EDU210 Module 12

2. Let the Games Begin
• EDU210 is the first time I had ever heard of, or experienced,
gamification.
• The game was introduced as EdTech Odyssey. Points were to
be accumulated throughout the semester based on
attendance, participation, discretionary points etc.
• I was excited to get started as I knew that a prize awaited the
student with the most points.
• Thus began the evolution of my experience with EdTech
Odyssey began…

3. • In the beginning, I was excited not only for the thought of winning a prize, but
also for the course itself. I felt the energy and passion of classmates…nothing
wrong with healthy competition.
• Two weeks in to the game, I was late for class thus didn’t earn ten points. I
pouted but knew I could redeem myself.
• Four weeks in to the game, I visited DigiTAL, I forgot to wave my jazz hands
AND to have my OneCard swiped…now, I started feeling discouraged. That’s
twice I lost out on points. Darn it!
CC by Giphy at Tumblr.com,
http://gph.is/1fGI0Fs

4. • It’s okay, I tried to tell myself. However, it wasn’t okay, my
spirit of the game dwindled.
• The course flew by and before I knew it, it was Module 11.
There was an optional assignment for students who had
accumulated 250 points. I looked on e-class and discovered …

5. …I did not have enough points for the optional assignment. I reassessed
and realized that I would never make it to Mario level. It was at that point
I gave up.
Only
137
points!!
CC by Giphy at hoppip.tumblr.com, http://gph.is/XHRB5

6. What Worked
• What I liked about the game was the passion our instructor, Sherri
Fricker, had for the course and game. This heightened my
intrinsic desire to want to be an active participant.
• Prizes are a great incentive and increase participation and
engagement within the class.

7. What Didn’t Work
• Initially, the “healthy competition”
seemed fun however the sense of
“losing” when comparing my points to
other classmates was discouraging.
Although I could not see their names, I
compared my overall ranking amongst
fellow peers.
• I failed to ask to have my OneCard
swiped when I visited DigiTAL as I felt I
was bothersome if I mentioned it.
Although the accountability was on the
player to receive points, I would have
rather passed up on the points than ask
the Mentors to swipe my card.

8. How Gamification will Impact
me as a Teacher
• As indicted by Holloway “games, in any form, increase motivation through
engagement” (Holloway, 2013). Thus, gamification should lead to students who
want to engage and learn through participation.
• As an educator, I will be cognisant to ensure that games are not used as a
replacement for pedagogy (Holloway, 2013). Games should be used as an overall
way to enhance the learning experience and a clear understanding from the
student must be demonstrated as to why they earned a prize.
• As indicated by Dr. Janet Welch when referring to the Horizon Report,
gamification is set to appear in classrooms in the next 2-3 years (Welch, 2014).
Therefore, by the time I become a certified teacher, gamification will already have
made its way in to the classroom. I can proactively create gaming concepts
suitable for the K-6 level which I wish to teach.

9. Conclusion
Gamification in the K-12 classroom is a concept which I believe, is beneficial.
When used in the right context and applied in the appropriate scenarios,
students gain a sense of pride, accomplishment and are inspired for continued
learning. Gamification not only creates healthy competition it further develops a
sense of teamwork and camaraderie especially when students are working
towards a common goal. I hope to utilize gamification in my classroom setting
and create motivated and inspired students.
I will use my journey through EdTech Odyssey to develop a gamification system
which would enhance learning. The positive emotions which occur during the
gamification process could be the key to a student’s success (Welch, 2014).

10. References
Holloway, S. (2013, July 15). 4-Ways to gamify learning in your
classroom. TopHat. Retrieved November 24, 2014 from
http://blog.tophat.com/4-ways-to-gamify-learning-in-your-classroom/
Welch, J. Dr. (2014, Nov 28). Where is the front of your
classroom?. Lecture at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB