One major component I was looking forward to exploring when I decided to undergo this gamification process was how to make the work relevant to the students. Creating a story would not really be that difficult, coming up with a theme or game design would not either. The real challenge was designing the work within the game because, let's face it, in the end work is still ... well work!

After doing some reading I learned of a teacher down in the New York area who was having a hard time getting her students motivated in her high school biology class. She had tried a number of different things but work was either not coming in or was poor in quality. This teacher decided that changing the wording and format in which she distributed the work might change things so she began to call her work "quests" and had different areas/people (for example the class skeleton model in the back of the room) deliver the "quests" and she called them "Quest Givers". It seemed to take the edge off for her students and she noted an immediate turn around in student work ethic. They all wanted to quest, to complete the challenges and to help the people indicated in the quests. It changed her class and began to circulate around the school. Before she knew it questing was the "it thing" in her school!

So with that in mind I decided to re-design my classwork!

Questing in Scientia Terra

I knew that after reading what I explained above that I wanted to utilize this questing concept. The first thing I did was look back at my old form of assessment and its associated language. In the past, each unit in my science course consisted of: 1 quiz, 1 unit final, 1 major project, 1 glossary/study tool  and 1 major in class activity ... in a nutshell it was not very exciting but I did what I could to make it exciting. I decided that a quick relabeling of the language would be my starting point. Now each unit consists of Tutorial Time (when I directly teach), 1 Boss Battle (quiz), 1 Final Boss Battle (Unit Final) and 2 sets of Quests (4-6 quests per month). These quests are activities I have always done, both in and outside of class, but I decided to entrench them into the narrative.

I've tried explaining this before without an example but I just could not get the details correct so please,  allow me to explain questing, in detail, using one of the 1st quests I created. This is my death and revival of the worksheet...

*As an update: students are just unlocking this quest set now and so far, they seem pretty fired up with the concept!*

Mission 4 - The Goblin Battle

Wrapped around about half of my class are over 25 different photos to mimic the different landscapes an adventurer could encounter while exploring the land of Scientia Terra. The pictures stretch from mountain ranges to forests and everything in between. While they are not entirely perfect, and in a perfect world with infinite time and budget, I would hire an artist to create and paint a panorama that wraps the room, this did the trick for now. Here are some examples of the pictures I used...

So now that I had that concept complete, I needed to figure out a way for them to become alive, to become the quests. This is where my inner geek kicked in as I knew exactly what to do! Each month, I bring 4 to 6 of them alive using Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality (a.k.a. AR), if you are not familiar with it, you check out the video link below. If you would rather a quick Cole's Notes version please allow me...

Augmented Reality is essentially the ability to overlay multiple forms of multimedia directly over top of an object or picture (anything really) and bring it to life. How do you bring it to life? Using a special app (also known as an Augmented Reality Browser) you can scan the object and that object will react accordingly. It could play a video or music, poss a poll question, trigger a game or even download a document. The possibilities are endless and it really is an exciting piece of technology. If you have not already, you should absolutely check it out!

I currently use Aurasma and Blippar when I teach using Augmented Reality. My preference is Blippar for its incredible ease of use, trigger codes and multiple interactivity options. You do have to contact them directly to use it as an educator but they are pretty quick to reply and set you up. Took about a month for me to get signed up and creating. Aurasma is instant sign up and start time but it is a little more limiting in terms of its features.

Blippar can be found here ... Website ... App Download Link (App Store) ... (Google Play)

Aurasma can be found here ... Website ... App Download Link (App Store) ... (Google Play)

So how do I use AR?

At the beginning of each month guilds must try to crack a 5 digit code I have created in order to unlock the ability to scan for their quests. The code information is found in new and upcoming real world science which hopefully will make more aware of the world around them and its scientific progressions in different fields. The clues are fairly basic and one could look something like this ... 

                           Clue #3: 6 Scientist have just locked themselves inside of a dome on the side of a mountain
                                            in Hawaii to simulate what it could be like to live on Mars. They are totally cut off
                                            from the outside world. They will spend 365 days in the bubble. What is the longest
                                           someone has ever lived isolated like this for science. When you find it, add the 3
                                           numbers together to get the answer you need!

A lot of the science information I use comes from the interestingly named IFL Science, found here. This a fantastic website for all things science in all fields. The kids love it but you do have to talk to them about it because some articles can be intense and, to be frank, IFL stands for I F*#@ing Love and although it is not plastered all over the website, informing them is crucial!

