Using gamification has become increasingly popular in education. I have even used gamification to enhance reading engagement in my classroom when I was a teacher.

For example, the reading app that I used in my classroom, called Epic, provides students with badges that help encourage students to read more. They could unlock different prizes with how many books they read. They earned avatar backgrounds, poses, facial features, and more.

In my learning scenario above, I used the authentic assessment of gamification. The game was not a PC game, but I did include badges that the students could earn, and the assessment is set up as an escape room which has become popular over the years. While the game was not on the computer, some elements linked such technology as QR codes to continue the game.

Experiential learning is an important part of the learning process. Being able to use what you have learned in the classroom and apply it by doing, helps students (younger or older) develop concrete experiences that get the learning into that long term memory bank.

This type of learning has typically been considered mostly for the hard sciences but has become common across all subjects. This learning model and assessment can be used for formal education settings and corporate trainings. After all, the goal is to get learners to use the material that you are teaching.

While I have used many gamification elements for the learning scenario above, I did not want to leave out the experiential portion that was also included. In my assessment, students will be using the figurative language they learned to solve puzzles, and use critical thinking skills. For that reason, I added both authentic assessments.