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Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: An Exhibition on University Teaching

Games and Gamification

2) GAMES AND GAMIFICATION

What are they?

The use of games and gamification has grown significantly in education and has become quite popular in Higher Education and certainly in an increasing number of classes on the UWI Mona campus.  In the simplest of forms, game-based learning is an active learning process, in which games are used to solve problems, or to achieve a learning outcome. Gamification, on the other hand, is the application of specific elements of games (such as badges, levels, points, progress) in serious contexts such as teaching and learning. 

Tips (best practice) for using games and gamification for instruction

  1. Always begin by mapping out clear learning outcomes for your class
  2. Implement an award system to encourage positive learning habits
  3. Explore, evaluate and incorporate ready-made games and gamification platforms for your subject-area
  4. Consider sites, tools and platforms which allow you to create games or gamified experiences based on your subject area
  5. Solicit students’ input/feedback on using games/gamification in your class

As you go about putting together a strategy for using games/gamification in your teaching and learning experience here on the Mona campus, please remember that games and gamification CANNOT replace the facilitator nor the learning process.  Games and gamification components should be strategically incorporated into the learning process, should be fun and should never be overused!

 

Watch Karl Kapp discuss games vs gamification

Watch: CETL, Mona Lunch & Learn on creating an award structure for gamified experiences

Play a simple ppt game (For best results, download it to play) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tcCk8ks-hdgKlGHjfwwXTgDgXbJfm42d98PxzAPeqzE/edit?usp=share_link

Examine Quizizz (https://quizizz.com/?lng=en)

 

and Kahoot! (https://kahoot.com/schools/kahoot-edu/) platforms

 

Additional Resources

Read: Playful Pedagogy in the Pandemic - Pivoting to Game-Based Learning (Click on preview to get a sneak peek

https://www.routledge.com/Playful-Pedagogy-in-the-Pandemic-Pivoting-to-Games-Based-Learning/Johnson-Salter/p/book/9781032251264

Read - Game On: Using Digital Games to Transform Teaching, Learning and Assessment - a practical guide for educators to select and tailor digital games to their students' needs (Click on look inside for a sneak peek)

https://www.amazon.com/Game-Transform-Assessment-practical-educators/dp/1936763974

Read - For the Win: The Power of Gamification and Game Thinking in Business, Education, Government and Social Impact (Google Books preview)

https://books.google.com.jm/books?id=nQI2EAAAQBAJ&printsec+frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Read: Villa Libertad/"Libertyville" Student-centric digital game-based learning community.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331787270_Villa_LibertadLibertyville_Student-centric_digital_game-based_learning_community

Read: The games people play: Utilizing PowerPoint Games in Foreign-Language Delivery

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259823487_The_games_people_play

_Utilizing_Power_point_games_in_language_delivery

Read - Can we play here, should we: Developing framework of gamification in Higher Education at UTech, Jamaica.

https://www.research.net/publication/332278398_Can We_Play_here_Should_We_Developing_a_Framework_of_Gamification_in_

Higher_Education_at_UTech_Jamaica