Gamify the Classroom to Help Students Focus on Skills Rather Than Grades

[image credit: edutopia.org]

Many students have turned the focus of their education onto grades rather than actual skills

Students often ask teachers “What do I need to do to get an A”, but educators would rather students focus on mastery of fundamental skills rather than secondary outcomes like grades. However, since most of the feedback that students receive on their performance comes in the form of grades this is a difficult shift to make.

Solution: Use game theory and gaming software to refocus efforts of students on mastery of skills.

Use game software such as Gradecraft, 3DGameLab, Classcraft, and TheVirtualLocker to turn learning tasks into “quests” and allow students to earn experience points for time spent on task and badges for skill mastery rather than grades. Make it okay to fail by allowing students to repeat quests until they have mastered the skill. Ensure students have mastered basic skills before leveling up to more difficult tasks. Finally let students modify quests to match their interests and needs.

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• edutopia.org | Epic Fail or Win? Gamifying Learning in My Classroom