Gamification

1. Aim

IIS Lucrezia Della Valle has been experiencing Gamification in education as a revision activity in digital and traditional contexts.

Gamification means to use some elements of games, such as to earn scores, to achieve higher levels, to win awards, to show  gifts, in other contexts.

Gamification is mainly employed in marketing, e.g. the fidelity cards of shops and supermarkets to collect points.

Gamification is one of the most effective strategies to increase student’s engagement.

For us GIMKIT was highly beneficial in digital context  while CARDS and QUIZ GAMES were in traditional context. The different approaches gave students the possibility to choose the most suitable one. 

2. GIMKIT

GIMKIT. Gimkit is  a tool to study and review topics in a competitive game format. Teachers create a kit (learning games, quizzes that can be turned into different games) and then a login code is given to students. Students can use any device to access and from there they can participate in the scheduled game.

Teachers generate a kit adding questions in several ways: manually, from question banks, importing from a spreadsheet or using flashcards (Flashcards speed up the process, because Gimkit will autogenerate incorrect answers for you).

After the kit has been created, teachers choose from several different games

3. EVERGREEN GAMES

The different types of evergreen games selected for our pupils were MEMORY, QUIZ GAMES, CARDS GAMES and ROLE PLAYING. A brief but thorough description of each is advantageous for teachers who desire to insert them in their daily teaching-learning process.

MEMORY. At the beginning of the game, all the cards are mixed up and laid in cols and rows, face down on the table. Player 1 starts and turns over two cards: if the two cards do not match, they are flipped back down and player 2 starts playing, otherwise they are considered a pair and the player 1 has the right to continue. The game is over, when all the pairs have been found. The player who has the most cards wins!

The teacher can choose two immages, a picture and a phrase or two phrases that have a link.

QUIZ GAME 1. At home, teachers select a topic and write down some questions. In the  classroom, the class is divided into two groups and a  question is asked. The groups work in teams to solve a problem writing the answer on a sheet. The group leader runs to the Whiteboard and gives the sheet with the written answer to the teacher. If the answer is right the group scores a point, otherwise it loses a point.

QUIZ GAME 2. Pupils line up. The teacher asks a question to the first student in line. If the pupil provides a correct answer, the student ends up at the end of the line. The second in line becomes the first one and has to answer a new question. If the pupil provides a wrong answer, the student must get out of the line. The second in line becomes the first one and has to answer the same question. The winner is the last one standing in line.

CARDS GAME AND ROLE PLAYING. The activity is made up of three different steps: playing cards and filling in the form; each team  corrects  the sheet of the other group; the teacher checks the activity, uses the Whiteboard and generates a discussion  with the students. In detail.

First step ( playing cards and filling in the form ): each pupil has three cards containing a question on a shared topic. One player at time,  clockwise, selects one card with a question. The player on the right has to answer the question. If the player gives a correct answer,  it is written on the sheet and the card is left on the table. Otherwise, if  the student gives a wrong answer, all the cards on the  table must be collected, while the other players have to explain  the right answer, writing it down on the sheet. The winner is the pupil who collected the least number of cards.

Second step ( role playing ): each team  corrects  the other group’s answer sheet  with a red pen like a real teacher.

Third step ( teacher's correctios ): the teacher corrects the activity, uses the  whiteboard and generates a discussion with the students.

Educational Benefits for Teachers are:

1. Repeats questions and offers continuous review The primary goal is to help students improve their understanding of concepts through gamification. By using games, students can review content and remember information. This strategy can be used in all subjects.

2. Engaging technology for learning: Gimkit can make learning more engaging and interactive for students. By using the game, students are more likely to stay motivated and develop a positive attitude.

3. Creates a «fun» learning environment for students: Using typical elements of game playing, like challenges and rewards, a fun learning process is created students can repeat topics.

Educational Benefits for Students are:

• The games offer continuous review. Students can repeats topics using them.

• Rewards are given as questions are answered correctly in Gimkit: students earn virtual money that can be used during the game for various things (music, extra points, etc.)

• Repeats questions that have been answered incorrectly: questions can be answered many times, as the game just repeats itself

4. Conclusions

Gimkit is a great tool to be used in:

• Reviewing: by using games, students can review content while trying to answer correctly

• Teaching: Gimkit can make learning more engaging and interactive for students

• Rendering learning fun: Students had a lot of fun during games and they were concentrated and motivated while trying to answering correctly.

During memory activity, the teacher can observe each player’s method:

• There is no standard school behavior

• Serenity is a major feeling

• Strategies are employed

• Playing is fun

For what concerns quiz game 1 students loved running around the class:

• They worked in a team and every member of the team tried to contribute to the victory

• They had the opportunity to share their knowledge without shame

• They corrected wrong concepts without realizing it.

Quiz game 2 is an individual activity, but students supported each other enhancing sense of belonging to the class and empathy:

• Pupils correct wrong responses

• They repeat the concept out loud

• They expressed themselves better.

If the students had studied well the teacher risked finishing all questions, while many of them would still be standing in line.

 Card games and role-playing is a complex activity because it starts off as individual one and gradually become a group task. People interpret two different roles: players and teachers with two distinctive approaches:

• Pupils have to be able to argue their answers

• They have to be able to correct the mistakes of others.

In conclusion, students carry out the review activities without realizing it. Each activity strengthened the team spirit and self-awareness. Furthermore, pupils developed collaborative learning because they had to work together on a shared aim.

 Gamification helps pupils review content and remember and retain information.