She shows a large variety of ways that this strategy can be used, giving me the confidence to try this. Working with young students on the spectrum, I had to start small. This past week I started by implementing the idea of choice. My student’s need support to choose a choice, so I provided physical choices. Once they understand the process of each physical choice, I will introduce visual representations of these choices. Now that my students are starting to see the impact of their choices, I am going to add a points system to their choices. Different levels of choice will lead to rewards like using kinetic sand/special snacks, and other preferred items and activities. I am working to implement this in a way that conceptually makes sense to my demographic of students! I also would like to implement the points and badges system for a student of mine that needs a lot of support to transition back into the school building after recess and attempts to elope.