I’ve been hearing a lot about “gamification” in education lately and I decided to give it a try. And I have to say, I love it.
The Game:
After a conversation with a colleague who tipped me off to this idea, I decided to offer rewards in my classroom. The rewards are simple: homework pass, test hint, late to class, leave class early, food in class, and grab bag (their choice of one). Note: they are in no way connected to a student’s grade.
After a conversation with a colleague who tipped me off to this idea, I decided to offer rewards in my classroom. The rewards are simple: homework pass, test hint, late to class, leave class early, food in class, and grab bag (their choice of one). Note: they are in no way connected to a student’s grade.
There are two ways to achieve a “grab bag” where students earn a reward. The primary route is through group-work where a group of students must accumulate enough “points,” for a grab bag. Teams get points for working together on class projects/discussions, study guides, peer editing, and presentations, but really, anything I can think of that benefits from group effort.
Students can also get a “grab bag” as an individual by earning “stickers.” I give out stickers entirely on my own judgment--for answering a question correctly in class, making a connection to current events/former material, staying after class to do extra work, helping classmates, anything.
The key to the success of all of this is always keeping enough students close to the threshold number of points for grab bag, so they give their full effort each day. I publish the group scores on a google spreadsheet for increased competition and engagement.
Why it Rocks:
The most immediate, effective change to my classroom is that students 1) show up on time, 2) are in dress code, and 3) have their homework completed. Each group can earn five points a day for each member having completed these three things. The best part of this game is that the group-mates police each other! Additionally, if the students sense that I’ll give out stickers for good performance, they are constantly trying to one-up each other to earn a sticker. And that’s great when it is in the pursuit of academic progress. They’re always looking for connections between our units and the outside world. And, when they complete their homework, they consider what they can bring to class that will help them earn a sticker. However, the game of one-upmanship can also have its drawbacks--namely, a cut-throat environment where students rush through work and talk over each other. I solve all of these issues by switching to group-work where they have to work together and use each other’s talents to earn the most points! This has forced the groups to communicate with each other outside of class to consider what they will do or present in class.
There’s something special about a classroom where students know that when they arrive they can feel like they will gain something. It empowers students. It also greatly benefits my class that students always feel like they have a support network (their group) and they have someone with whom they can share their nerdy, teenage, humourous observations about the material and their world. And, through both of these outlets, they can earn points or stickers to better their standing in the classroom. What students have found is that although the points and stickers don’t count toward their grade, they do improve their work ethic and retention, which in turn improves their grade!
Next time I write about the gamification of my classroom, I’ll address whether I’m still making huge strides with the rewards system in place. I’ll also evaluate whether my students are learning and improving based more on test scores and survey results. For now, it’s too early to tell.
