Are you competitive? If you answer 'No' to this question, I would suggest that you ask someone who knows you well to see if they agree. I can honestly say that I am a competitive person (mark the difference between being competitive and being a poor sport). Most people love competing, and look for opportunities to challenge themselves against others (or a standard). If you want someone’s keen interest at a task, make a game out of it.
Our trustees recently met with students from our district youth council (YC 34), who have a mandate to enhance student voice in our education system. One of the themes that surfaced in their explorations this year related to the importance of making learning 'fun.' This is perhaps a simplistic conceptualization of their concern, as I think they are really referring to the importance of engagement. Teachers are generally attuned to making learning engaging, and perhaps 'fun' is a byproduct of that. Regardless of what we call it, the idea of having game-like features in learning experiences is important, nonetheless.
More and more school systems are looking to the world of sports (pick any sports league), reality television (Survivor or Hell's Kitchen are classic examples), video games (ever played Angry Birds?), online course design (ask our colleagues doing the Red Bird course), and industry (do you collect Air Miles?) to better understand and model the psychology of ‘gamification’. It is not a new concept. Whether or not you have actively studied game theory, and have applied it to student learning, you probably instinctively use it in your professional and personal life. Here are some of the critical features of game theory which parallel ideal learning environments in our classrooms:
Mastery: Any good game provides you with multiple opportunities to prove your mastery of a particular skill. Those who demonstrate mastery are rendered ‘safe’ and removed from competition in that particular challenge. Then they may be allowed to advise their peers, or may be taken away for an individualized training session with the teacher—advanced training for which they have proven themselves qualified. When a student masters the layup in PE class, you give her the opportunity to support with students who are challenged by the task, or you take her aside to work on advanced variations of that skill (reverse or teardrop layups).
Expert/Peer Evaluation: A cornerstone of gamification is motivational feedback from peers and/or experts. The best games provide you with immediate feedback about what went well (or not), and an opportunity to fix it. Not that I would ever condone Gordon Ramsay’s (pictured) behaviour, but we can learn from the fact that he regularly gives his students a chance to redeem themselves and try again. Students working on a descriptive writing task learn more deeply when they know the nature of their errors in style, and how they may fix them (in a caring environment). Think of the power of this feedback coming from a professional writer.
Credentials/Badges: I spoke with two Godson Elementary teachers at the recent district Inquiry-Based Learning Team (IBLT) demonstrations. They told me about the power of motivating students in math by creating levels of credentials (badges) for them to acquire. They knew instinctively that ‘getting to the next level’ was extremely motivating for their students, and were excited to see its impact on their achievement. Leveled badges or credentials validate mastery of a particular subject or skill, and drive greater effort. How does it make you feel (and behave) when Air Miles sends you an email congratulating you on having enough points to become a Platinum Member?
If you think about some of your most powerful, enjoyable and memorable learning experiences you would probably notice that they embodied some key aspects of game theory. So the next time someone asks you if you are competitive, just admit it. It is inescapable, and in the best cases, very desirable.
~ Kevin
Kevin Godden
Superintendent of Schools/CEO
Abbotsford School District