Once they have cracked the 5 digit code they confirm it with me. When it has been confirmed,  they take a Tablet of Truth (what we call our class iPads) and they input the code into the app "Blippar" (mentioned above). They then begin to scan the pictures that wrap around the room looking for their quests! As they scan them, certain pictures will trigger an event (much like walking through grass in an RPG and the screen flashes and you enter a battle). Once the AR event is loaded it is 2 parts.

Here is the photo that triggers the Goblin Battle and beside it is the image, as scene on the iPad (not grid appears though - just the trigger images) when it has been triggered.

Part (Sequence) 1 - The Setup

This sets the mood. The screen brings up an arrow, a scroll and a "This Way"  icon over the scanned background (these are all animated and float down and slide in depending on the icon). When students click the scroll a short, a half page story describing your location and scenario appears and read like this...

(The original file can be downloaded here).

This really sets the mood and draws the students in. Now that they are in a proper mindset they click on the "This Way" arrow to bring up their next sequence, which looks like this...

Part (Sequence) 2 - The Work

This sequence delivers the work and allows for play. First the land comes to life. In the Goblin Battle, 2 goblins appear, some bushes, the word "Fight" grows and flashes before fading out and a few buttons (again all are animated in a predefined sequence you can setup). When you click the goblins they will each laugh in some maniacal tone! Press the "Try it on" button and you can take a picture with a goblin mask on in a photo booth feature. You can then share your adventure on social media directly from the Photo Booth (which I am highly encouraging the students to do!) Finally, you can click "Fight" button which gives the adventures (students) their work. It begins with a story continuing off of Part 1 and then you get your assignment. Each assignment is leveled easy, medium or hard and the rewards are displayed (XP to earn, items - if any, badges - if any, specific rules, etc...) This allows the students to become totally involved as well as know what they are playing for. Here is what the second sheet looks like and how it reads ...

(The original file can be downloaded here)

The goblin battle assignment is a work sheet on concentration however I do not call them worksheets but instead they are known as Battle Sheets. They have to calculate and answer questions regarding concentrations. When they are done they submit it but in a very unique way. Before that, here is snippet of the Battle Sheet.

(Here is the original Battle Sheet which you can download here)

Each Battle Sheet contains a series of questions and each question notes the amount of damage it deals if it is answered correctly. This is important in how they submit their work!

I believe I have come up with a way to authenticate the Battle experience. I crafted a massive table and added sand, water, figures, rocks, etc and it is my Battleground. Here is what it looks like...

*Note: Since taking these pictures I have added a few more elements to the Battle ground and even students have been making components for it!*

The kids submit work to me here and get to battle just as the quest indicated! In the goblin scenario they are given a sheet with the same 2 goblins with health meters and their own health meter. It looks like this ...

As they call out their answers to me (which I wait to do until all Battle Sheets are submitted due to the obvious kids spreading answers factor) I announce if they have correctly answered the question or not to them. As they answer correctly they get to slash the goblin with the sword (red pen) and eliminate their "health hearts". If they are wrong they have the chance to take damage themselves and this effects their own health meter.

If they answer incorrectly they must pick 2 of the 6 possible numbers that exist on a die (which I call "The Dice of Decision") and subsequently roll them. If they roll one of their 2 picks, they block the strike and no damage is inflicted but if they do not roll one of their choices their health meter drops by one.

*Side note: I have incorporated character classes into this as well. Knights, being defensive and well armored, get to increase their odds to 4/6 which also adds a strategic element to the game as guild battles require careful thinking as to who should represent the guild (who being which character class) if it is in fact a guild battle. . 

Now, in gamification, you can never lose your grade but you can lose your items and money (exactly like a game) so if they perish (their health meter is drained) I take their money and their items. Now, when I described this to the kids they were intrigued and many were highly motivated because the idea of losing something tangible they possess instead of a grade written in a grade book was much more real to them! I also do this as a way to ensure I get the high quality work I am looking for. Take your time and win as to where you can be punished in a non-traditional way for rushing and submitting sub park work!

Back to the Battle Sheets...

Now immediately people have said, "Well then, you expect everyone to get 100% to kill the creature?"  and I simply reply and, "No". The plan is to set the bar at 70% being a successful battle win so the health meter will be adjusted accordingly. I take whatever the total available damage is on the Battle Sheet and calculate what is 70% for example (7 out of 10 marks) and put 7 hearts divided among the enemy.  Everything over and above is known as "The Finishing Touch" and leads to potential rewards for the player ... maybe items, maybe badges, maybe gold!

