MY SITE
Gamification is the use of game like elements in a course design. Unlike gameful learning, which uses games to teach specific concepts to students, gamification imbeds game elements into the course itself. Because gamification asks instructors to think about what they want students to do and asks them to think about how they are rewarding or impeding those actions, it became a concrete way for me to think about my classroom ecology.
As I was designing my first gamified course, I knew I wanted to
1. Encourage a more social classroom space.
2. Motivate students to do activities that I think benefits them, such as visiting student hours or the Writing Center
3. Create buy in for individual gameful learning activities by connecting them to a larger game structure
4. Test whether a game structure could get students to to the above
In addition to my goals for students, I also took my context as an instructor into account. I was starting a PhD program at a new institution in the Fall, and while I got the go ahead to use a gamified structure from my FYW Department, I was still entering into a new environment. I designed the game knowing that the structure had to be simple so it didn't become a burden. I also knew that I would be using a new LMS system in the Fall. I didn't know the LMS's capabilities or limitations, so I couldn't depend on it to help manage the game. My need for simplicity and assumption of little technological support is reflected in my design choice to keep most of the points and games grounded in an in-person setting, which made it easier to for me to keep track of points. For my own time management, I tried to keep the activities and rewards as simple as possible.
Below is my first draft of the Writer's Cup, which I used in the Fall of 2018 in a First Year Writing course at UGA.
As I was designing my first gamified course, I knew I wanted to
1. Encourage a more social classroom space.
2. Motivate students to do activities that I think benefits them, such as visiting student hours or the Writing Center
3. Create buy in for individual gameful learning activities by connecting them to a larger game structure
4. Test whether a game structure could get students to to the above
In addition to my goals for students, I also took my context as an instructor into account. I was starting a PhD program at a new institution in the Fall, and while I got the go ahead to use a gamified structure from my FYW Department, I was still entering into a new environment. I designed the game knowing that the structure had to be simple so it didn't become a burden. I also knew that I would be using a new LMS system in the Fall. I didn't know the LMS's capabilities or limitations, so I couldn't depend on it to help manage the game. My need for simplicity and assumption of little technological support is reflected in my design choice to keep most of the points and games grounded in an in-person setting, which made it easier to for me to keep track of points. For my own time management, I tried to keep the activities and rewards as simple as possible.
Below is my first draft of the Writer's Cup, which I used in the Fall of 2018 in a First Year Writing course at UGA.
Student Reactions
Building a Better Game
At the end of the semester, I asked students collectively what they thought should be changed in the Writer's Cup. The gallery above shows the notes we in took on students' likes, dislikes, and suggestions. These notes were taken both in the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters and have helped me significantly revise the game. You can see the game's most current version in my FYW syllabus.
I followed up with my Fall 2018 students during the next semester with an IRB approved survey that had a 44% response rate from all of my students across 2 sections of ENL 1101. I then conducted IRB approved interviews with students to gain a first hand understanding of their experience.
I learned that...
In following semesters, I've used the team format without the corresponding game structure. While the team structure seemed to create strong ties between members, it did not motivate behaviors such as attending student hours, the Writing Center, or turning in work early.
Works like Vincent Tinto's Completing College, Janice McCabe's Connecting in College, and Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacks' How College Works have all demonstrated the importance of social networks and friendships for students success in college. Many of these scholars have even gone so far as to suggest that traditional students need make friends in college before they begin learning. Friendship provides a sense of belonging and security that allows for learning. Interviews and survey data suggest that my gamified structure rarely creates long term friendships, but it often creates relationships that I call academic partnership, temporary social support networks that last over the course of the semester. Students in teams often rely on each other for information about the course and peer review. Given that students are most vulnerable to dropping out of college during their first year, teams have become an essential part of my First Year Writing pedagogy. By making space in my class for them to talk and to get to know each other, it is my hope to give students the opportunities to support each other all while recognizing the social aspects of writing.
A gamified aspect of a course works best with traditionally aged, first year students. Based on interviews with students, it seems to particularly engage students who seek 'clout' or teacher validation. The gamification aspect is not something I would employ with non-traditional students, but I've learned the value of using teams for creating community in the classroom and would use it as a tool in any course.
I followed up with my Fall 2018 students during the next semester with an IRB approved survey that had a 44% response rate from all of my students across 2 sections of ENL 1101. I then conducted IRB approved interviews with students to gain a first hand understanding of their experience.
I learned that...
- The game structure was good at creating communities. In both classes 3/5 of the groups seemed to have strong ties to one another. And overall, students interacted with one another more than in a traditional set up. This had the added benefit of improving the quality of peer review sessions.
- Students were more aware that they didn't know other students outside of their teams and often requested inter-team collaboration.
- Students were more likely to attend student hours, the Writing Center, and turned in work early in a gamified class. In the survey, students reported being partially motivated by the reward that came with doing things that helped them academically. Although, based on student interviews, I think it would be a mistake to assume that they were mostly motivated by the game structure.
- There was more buy in if students knew they would be rewarded for their game participation and if they knew what they would be rewarded with. A 'secret prize' at the end of the semester was not motivating for some students.
- Students hated an impromptu opportunity to steal points from other teams. Students felt it diminished their hard work.
- Based on student suggestion, I revised the game to reset at midterm. This prevents one team from winning throughout the semester and discouraging others to compete.
- Because of our LMS's lack of discussion board notifications, posting to them often did not create community in the ways that I had hoped.
In following semesters, I've used the team format without the corresponding game structure. While the team structure seemed to create strong ties between members, it did not motivate behaviors such as attending student hours, the Writing Center, or turning in work early.
Works like Vincent Tinto's Completing College, Janice McCabe's Connecting in College, and Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacks' How College Works have all demonstrated the importance of social networks and friendships for students success in college. Many of these scholars have even gone so far as to suggest that traditional students need make friends in college before they begin learning. Friendship provides a sense of belonging and security that allows for learning. Interviews and survey data suggest that my gamified structure rarely creates long term friendships, but it often creates relationships that I call academic partnership, temporary social support networks that last over the course of the semester. Students in teams often rely on each other for information about the course and peer review. Given that students are most vulnerable to dropping out of college during their first year, teams have become an essential part of my First Year Writing pedagogy. By making space in my class for them to talk and to get to know each other, it is my hope to give students the opportunities to support each other all while recognizing the social aspects of writing.
A gamified aspect of a course works best with traditionally aged, first year students. Based on interviews with students, it seems to particularly engage students who seek 'clout' or teacher validation. The gamification aspect is not something I would employ with non-traditional students, but I've learned the value of using teams for creating community in the classroom and would use it as a tool in any course.