Gamification: Motivation and Competition

I've read some about gamification in education over the past year or so, and I find the idea intriguing. First a clarification: gamification is not the same thing as game-based learning. (Which is also interesting to me, because I think people can and do learn by playing games. But that's not the point here...)

Image by dullhunk [CC BY 2.0]

Gamification is adding game-like elements to your teaching practice, or to a learning situation. That might sound a little strange to you...to be honest, I wasn't sold on it either.

Until this semester, when I'm actively trying it from the students' side of things.

My classes I'm taking for my doctoral program are entirely online, which means I have to be deliberate about keeping in touch with my classmates. (No hallway conversations online!) But many of us in my cohort are actively working on this--finding ways of collaborating, encouraging, and motivating each other. And here's where the gamification comes in...

School as a Game

Encountered this video earlier this morning--it's from way back in 2011. I think there are some very, very interesting ideas here...

I have to confess, this has me thinking a lot about the "game" of school. And I think Dr. Haskell is right on--the current game stinks, and we can make it a much better game.