This week, my eyes were opened to the idea of remixes. Thus far, I had defined remixes as songs in which rappers change things around a bit and add a few lines. In the video series by Kirby Ferguson, “Everything Is a Remix,” I watched example after example of ways that one person’s work influences another’s. Who can really stake claim over an idea, when there are very few original ones out there anymore? The creation of Creative Commons licensing leads me to the video I remixed which is posted below.
Let’s talk gamification. When I first heard that word four years ago, I was a scared little student teacher intern at Michigan State University, and my TE 800-level instructor (I’ve forgotten exactly which class) was doing a special study on gamification for her thesis. She told us about how great gamification was, but, I will be honest, I was simply trying to make it through my internship year and find a full-time job. I didn’t give it much more thought at the time.
My, how I wish I had. Gamification, or the idea of using game mechanics for real-life purposes, has become big everywhere, from from the commercial world of shopping, to public education and research. Even the world of fitness has adopted gamification.
In its essence, gamification is intuitive. It’s also social in that players are interacting while trying to reach the next level of the game. Finally, it taps into extrinsic motivation by rewarding “players” – learners in the case of education- for improvement. It’s no wonder that it is so widely popular across various fields. Bosses can use it to keep their staff motivated. Less-than-motivated gym-goers might stay on the treadmill to earn their “5 Miles!” badge on their fitness app.
What does all of this mean for us as educators? We have been using games in classrooms for years. I recall the go-to “Jeopardy” review game in math class in middle school. I loved those days! This mock game-show activity gives rewards in the form of “dollars” or points, and it taps into the competitive nature of human beings. It is a great start in the world of gamification in education; however, we should consider the vast functionalities of the video games that our students are playing at home. Those games have come a long way since the creation of the simple review game. Gamification brings limitless possibilities to student engagement in the classroom.
Check out the essence of gamification in my remix, reuse, recycle video. These clips, all Creative Commons-licensed, exemplify the basics of what you, the educator need to know to start exploring gamifying your own classroom. The videos, images, and sounds that I chose, I think exemplify the ways that gamifying classroom activities motivates students. Students find gaming familiar – classic games like Super Mario, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, among others, have specific elements that students know and love. Gamification is really the best of fun and learning combined.
Gamification Remix: https://kchris409.makes.org/popcorn/1u8q
Ferguson, Kirby. (2010). Everything is a Remix Part 1. [Video clip]. Retreived from http://vimeo.com/14912890
References (Video)
(Note: All media used are Creative Commons licensed for reuse with modification.)
ictQATAR Doha. (2012). Gamification! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPZ8NI2-JWY
Fleming, Mike. (2009). Monopoly. [Image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/5NUMKx
Hu, Sharon. (2014). Gamification in Education. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfivasin9j4
Husman, Ben. (2008). Chutes and Ladders. [Image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/5KHiPK
Nerio, I. (2013). Super Mario Bros – sound18. [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://soundcloud.com/search?q=super%20mario%20brothers%20sound18
Page, Larry. (2007). Cribbage. [Image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/4m9eFS
Novak, Kae. (20112). Week 3 – Intro to Gamification. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sujOK9rG6Q
Sputzer, Smabs. (2010). A 1948 App. [Image]. Retreived from https://flic.kr/p/8rvoTc
Learning with Ms. Christensen 
I really liked the clips of people explaining Gamification! I tried to create a layer of Super Mario music in mine, too! lol
I agree, “Everything is a Remix” was interesting. I shared links all over the place. We should probable not be so concerned with who “invented” all the ideas, as much as how we can use them to make our lives better.