The document discusses gamification in education, emphasizing the use of game elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to enhance student engagement and motivation. It presents a gamified extra credit system implemented in a psychology course, outlining the tools used and student reactions. Survey data indicates that students found the extra credit system enjoyable and motivating, though there were complexities and some initial issues with the implementation.

1. D2L Gamification
Leveraging the Tools Already at Your Disposal

2. Vincent King-Spezzo
• Senior Online Instructional Designer for
Valdosta State University's Center for
eLearning.
• Trainer, LMS Admin, Instructional
Design consultant, all around tech guru.
• Teach completely online, hybrid, and
video synchronous courses.
• Education: Currently ABD in Curriculum
and Instruction, Ed.S in Instructional
Technology, MS in I-O Psychology.
• Loves games and gaming (board, card,
video, doesn’t matter).

3. Let’s play a game.
1. Go to http://tinyurl.com/oa97kvl
2. You will be asked a series of numbered questions
that correspond to slides marked with
and followed by a number.
0
3. Choose your answer to the question and click
the “Next” button. If you are right, you will
advance to the next question. If you are wrong,
it’s game over.

4. Rules and Tips
• Get all the questions right, and you win!
• Win and you get a badge!
• Be vigilant as I go through the presentation, not
all question blocks are easy to spot.
• Play fair. No cheating or answer sharing please.
• You will need the slide to answer the question
(unless you are a really good guesser).
• If you miss even one you are out.

5. Gamification 101
Brief Background on the Basics

6. Definitions (I’ve Got a Few)
Gamification is…
• The process of making non-game activities more
fun and engaging.
• Using game theories and mechanics to motivate
non-game behaviors.
• “A careful and considered application of game
thinking to solving problems and encouraging
learning, using all the elements of games that are
appropriate”.-Karl Kapp

7. Core Definition
• Use of game elements and game design
techniques in non-game contexts
• Game elements
• Parts of the game: Points, Badges
Leaderboards, Achievements, Avatars, Levels,
Quests, Rewards, Teams, Boss Fights, etc.
• Game design techniques
• Think like a game designer: Goals=Challenges,
Participants=Players, Instruction=Tutorial, etc.

8. Example: My Coke Rewards
• Points
• Collecting (Coke caps)
• Rewards (with levels)
• Quests (double points
and bonus days)
• Goal:
Enter points, get
rewards
• Real Goal:
Drink more Coke!

9. PBL: The Gamification Trinity
1
The three most effective and commonly used game
elements are Points, Badges, and Leaderboards.
Points Badges Leaderboards

10. Points
Numerical units that can be used to
represent anything. They are a way to
understand and connect the player’s
actions to the game.
• Drive users to participate in activities
• Weighting points (giving more or less)
around specific activities can motivate
players to participate in those activities
• Way to keep score
• Can determine win states
• Can be tied to rewards
• Provide feedback
• Display user progress
• Data for game designer

11. Badges
Representations of achievements or accomplishments in the game system.
Usually graphical in nature.
• Flexibility in what they represent
• Not just badges for points or levels
• Convey style or themes
• Indicate what the game designer
considers important
• Can add variety to game play
• Motivate players to collect them all
• Can be used as credentials
(i.e. diploma)
• Social display (status symbols)

12. Leaderboards
2
Area that displays the names and
current scores, points, and/or levels
of the leading competitors.
• Ranking
• Lets players know where they stand in
relation to others
• Helps establish competition
• Provides feedback on competition
• Can be negative
• Capable of de-motivating players if they
think they are too far behind
• Personalized leaderboards
• Compare to people they know, set
regions, based on certain status, etc.

13. Just Scratching the Surface
• Need more than just PBL for game elements.
• Core elements and widely used, but you need more
for a robust gaming system that players will continue
to engage with.
• The elements are not the game.
• Elements are the blocks, game design is the glue.
• It’s more than just about the reward.
• If reward was enough, you wouldn’t need the game.