Once students are feeling successful and confident in the Battle scenario, I will then increase the expected score to 73, 75, 80, etc ... as the year moves on and the kids will likely not notice right away. Now they can still pass just the monster gets away wounded. This takes the pressure away from high anxiety students. However, for those who are big on collection and items, should they slay the enemy they have a chance to search for loot after the battle! I built my own scratch tickets which can be accessed by rolling the "Dice of Decision". Just like it was mentioned above, the student selects 2/6 possible numbers and rolls. Roll their selection, search is successful and they get a scratch card and if not their search turns up nothing. To influence choice and strategy again, the specific character classes effect the outcome as the Thief class gets a 4/6 chance!  They will then be able to keep their monster battle sheets almost as badges of honour themselves.

So, that is how my Gamification tackles the dreaded worksheet and how I slayed it only to bring it back once again.

What do you think?

Until next time!

- Master Heebs

The first week of the 2015-2016 school year has wrapped up and it has finally begun -  my 1st week in my newly gamified classroom has officially started. Nearly 100 hours of prep work, help and support from countless people, a few hundred dollars out of pocket and a big time hope that my vision would come to life. So what was the verdict of week one?

Let me walk you through it day by day!

Day 1 - Monday

When students 1st walked into my class I could hear them begin to ask questions, "What is that on the wall?" or "Why is that covered up in paper?" and my favourite "What the heck is that giant table?".  What I was hoping for happened - there were questions and they wanted answers. They would have to wait though! Why? The first day of school consists primarily of organizational elements such as locker allocation and student schedules and the like. It was not until after our "Welcome Back" assembly that 2 of my 4 classes would get their 1st taste of Gamification.

The first two classes walked in and and sat down (back to back blocks) and looked at me waiting for their instructions and introductions to the course. I began to explain to them that this class would be different, it would be a unique experience but it would come with its ups and downs and together we were going to go through the concept of Gamification this year. I could see some faces light up, some contort with confusion and others become a little squirmy with uncertainty. Excellent - they were listening now! They wanted to know more, they began to ask questions, "What is gamification?" and "The class is a game?" were most common. It was now time to hand out their user manuals. (If you would like to see what mine looked like please feel free to check it out by clicking here). This breaks down the rules, avatars, guilds, player classes, items, badges and other key details. Now hands started to fly up and thoughts began to race. The questions were coming fast and I was trying to cover as many as I could when "insert airplane seat belt warning child sound here" (our new bell system is "unique" I'll say...) class was over. Kids began to file out and I could hear some great conversations happening among them as they left - some excited and some still confused at the intricacies of the game. I wondered what they thought as I watched them leave. Would they like it? Would they be willing to try? Did I sell it to them too forcefully or did I scare them with my excitement? It was 3:05PM, Gamification had been introduced for 45 minutes and I was now committed.

As I began to pack up my bag to go home I received this e-mail from a parent, roughly an hour after students headed home. I braced myself because to receive an e-mail this soon I was nervous it could have been a negative one.

*Please note - all names have been changed for privacy reasons and while the e-mail is verbatim the names are fictional*

To say I was thrilled would be an understatement! I sent the parent a reply thanking her and received this back.

One of the biggest concerns I heard from people when they heard I was going to try this was that "most girls were not gamers" and "they would likely not connect with it". These two e-mail were very reassuring and this parent has no idea how helpful, stress relieving and welcoming this short exchange of e-mails was! I was pumped up and I could not wait to see another new class tomorrow to share the new format with them as well.

Day 2 - Tuesday

I saw my 3rd science class in the afternoon after lunch and they already knew what was coming. Students had apparently got to talking and word was beginning to circulate. They were eager to learn and I was eager to share. They asked most of the same questions and while there were still many left unanswered and many who were still grappling with the concept of gamification I could see once again that connections were being made.

I also saw the same 2 classes from Monday and they began to select their avatar names and player classes. Even though they were not placed in guilds the students were really taking this seriously. Some were seen building strategies about which character class to pick and guessing which perks would come with them while others were wrestling with the perfect avatar name. I know from my short time as a teacher that witnessing this type of care on such a small task demonstrates clear interest in the task and I was very pleased to see this.

All and all I was feeling good 2 days in! Gamification was looking to be an early success!

Later that night I received a notification on Twitter that I was mentioned in a Tweet. This individual works in my district and I was so grateful to receive it!

Once again, for privacy sake, I've scratched out their names and images as I have not had time to ask them if they OK with me sharing their Tweet in my Blog.

So far, I was feeling great!

