It turns out that the inherent characteris-
tics of video games also make them power- ful motivational tools. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a renowned psychologist, we are happiest when we are in the “flow,” that is, when we find the sweet spot between doing something too difficult and doing something too easy. Video games are designed to match the player to the optimal amount of challenge. The characteristics of video games make
them excellent learning tools. Players devel- op skills through repeated practice and dy- namic feedback. In many ways, video games are great teachers. We may not always love the curriculum, but there is no doubt that players are learning. You’re really moving along now! You fin- ished another level. Keep it up!
LEVEL 3: USING GAME ELEMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM
Video games and gameplay are powerful teaching tools, but I am not suggesting that games can entirely replace instruction. We don’t need to replace textbooks with games – although a public charter school in New York City has done just that! We apply the elements that make video games effective to the classroom. How do we do that?
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LEVEL 2: THE SECRET SAUCE IN VIDEO GAMES
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VIDEO GAMES MAKE THEM EXCELLENT LEARN- ING TOOLS. PLAYERS DEVELOP SKILLS THROUGH REPEATED PRACTICE AND DYNAMIC FEEDBACK. IN MANY WAYS, VIDEO GAMES ARE GREAT TEACHERS. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS LOVE THE CUR- RICULUM, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT PLAYERS ARE LEARNING.
Let’s talk about video games. I know that educators have a complicated relationship with video games. For every education title that helps, there are thousands of games that distract and detract from learning. And the statistics about video gameplay can be down- right scary. Did you know that 97 percent of 12-to-17-year-olds play video games and that, on average, 8-to-14-year-olds play more than an hour per day? But the popularity of video games should make us wonder: what’s the secret? Researchers have been pondering that ques- tion as well. Video games require active participation,
which means that players are more actively engaged than if they were passively watching a movie. Video games are excellent motiva- tors because when players receive incremen- tal achievements – level up! – this reinforces the purpose of the activity. Of course, video game programmers also utilize our competi- tive and co-operative natures. We enjoy suc- ceeding, either alone or in teams, at tasks that are meaningful and require work.
38 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2014
Gamifying the classroom – As part of my classroom experience, I have worked with children with autism. For those stu- dents, the end goal of social competence can be daunting and vague. A daily goal of ini- tiating conversations with three peers was a much more effective way to track progress. We kept track of our daily goals and cele- brated our success together. There are software programs that can help
with gamifying the classroom. ClassDojo is a software program that superimposes game elements on the classroom environment. Stu- dents create personalized avatars and are re- warded by accumulating points for preferred behaviour. Teachers can customize the out- comes and set goals for the class.
Gamifying the grades – It may seem silly to use terms like “experience points” or “level-up” when tracking student prog- ress, but some students will respond to it. Using language that matches their video game experiences puts classroom activi- ties in a new context. If you want to recog- nize accomplishments without necessar- ily assigning a grade, try awarding students with badges. Badges are digital rewards that provide accreditation students can earn and
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