5 Principles of Gamification

Ever since I wrote an essay touting the benefits of gamification in the classroom if done the proper way, I have been wrestling with my psyche to find the words that are necessary to explain how one could go about adding games to the classroom.  After several months of deliberation, I have come up with five principles that I think help explain what good gamification should look like.  I attempted to make them apply to any classroom setting, but I know that gamification in math will probably look different than in Social Studies.    

I plan to keep writing about how I made games an integral part of the learning in my classroom and the methods that I used, but I thought the Principles were a good place to start.  They are not in any particular hierarchy of importance.  I also imagine as I go on this journey of self-reflection, I will probably end up adding more.  Over the next few months my posts are going to apply to this vein, with some other ones mixed in.  Thank you in advance for going on this journey with me. 

Schwarten’s Principles of the Gamified Classroom

Gamification…

1.    …is a tool that is used to teach concepts in a 3 dimensional real time environment.

2.  …builds upon skills that come from inside and outside of the game. 

3.   …is not at odds with traditional modes of learning, but is a supplement and a vehicle to further learning. 

4.   …builds creativity and critical thinking skills.

5.  …grows over the course of the year allowing the skills learned earlier in the year to continuously be practiced.