Weekly Blog Reflection #7

This week in class, we explored the topic of gamification and how it can be brought into the classroom setting. I was very excited to learn more about gamification as I had limited knowledge on the topic beforehand. As I learned from these two websites, Gaming Enhances Education and Gamify Your Existing Course Pedagogy: Level Up!, on gamification, there is a distinct difference between game-based learning and gamification. I think when I heard the term gamification, I thought of game-based learning, which is playing games and learning through the process, where gamification is where you design lessons to include game elements within the lesson itself.

Learning more about gamification and the rationale and purpose behind it reminds me of learning about different inquiry-based schools. The main idea is trying to approach learning from a new lens that could support diverse learners in different ways. Rethinking the format of education can lead to students having more personalized learning plans and increasing motivation to learn. Like any unique teaching approach, it won’t work for every student; it is not one size fits all. It may take time for a teacher to grasp and be able to execute effectively, but it is worth considering as an approach, especially for new teachers. It has gotten me curious about learning more and figuring out how I could apply this in my teaching style. My practicum is in a Grade 1/2 split, so I may struggle to find a place for it there with the younger students (at least with the technology aspect), but who knows, maybe there is more research out there I could go searching for on gamification for younger students.