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K-12 Classroom Gamification Microcredential

K-12 Classroom Gamification Microcredential

This microcredential gives K-12 educators a deeper understanding of the research and resulting best practices regarding how, when, where, and why to implement gamification in the classroom. Upon completion of this microcredential, teachers will be able to prepare for and implement gamification in the classroom.

MICROCREDENTIAL ID: ETEC-TLG-0006
CREDENTIAL: K-12 Teaching and Learning with Games
CREDITS: 1.0 CEU (10 hours)
AUTHOR: Dr. Rick Ferdig

​ Registration

 

How to Earn This Microcredential

Participants must submit evidence related to learning, implementing, and reflecting on teaching with gamification in the classroom. This includes a written overview of the pros and cons of gamification, an implementation of gamification in the classroom, and a reflection on lessons learned in this microcredential.

Fees

Participants submitting this microcredential for review will be assessed an administrative fee of $50. Participants who successfully complete the microcredential will receive a certificate showing completion of 1.0 CEU.

 Why Get This Microcredential?

 

This microcredential is part of the K-12 Teaching and Learning with Games Credential. Most of the microcredentials in this certificate have focused on consuming, designing, or producing educational games in analog or digital format. This microcredential focuses on gamification, including how to implement game elements into teaching and learning.

Important Terms
  • Affordances – things that are considered positives or advantages; it could also mean that something enables something else to happen.  An affordance of a fork is that it can allow you to eat food.
  • Constraints – things that are considered negatives or limitations. A constraint of a fork is that it does not allow you to eat soup easily.
  • Educational games – games that are either created for educational purposes, or if not specifically educational they can still be applied for educational goals. Educational goals can be cognitive, emotional, affective, social, etc.
  • Gamification – attempting to apply games and gaming elements to improve processes or activities (e.g., teaching and learning)
  • Pedagogy – there are a lot of definitions, but it is probably easiest to think of this as the art or science of teaching. It would be easy, for instance, to ask educators how educational gaming fits into their pedagogical beliefs.

  Benefits of this Microcredential

 

Digital and analog gaming impact all aspects of society. Teachers and students often focus on either consumption or production of games in education. However, there has been a recent movement towards taking the elements of game play and putting those into teaching and learning (in analog or digital formats). The purpose of this microcredential is for educators to learn about affordances and constraints of gamification, how to gamify their pedagogy, and how to implement gamification in the classroom. 

Standards

Ohio Learning Standards: Technology
  • Information and Communications Technology
    • ICT Topic 1: Identify and use appropriate digital learning tools and resources to accomplish a defined task.
    • ICT Topic 2: Use digital learning tools and resources to locate, evaluate and use information.
    • ICT Topic 3: Use digital learning tools and resources to construct knowledge.
  • Society and Technology
    • ST Topic 1: Demonstrate an understanding of technology’s impact on the advancement of humanity – economically, environmentally, and ethically.
    • ST Topic 3: Explain how technology, society, and the individual impact one another.
  • Design and Technology
    • DT Topic 1: Define and describe the technology, including its core concepts of systems, resources, requirements, processes, controls, optimization, and trade-offs.
    • DT Topic 2: Identify a problem and use an engineering design process to solve the problem.
    • DT Topic 4: Evaluate designs using functional, aesthetic, and creative elements.
ISTE Educator Standards
  • 2.1 Learner
    • 2.1.a - Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness.
    • 2.1.b - Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks.
    • 2.1.c - Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.
  • 2.2 Leader
    • 2.2.b - Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content, and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.
    • 2.2.c - Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation, and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.
  • 2.3 Citizen
    • 2.3.b - Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
  • 2.4 Collaborator
    • 2.4.b - Collaborate and co-learn with students to discover and use new digital resources and diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues.
    • 2.4.d - Demonstrate cultural competency when communicating with students, parents, and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.
  • 2.5 Designer
    • 2.5.a - Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.
    • 2.5.b - Design authentic learning activities aligned with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active deep learning.
    • 2.5.c - Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.
  • 2.6 Facilitator
    • 2.6.b - Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces, or in the field.
    • 2.6.c - Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems.
    • 2.6.d - Model and nurture creativity and creative expression to communicate ideas, knowledge, or connections.
  • 2.7 Analyst
    • 2.7.a - Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology.
    • 2.7.b - Use technology to design and implement a variety of formative and summative assessments that accommodate learner needs, provide timely feedback to students, and inform instruction.
    • 2.7.c - Use assessment data to guide progress and communicate with students, parents, and education stakeholders to build student self-direction.