14. Some Advanced Concepts
• Onboarding - Getting
the player into the game
quickly and easily. (i.e.
tutorials, guides, practice, etc.)
• Scaffolding - Slowly
ramping up complexity
and difficulty. (i.e. leveling
up requirements, unlockable
areas, etc.)
• Grinders - Repetitive task
that allows players a chance
to earn a few points in large
or even unlimited amounts.
(i.e. slaying dungeon rats,
farming, etc.)
• Boss Fights - One time or
limited events that present
a greater challenge.
Usually occur right before
3 reaching another level.

15. Gamification System for D2L
Tools You Can Use Already in Your Favorite LMS

16. Gamification Rationale
What?
• Gamified course extra credit
Why?
• Increase students participating in extra credit
• Make extra credit completed throughout the
semester instead of all at the end
• If it failed, it didn’t ruin the class
4

17. My Gamification System
• Goal: Earn up to 5% extra credit on final grade
• Points: Earned throughout semester via in class
activities, optional assignments, Pop-Questions,
etc.
• Levels:
5 points = Level 1 - Worth 1% Extra Credit
15 points = Level 2 - Worth 2% Extra Credit
30 points = Level 3 - Worth 3% Extra Credit
50 points = Level 4 - Worth 4% Extra Credit
100 + points = Level 5 - Worth 5% Extra Credit

18. My Gamification System
• Progress Status: Two columns found in
gradebook. One with point total and one with
current level.
• Badging: Receive email with badge when
reaching a new level.
• Leaderboard: Updated weekly (or more).
Displayed as top 5 in News widget.
• Top Scoring Student: Student with highest point
total will receive the ability to create one of the
essay questions that will be on the final exam.

19. Earning Points
• Variety in game play = Different types of activities
• Pop-Questions
• Short answer and/or opinionative
• Range of points
• Used for onboarding and early scaffolding
• Optional Assignments (Boss Fights)
• Harder, higher level thinking, more work involved
• Large amount of points earned
• Bonus points for speed and/or quality
• Grinders
• Repetitive task with simple rules
• Low point value
• No point cap
5

20. D2L Tools Used for Points
• Activities for points completed in Discussions
• One board per Grinder/Pop-Question
• Easy to setup start/end times
• Easy to count points for Grinders
• Student can see competition
• Announced new opportunities via News widget
• Students who turned on notifications received edge
in timed events.

21. D2L Tools Used for Points
• Point totals/progress
• Gradebook column
• Updated manually
• No different than grading
• Levels
• Grade scheme
• Automatically changes as
column is updated
• 1 level = 1%

22. D2L Tools Used for Badges
• Badges
• Sent through email
• Contained simple graphic and encouraging text
• Inserted file with image for download/printing
• Intelligent Agent
• Sends email automatically
• Based on point total grade column
• 1 agent per level
• Scalable to include many different activities

23. D2L Tools Used for Leaderboards
• Leaderboard
• Created News item
• Once a week minimum update
• Listed top 5 with names, levels, and points
• For top 5, just sort the point column in Gradebook
6
• Also used to congratulate people who reached level 5

24. Grade Scheme
Students Displays Level
Earn Points
Intelligent Agent
Checks and Sends
Badge
D2L Tools Flow
Points
Entered
Into
Grade
Column
Announce
Opportunities
via News
Updated
Leaderboard as
News item

25. What else can gaming teach us?
• Instructions
• Modeled board game instructions
• Used for all optional assignments, Pop-Questions,
and Grinders
• Clearly communicates
• Goal
• Rules
• Point Values

26. Case Study: Intro to Psychology
How it Went, What Worked, and What Wrecked

27. Class Description Student Statistics
• Entry level undergraduate
Psychology course
• Core curriculum class
• Required for some majors
• Met twice a week, 5:30pm-8:15pm
• Short term, 2nd half of the semester
• 15 total students
• Mixture of majors including some
Psychology
• Majority Freshman
• 1 student on probation
• 3 students considered at risk
Intro to Psychology
Extra Feature
1 student connected as a distance learner via video conference technology

