Gamification of the Classroom

Playin’ Games

This year I focused on trying to use student technology (i.e. cell phones) for positive campus learning.  Since students already bring phones on campus, I encouraged the school’s administration to allow for the use of the phones for using English learning mobile app games.  I centered my focus on the game Duolingo.  This application helps students to learn English in a game type setting.  Students are given XP (experience points) as they work their way up learning the four elements of language.  For me, the educator, I am able to monitor student progress and participation via schools.duolingo.com.

Gamification in the education sector is slowly creeping into the industry.  I hope to place games at the foundation of the school I serve as an administrator.  Research from Jim Gee is a great tool for justifying the use of video games in the classroom.  Moreover, many of my students have admittedly stated that they have learned more English playing Call of Duty than in class.  Games have value in the classroom – whether video, mobile, or in-person.

In the process of gamifying my class, I did not limit our games solely to digital ones.  We included charades and pictionary (for learning vocabulary and concepts), cards (for learning numbers), and capture the flag (for team-building).