ICT and pedagogical innovation
Gamification & Game-Based Learning
6 days
João Garrido
What is gamification? Gamification is the use of techniques, strategies and game design in other contexts that are not necessarily games. It's all about bringing the game to reality and thereby impact areas such as engagement, productivity, focus, determination, among others, and make it simpler to achieve goals and objectives at any context. Through gamification, it is possible to transform work or study routines and make people feel more inclined to dedicate themselves to the tasks and challenges that each situation requires.
Why is gamification so effective? According to experts, the gaming experience goes far beyond the entertainment factor and goes through other essential points, such as the need for competition (which is inherent to every human being), instant feedback, the possibility of rapid evolution, and the search for tangible rewards. The creation of communities and the sense of urgency that work on in games is also something that encourages you to continue on that task and makes it possible for the goals to be achieved.
How to implement gamification in teaching and learning? If you're thinking that implementing a gamification system in your classroom is expensive, complicated or requires a lot of resources, you're strongly mistaken. With some simple measures, you can apply certain notions of gamification to your content and encourage students to have greater engagement, motivation and to be able to evolve quickly and successfully. Some of the techniques go through:
Creating a scoring and evolution system;
Offering rewards;
Stimulating competition;
Offering fast and constant feedback.
In the context of teaching, where technology has always been present in different ways, it is even easier to make gamification functional and become a differential. Especially in cases where the Internet is used to transmit content, making different materials fit into a gamification logic is even simpler and more effective and can impact one of the most decisive issues, which is educational success.
This course will empower you to create more effective learning experiences using gamification apps. It will introduce participants to the concepts and methodology behind game design, and enable them to create their first game for educational purposes.
The course will be very practical, combining theory with practice, group work and discussion with hands-on phases in which the participants will have the opportunity to explore the provided apps.
As a participant, you will interact with some of the most important apps for creating games and understand the usefulness and applicability of gamification in different indoor and outdoor situations of communication and learning.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Understand the logics behind different types of games;
Understand the concepts and methodology behind game design (phases of analysis, design, development and prototyping, implementation testing and evaluating);
Create a game from scratch for educational purposes;
Use gamification as a way to develop social and cultural values in the classroom and in the school, therefore impacting future society;
Integrate games on instructional design to enhance learning and apply them into the Design of a Curricular Unit.
Programme
Gamification & Game-Based Learning
Day 1 – Introduction – 5 hours
Introduction of the course and the external activities.
Icebreaking activity to introduce the trainer and the participants.
Pedagogical Design of Learning Using apps or software tools:
Contextualization – Learning Theories;
“Instructional Design” methodologies and the Design of Constructivist Learning Environments.
Introduction to the concept of Gamification.
Day 2 – Game design methodology – 5 hours
What makes a Game fun (obstacles, rewards, tasks, pride, happiness);
The Design Methodology;
User-centered Design (know your audience; importance of evaluation testing);
The Building Blocks of Great Missions for Gamification;
Motivational Drivers and Gamification;
Game Mechanics – Reasons to Play;
Points, Badges and Leaderboards in Gamification;
Relationships and Gamification;
The Use of Story and Emotions in Gamification.
Day 3 – Introduction to games creation using Scratch – 5 hours
What is visual coding?
Introducing Scratch interface;
Creating Sprites;
Using code blocks;
Types of Scratch games;
How to make a game on Scratch:
Add a Backdrop;
Add a Sprite;
Make the Sprite Move;
Add Difficulty;
Add Sound;
Increase the Score.
Day 4 – Using apps and digital tools for gamification – 5 hours
Gamification digital tools:
Educational tabletop or board games online;
Quiz games;
Storytelling;
Scavenger hunting.
Evaluate learning through the use of gamification.
Day 5 – Practical Application Work – 5 hours
Pedagogical design of a curricular unit using gamification to implement student-centered learning activities.
Day 6 – Course Closure & Tour – 5 hours
Course evaluation and awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.
21st Century Skills – The Values of Art and Culture – Excursion Tour and external cultural activities.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.