Gamifying the Classroom

I'm attending a learning circle on "gamifying the classroom." I'll report back here. We're reading a book by Matthew Farber called, coincidentally, "Gamifying the Classroom."

I teach college writing, so I'm not sure how I'll use games, if at all.

McGonigal is brought up, who says that "voluntary participation" is a key element of a game. But students don't view their participation as voluntary. School is a hurdle that will lead to a great job and a hot spouse.

There is an untenured psychology Ph.D. who is adding citations to his speech, referring to theories that nobody is familiar with, and basically ****ing on hydrants to establish his authority.

We're talking about game-based learning vs. gamification--little pigeon/feeder bar rewards.

** Good ed games give you permission to fail **
When I played video games it cost me money to lose. Tempest, Asteroids, Battlezone.

Now the moderator is making the argument that our class needs to be intensively designed, in advance, like a game. It's a bit of a trojan horse move, and has become clear that this "learning circle" is a promotional vehicle for the organization that is hosting it. Surprise!

1:49 The moderator just asked if anyone had anything they wanted to share from the first two chapters. Someone enthusiastically read a quote about games and learning objectives. Professor Psychology just replied with, "Well, that guy is WRONG. There is no research to support this. Let me explain someone else you haven't read, and sketch out the four boxes of this model on this notepad nobody can see." BOOM discussion ended.

I want to get one of those elephant tranquilizer guns and fill it with social skills serum, and shoot this guy in the neck.

Someone is bringing up 3M's Stocks and Bonds as a game he played growing up. We're discussing Bartle's four player types: Killers, socialists, prostitutes and politicians. Or something like that.

The two women in the learning circle and the guy who got shot down are not talking a lot.

2:04 I spoke too soon, everyone is talking now.

Overall, the seminar feels like a cooperative game where two people dominate the play, and there are no clear objectives. I'm wondering what the social costs are of bailing.

Just have your students revise shoddy game rules.

Revising rules would probably work for Tech Comm, but it's a huge project. It would take half the semester. Also, it's not intrinsically fun. I tried this with Sid Sackson's book. Anything dropped into a class, for points, becomes work, or grinding.

cranberries wrote: I want to get one of those elephant tranquilizer guns and fill it with social skills serum

If I'm the type of person who would buy this immediately, does that mean I'm the type of person who needs to shoot myself with it?

There are at least two people in the meeting who lack social skills. I notice this, in part, because I lack social skills and test pretty high, informally, for Asperger's. So what you're reading, to a degree, is my own self-loathing, perhaps. So I definitely need the serum in the neck.

So far I haven't found any scientific, educational or moral backing in "Gamification". It doesn't seem to be anything but marketing buzzwords,paper-thin Skinner boxes and proprosals to improve the education system by people who have no education experience.

I think what students need is a humane learning system that promotes critical thinking, creativity and intelligent discourse. From what I know, Gamification seems to promote the exact opposite.

Nono it works. I read two books on it so far

I'll recommend one of them as soon as I remember the title. I wish I could remember what it was... ive probably been gaming too much ironically enough

I have it at home, it's a good read

.., Life is br0ken? Was that it?

I once interviewed an academic who ran a pilot project on using games - actual games, not "gamified" learning - in the classroom. It was my favourite interview ever, and I think the guy would probably have crapped hard on the idea that gamifying education is worthwhile.

It was for a commercial magazine so I probably shouldn't share, but I'm proud of it and people on this thread might find it useful so ... what the hell.

1drv.ms/b/s!Aud9y2sjHqsPhUcNc7-3y6sIPbaJ

Academia is devolving. It's no longer about the free marketplace of ideas or putting ideas to the test through reasoned debate or testing ideas using observation and facts and utilizing critical thinking. Only specific ideas are approved for discourse. Anything that is odious (to you or someone in a position of authority) is forbidden. The Socratic Method is certainly D-E-A-D, and, after all, they made that bastard drink the hemlock anyway.

We're entering a new era of a Fascist style of reasoning whereby might-makes-right (from those in power or authority: a/k/a the Boss and/or Da Man). The Liberal Arts are extinct. The Hobbesian Stick and whoever screeches the loudest like a preschooler throwing a tantrum now rule the day.

Looks like it works for relationships, why not the classroom?

Here's that book on gamification which I thought was excellent.

One of my game designer friends once tried to create a game that would help English speakers learn German and vice versa. He discovered that there is a market for educational games, but the heavy emphasis on the educational aspect generally meant very low interest in a fun game with actual strategy. I casually mentioned that German seems like a great language for swearing because of all the harsh consonants, so he revised the game into Dirty Deutsch and aimed it a more of a hipster market. He tried to promote it some via word of mouth and BGG, but the traffic to his website was light. The last time I helped him move, he still had at least a dozen unopened cases of the game, which was approximately the size of an old-school Netrunner starter deck.

I think you can hand out playing cards to anyone who scores above 95 or better on a test. Each semester whomever has the best 5-card poker hand (cards are kept in class) gains +5 on their overall grade and may also choose either one person to gain +3 or one person +1 and another +2.

Watch the social dynamics explode. >

omg i love it

there will be a decapitated pig within two weeks


i have no idea if i would award the points to a friend(s) or the girl i find really cute but am too shy to actually approach

pfffff, who am i kidding? I would totally send the points to the idiot jock so i can buy some protection from him

Erik Twice wrote: So far I haven't found any scientific, educational or moral backing in "Gamification". It doesn't seem to be anything but marketing buzzwords,paper-thin Skinner boxes and proprosals to improve the education system by people who have no education experience.

I think what students need is a humane learning system that promotes critical thinking, creativity and intelligent discourse. From what I know, Gamification seems to promote the exact opposite.

McGonigal's "Reality is Broken" looks a lot better than what we're reading. I think that play can make a real difference, but gamification, not so much. I made the tragic error of agreeing to lead the discussion at the end of the semester, so I can't just quietly fade away before then.