Level up the Learning: Reaching a high classroom engagement through Gamification

Who knew that play is a fundamental aspect of cognitive development for all people, from the youngest to the oldest? We probably all have a favourite game that we never get tired of playing: for some it might be football, hide-and-seek or other sports activities, for others it might be puzzles, building blocks or board games. Science has shown that playing games has positive effects on problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, social interaction and overall enjoyment, all of which are rooted in the intrinsic motivation and engagement they ignite in us!
 
The latest edition of the course “Discover the power of Game Based Learning and Gamification in education” was held in Palermo from 21/04/2024 to 27/04/2024. Many enthusiastic participants joined us from all across Europe, with Nuno, Maria, Anabela, Nélia, Filipe and Ana from Agrupamento de Escolas de Santo André in Portugal, Urska from Vrtec Najdihojca in Slovenia and Eric and Benito from the KGS Waldschule Schwanewede. Also, three participants from different organisations Slovakia joined us for this course: Martina from the Saint Nicholas Catholic School, Marek from PRE BONUS Consulting s.r.o. and Katka from Gymnázium Jána Papánka.

The participants found themselves as a part of a big week-long game, following a path of four levels from the start to the finish line. As in any good video game, we asked the participants to invent their own characters to compete against each other. Avatars, symbolic characters and new superheroes were thus used as a foundation to get to know each other, including their talents and interests. It became clearer and clearer how diverse our group was. It perfectly mirrored the reality of each class in the school.
On the first level we discussed the pedagogical benefit of play and how games stimulate learning. We discussed that the generational differences between today’s students and teachers and how to keep up with the needs of the Generation Z. A challenge on the differences between gamification and game-based learning helped our “players” to understand that gamification applies game elements into a non-game environment while game-based learning is a teaching approach where learning is embedded in the structure of the game itself. 
In the next level, the “players” defined the most common gamification framework as the process through which eight key internal and external motivators influence human engagement. They were also able to participate in several gamification applications based on digital tools where they experienced the different types of game-driven motivation.
The third level focused on game-based tools and apps. We explored several traditional games and transformed some of them into more engaging learning tools that can be used according to the topics and age groups in the classroom. After all the challenges and battles, the teachers had an opportunity to create their own tools both offline and online. They got acquainted with modern online tools able to produce a significant improvement of students’ engagement and bring a spark in the classroom!

Finally, the competitors had the most active and engaging experience in the fourth level. We were locked in a digital escape room trying to solve riddles and puzzles to escape and later we went outside to enjoy a scavenger hunt game in the city center. Participants tried to find the best way to gamify their own classrooms considering the needs and characteristics of their students.
In conclusion, during these days the participants had the opportunity to experiment innovative teaching methods in a stimulating environment, enhancing skills like teamwork and digital skills!

Discover more about this course here.