What is important to remember when 'Gamifying' education?

After watching this video, In your blog, answer the question, "What things are most important to remember about 'Gamifying' education?"

Movies enable learning, and facilitate education. Specifically what the narrator in the video called tangential learning. Tangential learning is learning by being exposed to things in a context with which you are already interested. While we have done this our whole life, it is the first time I really thought about it in terms of education (I know terrible teachers right! Ha) What I mean was for the first time I could see video games as a new medium for inducing this type of learning in a classroom.  In my business classes, we watch some specific movies that correlate well with certain chapters. For example, in Management class when we discuss grouping, resisting change, and the psychology of the workplace, the class watches Moneyball.  Afterwards students answer questions based on the movie, which is pretty standard affair for showing movies in classroom.  This is a great movie and the students really enjoy watching the concepts of the chapter unfold, but after watching this video for assignment, I realized all of those emotions and (a-ha) moments I was trying to create through watching the movie could perhaps be done to an even more engaging degree through the proper implementation of gamifying.

What things are most important about gamifiying education? For me it is to remember that the outcome(s) should always be the persistent reasoning for gamification. What I have seen so far from those passionate about this learning theory is a mutual feeling on this importance. Once the educators have established using gaming as a tool, the next most important step to me would be design. That is why implementation, design, and strategy are extremely important to the overall process in my opinion. I have said before taking an instructional designer approach to gamifiying a curriculum or lesson would be a great strategy.  I think every learning theory understands that student success is the driving force for all decisions.

More thoughts I had were on defining what type of gaming you would like to introduce.  Are you viewing gamification as a way to re-write a curriculum that is based more on the reward foundation such as XP, badges, feedback, and ranking systems? For example,  passing a test gets you XP towards a new title in class or you use XP as extra points on a test. A type of gradual progression offered in real world terms compared to the virtual world. That type of gamifiying could be a great starting point for some teachers, but could also lead to missed opportunities. Opportunities  such as engaging students in virtual worlds where they can produce their own tangential learning.  The second idea of gaming could be, engaging students in educational "games" as the video stated for example, Math Blaster.  A third approach could be using mainstream video games to connect a learning objective. For example, this Norwegian teacher is using the walking dead game as a pathway to teach about ethics. (change captions CC to English)

 

 Maybe you would like to engage in all three aspects and create the ultimate gamifying experience. I think beyond what you want to do with gaming in the classroom, we can all agree it has to have a purpose, outcome, and draw meaning.

My final thought on what to remember when gamifying education is to spread the theory like a contagion. Specifically, on the benefits and potential gamifying has. The stigma of video games as an entertainment medium only will continue to grow as long as the industry continues hit billion after billion in profit growth.  More and more games will be judged and persecuted as inappropriate (maybe even with some merit).  The opportunity to use the RIGHT gaming technique and psychological process should not counteract the learning theory developing from gaming in education. Coverage of the Indie game market that is producing some of the most educational friendly games should also be presented as “gaming”. Sadly, most non-gamers view the mainstream industry as murder simulators and springboards to violence.  I am sure they never thought to read about Portal, Journey, Braid, or other games that shine a spotlight on the artistic side. Gamifying education is still about the active engagement of its learner. Much the same way instructors show movies in class, why should this form of entertainment be any different? Was Wallstreet made to be entertaining? Absolutely, it just so happened to be a great way to teach ethics much like Tobias Staaby used The Walking Dead to explore the same concept. If you ask a student which one they'd rather to learn about Ethics what do you think they'd prefer? Which one do you think would leave a lasting impression and knowledge?  Maybe we don't know these answers until we try. . .