When I think of “gamifying” a lesson, I think of more engagement, more interactions, and more positive reposes to the material presented. However, I also think of lack of time spent on content, more preparation work needed, and a time filler.

I would not say that I am a gamer by any means. I can play Wii sports and can navigate Google, but I was not one who grew up with gaming systems and unlimited access to the internet. I grew up picking rocks, throwing bales, and eventually connecting to the internet via dial up (which basically meant you were desperate to find something online to your spend time clicking and waiting to get what you wanted).

Given my background, I’m not a huge knowledge-keeper of gaming nor the greatest example of integrating gaming into school, however, I know from experience the benefits.

You are able to engage with those students who have a hard time in classes and at school. You get students excited. You can have fun with the students. You present material in a new way and a way they can explore and interact with others.

On another hand, if you want hard scientific benefits to gamifying education, look to psychology. This interesting article shows how the release of dopamine in the brain is a motivator for continuing on a journey. This is achieved well in games and this strategy can be applied to school as well. By a student receiving little “rewards”, such as feedback that they are correct or an alternative, this releases the dopamine in the brain and motivates the student to continue. It is also noted to continue to challenge the student to maintain the satisfaction and dopamine release that the student gets.

That is what makes me excited about “gamification” in school.

Some of the super cool resources that we explored were:

All of these resources are great to introduce and include for students who may be early finishers or it could be a reward while still being educational.

I want to have games in my class, but my biggest worry is the time factor. If I can find and create a resource of all of these premade games, I would be more likely to include this in my teaching career.