28. Observed Gaming
• In general students seemed to react well
• About half started right away
• All participated in the end
• Not many questions
• Specific players
• Distance learner was highly competitive at first
• Probationary student completed most of the activities

29. Observed Gaming 7
• Grinder creation
• Didn’t start out with them
• Added around midterm
• Became very popular for players
• Helped players compete better
• Ensured players could level up

30. Observed Gaming
• Competition
• Clearly viewable with leaderboard and grinders
• Student dropped from top 5;
the next week they were #1
• Sniping for the win
• Winner of highest total was in 4th place with 104 points
• 1 hour before class, they made 100 points on a Grinder
• 2nd place stated “I didn’t like making memes, but if I had
seen that ‘they’ were doing that many I would have
made a bunch more”

31. Final Standings
Hi Score = 206 points (only needed 100 for level 5)
4 students finished at level 5 (all over 100 points)
3 students finished at level 4
1 students finished at level 3
6 students finished at level 2
0 students finished at level 1
1 student finished with some points, but did not reach
level 1

32. Extra Credit Criticism
• Who it actually impacted?
• Only 2 letter grades actually changed
• 1 B to an A and 1 C to a B
• Extra credit work actually more work/harder than
regular class work
8

33. Survey Data
• Conducted after final standing
• Anonymous
• Forced 4 point scale
• Highly Agree - Highly Disagree
• Separated from Student Opinion of Instruction

34. Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
0%
Agree
12%
Highy Agree
88%
Survey Data
I enjoyed the extra credit system used in this class.

35. Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
0%
Agree
22%
Highy Agree
78%
Survey Data
I found the extra credit system easy to understand.

36. Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
0%
Agree
37%
Highy Agree
63%
Survey Data
I thought there were enough opportunities to earn Extra Credit points.

37. Survey Data
I would have participated in the extra credit even if we used a
different method to earn and track extra credit.
Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
22%
Agree
45%
Highy Agree
33%

38. Survey Data
I felt like this was a good system for extra credit that I would like to
see it used in my other classes.
Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
0%
Agree
25%
Highy Agree
75%

39. Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
0%
Agree
40%
Highy Agree
60%
Survey Data
I felt motivated to reach the next level of EC credit.

40. Survey Data
I felt motivated to have the most EC credit at the end of the class.
Highly Disagree
0%
Disagree
12%
Agree
63%
Highy Agree
25%
9

41. Survey Comments at a Glance
• “The extra credit tasks were both fun and
informative.”
• “This extra credit system was different than any
other way I've received points. I liked how
students were competing for the most points.”
•
• “More professors should use this technique. It is
very helpful”
•
• “I liked the opportunities to have an unlimited
amount of posts.”

42. Roll: Success v Failure
Critical Hits Fumbles
• Intelligent Agent skipped
some levels initially
• Didn’t Badge non-point/
non-level items
• Onboarding
• “The only thing I'm
frustrated is that I missed
several pop-quizzes
because I was not alerted”
• Gaming system in general
• Level of complexity
• Level of engagement
• Competition fostered
• Kinds of activities
• Rewards
• Grinders

43. What’s Next?

44. Next Time On Gamification
• Better onboarding
• More Grinders early on
• More Levels (.5% each perhaps)
• Scheduled and Random encounters
• More updates to the Leaderboard
• Update Badging
10

45. Updating Badges
• Include for events/actions and not just specific
levels/points
• Have hidden/rare Badges
• Add way to display Badges
• Consider incorporating an external Badging
system (ie Credly)
• Can still use Intelligent Agents

46. What Others are Exploring
• Platforms just for gamifying a classroom
• Adding a Mythos or story to Gamification system
• Class Craft
• Does it have to be “fun”
• Cow Clicker

47. Questions