How Gamification Can Change Your Classroom!

Gamification is all the rage in making concepts fun in school. Who wouldn’t want to feel they’re playing a game and learning something at the same time? Bringing competition, chances to earn things, and make progress can drive people. Learn what it means to add gamification to your classroom and how it can benefit your students in their education.

What Does Gamification In The Classroom Look Like?

Gamification could have students competing against a teacher for behavior points. It can also be students earning an award for completing a goal. Or it can be where a student is progress monitored and their progress is tracked as experience points like in a video game. Make it feel rewarding and worth their time will have students be engaged.

Another way is using educational apps that weave video game ideas into curriculum. Having students collect badges or opening new paths by completing standard-based objectives is one example. In my classroom, I made a series of Google Slides that focus on the standards of 1st grade.

In these slides, students complete task cards on their devices through Google Slides that is sent to them in Google Classroom. Students then complete tasks so they can meet their explorer and progress his or her story. Storytelling is the heart of being a child and incorporating it into curriculum is a game changer!

Adding Gamification Into Digital Math Resources

These Google Slides increased engagement and use gamification to increase motivation for math practice. The picture shown below has a student highly engaged working on the math concept equal or not equal. When they answer, it will let them know if it’s correct or not. If not, they will be sent back to the original question. This instant feedback helps students stay on task and allows me to help those that need more support.

After they answer the problem correctly, they will be introduced to their explorer. This explorer goes to different lands and encounters many creatures. He or she will also find treasures that will help them find new adventures. This is simulating a role playing game or RPG.

Students are helping an avatar level up and get rewards to see what happens next. It’s also telling a story. How will the explorer battle off a hungry panther? It leaves them wondering what will happen next. This increases engagement. They’re increasing their math fact skills while also being entertained. This is what gamification is all about. Taking it digitally and tying in curriculum can be powerful for our generation of students.

How Gamification Has Affected My Students.

Having students practice these math facts in an engaging and fun way have helped my students retain strategies from previous lessons. Many concepts build on each other. By having it reinforced in a fun and positive way, students were ready to apply the skills to more complex concepts.

For example, I had students that understood 8=8 is true, but putting it with operations on both sides like 4+4=2+6 made most of my students free in confusion. Explorer Math is differentiated and provides scaffolding to help students overcome these challenges.

If you want to save yourself some time and purchase the games I have already made, you can find the bundle here.  It is currently $25 for over 30 math concepts.

Adrian