Community Through Technology: An Online ESL Instructor Toolkit

Extra Credit "Easter Eggs"

Game-like Mechanics

In addition to the challenge and reward aspects of this activity, Easter eggs themselves have a rich history being incorporated into video game design

Challenge

Easter eggs can be hidden gifts or powers, or they can be in the form of challenges that, if solved, provide some sort of reward

Surprise

Easter eggs appear at previously unannounced locations and/or times, providing the element of surprise

Easter Eggs

Overview with Screencast Examples

So, what is an Easter egg, anyway? Well, it's a hidden message, feature, or special power in a video game or other electronic medium. Easter eggs find their origins in the early days of software development and video games, where developers would “hide” a feature behind a certain command or, in terms of video games, a certain choice or sequence of choices made by the user at a specific point in the game.

Now, for a class, you probably don’t want to have any of the actual course content to be hidden from some students, but they can be used for providing additional "bonus" resources or material on a content area, or, and this is how I really liek to use Easter eggs, for extra credit opportunities. The challenge and surprise of Easter eggs used in this way can increase student motivation, which helps to build community.