Using Gamification in the Classroom: Turning Daily Lessons into Enjoyable Quests!

While traditional educational models often turn intimidating for students, using gamification in the classroom is a major alternative to transforming daily lessons into a fun and interactive experience. Using gamification in a class isn’t just an educational strategy. But, it’s more like an inspiration tool for students. So, when gamifying the classroom, one must use hacks that can aptly surge a student’s inspiration to learn and progress. This blog covers all requisite methods of using gamification in the classroom for the culmination of a productive fun-and-learn environment.    

Leverage Digital Platforms and Applications

In recent times, the most prominent way of using gamification in the classroom is to use dynamic digital platforms and applications that empower educators to integrate game-like elements and principles into the learning course.   

1. Google Forms allows teachers to create a mystery-solving competition among students via task cards. It also offers the opportunity to curate password-protected bonus questions for more point accumulation. 

2. Teachers can use Google Sheets to add game-like elements like points, badges, and other reward systems.

3. Utilizing the app called Kahoot to let students contest them in the “ghost mode” and beat the highest scores can even serve as a significant way of classroom gamification.

4. Educators no longer need to confine educational gameplays like scavenger hunts to school playgrounds. Platforms like Google Earth can work like a world of unlimited exploration. So, when using it to create scavenger hunt sessions, students get to tour through the entire globe and even the ancient civilizations.

5. Slides, PowerPoint, and Adobe can also function as significant digital tools to add elements of students’ favourite games into classroom lessons.

6. Educators can customize point systems for various educational challenges and add compelling stories to those challenges using the app named ClassDojo, thereby positively implementing gamification in the classroom.            

Find Unique Gaming Elements to Incorporate

Using gamification in the classroom involves another crucial step - finding out-of-the-box gaming elements or principles to incorporate. 

For the creation of a better learning atmosphere, one must brainstorm the best possible reward system, be it points, accomplishment badges, or something more innovative! 

1. Letting students encash points for school supplies like bags, calculators, geometry boxes, file holders, etc., can be a great classroom gamification hack.

2. Using levels within an educational challenge and providing interactive progression bars to check one’s own growth is another salient way of gamifying the classroom.

3. Teachers can develop learning missions using fun and quirky themes with QR codes.

4. Adapting old-school dice games and jigsaw activities within the learning pathway is a notable way to intrigue students’ interest and engagement inside the classroom.  

5. As creativity lies in every student, enabling them to make their custom badges or classroom games, for that matter, can act as an impeccable gamification method.

Also Read: How To Gamify Classroom?  

To sum up, all need to remember that gamification in a classroom works effectively only when there’s consistency, and that comes from an educator’s conscious conditioning. The main purpose of gamifying a classroom is to draw students' motivation to learn through trial and error and strive for growth. Thus, educators must pay heed to the entire classroom gamification process that best serves the purpose!