Day 3 - Wednesday

Today, I sorted my 1st three classes into their guilds. The anticipation was building when I explained to them how it would work. We would be undergoing a random draw using what I called "The Wheel of Science" (here is a link to the online randomizer I used). I projected the wheel onto the board and I had the kids stand in the front of the room. I needed to make this safe so I explained there were would no excessive cheering or pin drop silence during this process. Why? I did not want someone to be selected to a giant ovation from their guild to then have the next person walk over to their team in absolute silence in a way that signals "Yes!! 'Blank' is on my team" to "Oh nooo...we have 'Blank'). The rule was to clap all choices or no choices. Each class unanimously chose to congratulate everyone by clapping for all. I also explained that doing this randomly would pose some challenges but also bring with it some benefits. Members of your guild will bring with them different strengths and weaknesses and it is these very strengths and weaknesses that will help you succeed. The students seemed to agree and the time had come to spin the wheel.

As the wheel spun you could sense the excitement. Where would you be selected to go? Who would be on your guild? As players began to be placed one by one I could already hear guilds working on their names. Once they were sorted they were asked to design a team flag or a team shield which would be displayed over their guild table during class to indicate who was playing at the time. I was very pleased with how seriously the students took this task. They wanted the perfect name, the right amount of humour to some was key while others wanted something strong and powerful. Their guilds had taken shape physically and now they were beginning to have life breathed into them. How cool!

Also today, I met my final class out of the 4 and did my best to catch them up quickly. I let them know that they would be selecting their guilds tomorrow.

Finally, students began to show me things they were doing to prep for the game. One student had taken picture of the items she wanted to earn from my website and saved them to her phone. Three different students had already began to update their game logs with the item explanations so they knew what items they wanted and how others worked in the game. Finally, another had read my entire website looking for pictures of the hidden items (shops and battleground) that I had placed on my website. He found them and immediately Tweeted me to let me know. They thought I had flubbed and placed them their without thinking but there was some method to my madness. He had just read over 2500 words to find those pictures and now knew a ton more about my Gamification. Mission accomplished!

Here is the Tweet which is again, void of names and Twitter handles for privacy.

Still feeling great!

Day 4 - Thursday

I began the day by getting my last class caught up and randomizing them into their guilds. They immediately jumped at the task of creating their logos and names. Some were a little more hesitant in this class and a few behaviours had to be corrected but during the 1st week of school I would not call it out of the ordinary. Tomorrow they would be caught up and receive their starter packs!

The classes who were a day ahead, simply because of how the class schedules fall, began to receive their starter packs (1st two item cards as well as their class card and inventory sheet). This now officially started the game. I declared the world of Scientia Terra alive and the game to begin. The players, once having submitted their guild logo or shield, would receive their 1st quest. While I will explain Questing in a later Blog post because of its intricacies, let me just tease this by saying the Quests were well received. With little help from me the students were off finding their own resources and their own means of completing the quest with minimal guidance and the products I were receiving were just as unique as they were successful! I was loving what I was seeing!

Once again, much to my surprise, I was blessed to receive another positive Tweet! I was feeling very fortunate to be so supported!

Also on Thursday night I received my 1st question of concern about my Gamification. It was an excellent question as well. There was some concern that randomized selection of the guilds could prove challenging to various students and might need to be reconsidered. This was something I had personally juggled with over the summer because I had read about the pros and cons of randomizing versus selected guilds. Also, how long to keep guilds together.  I gave this some thought in my discussion with them and came to the conclusion that this month would be my "beta version" of the guild system, and really the game in general! If certain guilds proved unsuccessful, unproductive or uninterested or if certain aspects simply fell flat on their face,  I would "update" my game by launching a "service pack" that would tweak the errors.

So this month I will be carefully monitoring each guild, as well as the game as a whole, to see if there are some weaknesses. I will also be asking for some anonymous feedback from the players to see how they are feeling. I will update the game accordingly to ensure success to all participants.

Very productive night!

Day 5 - Friday

On Fridays, students Quest all class while I provide feedback and guidance as the game master. All classes and all guilds worked diligently together to accomplish their 1st task regarding lab safety. Some even stayed in over the lunch break to work to ensure they were progressing at a good pace. This was something I did not see once last year and already in the 1st 5 days of school I was witnessing extra effort. Phenomenal!

Overall, I would say this week provided some excellent feedback about my Gamification! The students were excited, the parents were intrigued and asking great questions and the classroom atmosphere was positive and upbeat. I was watching kids work, and work hard! While there are still a few I needed to rope in a little further that is to be expected. This is a new concept that is still in its infancy and some uncertainty is surely expected! 

So how would I deem my 1st week? A success!

What is on tap for next week..?

Unveiling the character class perks, the battleground and shops and setting up my regular Gamification routines. Also, it is Meet the Teacher night this week and many parents will have their first hand look at my Gamified space. I'm quite excited for this! It is lining up to be a great week!

Until next time! :)

- Master Heebs