The student took an education course that incorporated a gamification element to encourage participation. At first, the student was interested in the idea and motivated to earn points. However, midway through the semester they became too busy with other commitments to consistently participate. By the end, the student regretted not putting in more effort as they missed out on rewards like opting out of assignments. The student learned that games need to remain engaging and that motivation, ability to participate, and triggers are needed to incentivize learning through games. For future students, they recommend fully participating to earn rewards. As a teacher, the student would only introduce educational games if properly funded and designed to motivate students and serve an educational purpose.

1. +
EDU 210, Winter 2014
Amy Rasmussen

2. + Beginning of Semester:
 Thought the idea was cool and nothing like I had ever done in a class before.
 Motivation? I thought I would definitely keep up and attend all classes and red chair sessions to opt out of
future assignments.
Mid – semester:
 Didn’t leave class early so that I could get the points. Didn’t really try to get points in other areas such as
attending red chair sessions or speaking up in class.
 Had too much other stuff going on, as an undergraduate student to care enough about going to things
such as Red Chair sessions
 I just accepted the fact that I wouldn’t get enough points to opt out anyways
End of Semester:
 Thinking to myself, “Why didn’t I participate more in the game?!”
 Am now having to do this flex lab instead of opting out
In summary, I thought the idea of the game was interesting, although a little inappropriate for students at the
undergraduate level. At first I did not foresee the rewards (opting out of flexlabs and discussions) but am now
wishing that I would have been more motivated thoughout the semester because I would have greatly
benefited in the long run.

3. +
What Have I learned?
 Games must be fun and engaging throughout to keep students motivated.
 There must be 1) Motivation, 2) Ability, and 3) A trigger (Michael Wu, 2012)
 If incorporated correctly, students are able to greatly benefit educationally from
games.
 The educational game market is more directed at parents than Schools. Why?
MONEY! Funding is a big factor in the gamification of schools.
 Games, whether for educational purposes or not are still useful in developing
crucial skills in students such as critical thinking, decision making, and
communication skills.

4. +
How does this apply
to EDU 210?
 Students were triggered by the instructors to participate in the
game (trigger), it was easy and highly attainable ( Ability), and
we were motivated by the end rewards.
 Students are able to benefit educationally because they would
attend more Red Chair sessions, attend class, and be more
engaged in lecture to receive points. This enhanced their
learning and flexlabs.
 U of A has the available funding to incorporate games such as
this. Example: The swipers attached to the smartphones.

5. +
What I liked:
 It was a game! We never get to play games in University.
 It motivated me to come to class and not leave early.
 The rewards (had I actually participated fully in the game) were
pretty cool. Example, the free swag and the option to opt out of
a discussion and flexlab.
I liked the overall idea – the fact that the Professors were trying to
get us to come, participate in class and enhance our learning.

6. +
What I disliked:
 Class time was wasted. People would raise their hand to say
unnecessary or irrelevant things to simply get their onecards
swiped and the microphones would have to be brought over. It
was a bit of a hassle.
 Red chair sessions took up a lot of time and were a bit out of
the way for most people.
 Professors constantly running around swiping people’s cards.
For a class this size, putting your hand up and saying what you
“think” isn’t practical. This aspect of the game could definitely
be deleted.

7. +
If I could do it again……
I would definitely have participated more to be able to opt out of
the final flexlab
For future students: TRY AND GET THE POINTS, ITS WORTH
IT!

8. +
Myself as a future teacher…..
Before I introduce or plan a game, I need to make sure that there
is enough funding at my school, make sure that I can keep my
students motivated throughout, make sure that there are some
sort of rewards, and finally, make sure that the game serves
some sort of purpose.
With the right funding, I would definitely incorporate something
like the Edtech game into my k-6 classroom. It would be fun and
engaging and completely appropriate for that age group.