 Evidence Review

 

Candidates interested in earning this microcredential must submit three pieces of evidence: one piece related to learning, one related to implementing, and one related to reflecting.

When you are ready for your evidence review, submit your pieces of evidence for feedback from a qualified instructor. 

Learning

In this first of three sections, you will learn about the affordances and constraints of gamification.

Required Resources

  • Read Chapter 2.7 () in the by Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich & Royce Kimmons. As you read, consider the following questions:
    • What is gamification?
    • What are the most important steps you need to consider to gamify your specific curriculum?

Additional Resources

  • Popular Press
    • eLearning Industry -
    • FETC –
    • Jennifer Zaino –
    • Kristy Lam –
    • Mohammadreza Javanian -
    • PBS Teacher’s Lounge -
    • Ryan Shaaf & Jack Quinn –
    • Shalina Chatlani –
    • Tiltlabs -
    • Waterford -
    • Whooo’s Reading -
  • Research Materials
    • Bai, S., Hew, K. F., & Huang, B. (2020). . Educational Research Review, 30, 100322.
    • Dichev, C., & Dicheva, D. (2017). . International journal of educational technology in higher education, 14(1), 1-36.
    • Saleem, A. N., Noori, N. M., & Ozdamli, F. (2022). . Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 27(1), 139-159
  • Videos
    • Teachings in Education –
    • | Scott Hebert | TEDxUAlberta

Required Evidence

  • Submit a 1-2 page reflection of what you learned from the chapter on Gamification and any other resources provided. Specifically consider four questions among other things you found interesting:  First, what does it mean to gamify your classroom and/or your curriculum?   Second, what are examples of a gamified classroom?  Third, what would you need to do to prepare your content or curriculum for gamification. Fourth, what are potential challenges in gamification?
  • Formatting – One to two pages maximum; double-spaced, no smaller than 11pt font.
  • Use references to support your claims. References do not count towards the 1-2 page minimum/maximum. Any format for references is allowed but APA is preferred.

Evidence Review Criteria

  • Criterion 1: Educators will be able to demonstrate an understanding of what it means to gamify a classroom.
  • Criterion 2: Educators will be able to identify important gamification elements and challenges to successful implementation.
Implementing

In this second of three sections, you will be gamifying some aspect of your curriculum, classroom, or learning assignments.

Required Resources

  • Your main goal for this section is to pick an assignment, part of your curriculum, or part of your classroom, and then add gamification components to it. Resources have already been supplied in section 1 that include tips and warnings on gamification.
  • Please note that adding a simple game to your content would not qualify for this microcredential. For instance, adding a Kahoot game to a social studies review can be a fun new way to review. However, this assignment aims to dig deeper into adding some broader aspects of gamification to your learning and teaching processes.
  • Please also note that the gamification can be analog or digital.

Additional Resources

  • See section 1 for resources on gamification.

Required Evidence

  • Create a document that describes your existing assignment, curriculum, or pedagogy. Then create a plan for gamifying the experience. Include specific elements of gamification.
  • Be sure to include the appropriate state learning standards into your lesson plan (e.g., ).
  • Implement that gamification into the curriculum.
  • Evidence of successful completion must include two components:
    • The gamification plan in Word or PDF format. There are no length or format requirements. However, it must include state or content standards.
    • Include in the plan the actual date(s) of implementation, including the age and grade of the audience.
    • You do not have to include a summary of what happened. You will include that in the reflection part of this activity.

Evidence Review Criteria

  • Criterion 1: Educators will present evidence of the creation of a gamification plan.
  • Criterion 2: Educators will implement the gamification plan.
Reflecting

In this final of three sections, you will reflect upon your experiences in this microcredential.

Required Resources

  • If you are new to writing reflections and/or this is your first microcredential, please visit at least one of the additional resources.

Additional Resources

  • EduBirdie -
  • Trent University –

Required Evidence

  • Reflect on what happened during the implementation. Specifically, focus on:
    • What went well? What did the students enjoy?
    • What would need to be changed for next time?
    • What did you read about in the “learning" section of this microcredential that was either true or not true for your gamification implementation?
    • If you had to do this over again, what would you do differently?
    • Are you now more or less convinced about the potential of gamifying your teaching and learning? Why?
  • Formatting – One to two pages maximum; double-spaced, no smaller than 11pt font.
  • No references are required.

Evidence Review Criteria

  • Criterion 1: Educators will be able to demonstrate thoughtful reflection on their learning experiences.
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