Group 2: Emma Hilari, Carla Vergara & Bet Passola

GIMKIT AI

DESCRIPTION

Description: GimKit is a platform that uses interactive quizzes to keep students interested and helps teachers monitor their progress in an entertaining way. As students accurately respond to different questions, they acquire points that may be used to enhance and gain benefits in the game. For its creation you will need to sign it with your email account, to play you can join through the creator’s link or code. 

Some positive aspects and some downparts about the AI: it provides multiple options and templates for teachers to use, it’s very easy for students to manage since its software is similar to a video game (this can lead to an activity where the students can create their own material), contrary to this idea they can get too distracted and forget the real objective and purpose of the tool*. Even though there is a free-limited option, there is a downside: this tool comes with a non-free option pack: 1.000 euros for the schools or institutions/year; and 60 euros individual pack/year. 

*Note for the teachers: when using this tool you have to remember that the objective is that students practice and learn the language, NOT that they gain motivation through playing computer games. A good way to avoid this could be through a provided set of instructions of what the students have to do (expected final outcome/product), with this practice, it would be required that the students have at least a beginner A2 level in English (EFL). 

Our aim is to use this tool as an assessment and revision for the 5th graders to revize the vocabulary of the parts of the city; that at the same time will be used for 3rd graders to learn about this vocabulary. 

CONTEXTUALIZATION 

Target age: 5th grade

Target language level: middle school students (it can be adapted to the level of students) - A2 Level

Location: In the classroom (indoor space) 

LESSON AIMS & LESSON PLAN

Specific Competences (minimum 2) CEFR

• Specific Competence 1. Reception

• Specific Competence 5. Communicative language competence

• Digital competence

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To identify the vocabulary related to places in town in order to draw one word to complete the classroom corner. 

→ Specific Competence 1 and Specific Competence 5

To create a GimKit game using the parts of the city vocabulary (worked in class) in order to present it to the 3rd grade students. 

→ Specific Competence 5 and Digital Competence. 

MATERIALS

• Flashcards for the explanation of the tool

• Computers

• LINK to the web / CODE

PREPARATION BEFORE THE LESSON

There is no before class preparation for students. 

           Note: in real life implementation the 5th grade students should become ‘experts’ on the AI tool. For that there will be some sessions devoted to the tool. 

ACTIVITY AND PLANNING

CONTEXT

The Learning Situation comes from a project where the students work on an innovative proposal to improve some of the parts of their city or town. This arises from the issue that most of the parks in town are too dirty and full of trash, especially the ones near the biggest buildings and most crowded areas of the city; some of the buildings are falling apart due to their age; along with other issues. Through the didactic unit they will be working on how to write a letter with these proposals to the town hall, they will be organized in groups of 3-4. Before arriving at this last ‘final product’, the students have to revize the vocabulary of some of the buildings, stores, etc. parts of their town. In this introductory - structuring phase of the LS (learning situation) the students will work on the vocabulary, you will see below in Proposed Activities, Possible questions. To work on the vocabulary of the town they will carry out 2 sessions to work on the correspondent vocabulary, to test their understanding, they will create their own GimKit game, that will be shown to the 3rd graders at the end of the LS.

Note: this LS would have two final products, (1) the letter to the town hall, and (2) the GimKit game aimed for 3rd graders to accompany their learning on the vocabulary of the parts of the city/town. 

PRE-TASK 

1. Flashcards to introduce Gimkit: students will use flashcards to explain the key aspects of the tool, so students understand how to use it. (Annex 1)

WHAT IS GIMKIT?*

Gimkit is an online learning game where you answer questions to earn virtual money/points, which you can use to get bonuses and upgrade your character. (this written text will be preceded with graphical/visual representations)

2. Demonstration of the tool using the screen. Show how to log in.

MAIN TASK 

The main task will be to create the game with vocabulary revised in class, about the parts of the city. They will create the activity in groups. 

At some point of the following LS sessions, they will have the chance to test their proposed games, to see if they are ready to be presented to the 3rd grade students. 

Things to bear in mind as teachers: when working in groups make sure that all the students have a role or a task to complete. Avoid having inactive/passive students, this is not a game! It is learning through gamification: the objective is that students learn. Alongside, to achieve the interaction between them to be in English: SC5 (specific competence 5); there can be the role of the supervisor to ensure they all talk in English.*

*Scaffolding: the teacher can prepare a sheet of paper with some phrases and tenses to aid the students (e.g. The grocery store is where we buy food.; The bus stop is where we catch the bus. , etc.)

FINAL TASK 

Students have to choose one word they have used in the game and draw the meaning and place it in a corner of the classroom. This corner of the classroom will be devoted to the vocabulary (or knowledge in general) that students acquire while using this AI tool. This will help them when they have to write the letter or show the 3rd graders the tool. 

FEEDBACK - Thursday 03.10.2024

Once we showed our activity to our classmates, they gave us constructive feedback:

They thought that managing distractions when using interactive tools like GimKit is essential to ensure students remain focused. For this reason, we thought that we should improve this area in order to achieve our learning objectives. For this reason, we thought of:

• Setting clear learning objectives

• Incorporate timed quizzes

• Establish group roles

• Provide feedback

• Incorporate peer teaching

Thanks to the contributions of our colleagues, we were able to rethink our activity.