Day 4 - A Structure Emerges

Bit of a breakthrough last night, as I sat down with pencil and paper to articulate how the game mechanics would work for my class in Guided Reading. This morning I have set the elements out on my linoit canvas, do have a look.

Here is the idea.

Tasks

• There are a set of tasks for children in the class to choose from independently.
• Tasks are linked to the Assessment Focuses AF1-7 (although I am stripping out AF1 tasks separately for SEN children, given that they deal with decoding and I have a Y5/6 class who are mostly beyond that stage).
• Tasks are set at Levels 2-5 (this meets the needs of my class at present, although I may need to add L6 in future).
• Thus I have a matrix of 6 AFs at each of 4 levels = 24 task sections. (Assuming a number of different tasks for each section, this does mean creating a good number of tasks.)
• Tasks are carefully crafted to provide me, as teacher, with evidence of the child's attainment at the given AF and level (if successfully completed).
• Generic tasks (e.g. drawing a character from a description in the text) can be repeated for different texts. Specific tasks (e.g. set of comprehension questions or online quiz or test) can be repeated multiple times to achieve success. This is a key feature of the system, to replicate the motivational structure of gameplay in computer games.
• Tasks will need to include some novel elements to sustain motivation - e.g. online quizzes, posting pictures online, collaborative tasks etc. I can't yet see a way to build in games, except at AF1. But I'll work on it.

Rewards

• There is an instant reward for choosing a task (and thanks to Andrew Proto in his series on Gamification Co for the low-tech solution of placing tasks in an envelope with some instant reward). In my case this might be a raffle ticket and House Point.
• Completion of a task is rewarded with 10XP, 1HP, further raffle ticket.
• Completion of a task from a new AF is further rewarded with a 'New AF' badge.
• Satisfactory completion of a task at the given level is further rewarded with additional XP etc. and, if for the first time at that level, a badge.
• Badges can also be achieved for reaching XP targets e.g. 500XP and multiples thereof.

Quests

• A number of Quests are defined (e.g. in a Quest booklet or online Wiki).
• Each Quest carries a set of conditions (generally completion of a specified set of tasks) and rewards - e.g. 200XP, 10HP (I may have to adjust these).
• Collaborative Quests require two or more pupils to work together on a given task or two. Both then receive the rewards.
• There is a separate set of AF1 Quests with smaller steps to progress to motivate the children who need to make catch-up progress.

Narrative

• I have considered creating an overarching narrative structure for a 'Reading Quest Land' (see Kate Fanilli's work in edudemic.com). I think it would be hard to add this to a game system at a subsequent point, but nevertheless feel that it is a step too far for me at this point. I fear it would require too much sustained energy to maintain the suspension of disbelief required in class. I do, however, appreciate that this might be the key dividing factor in making the whole system fun, engaging and therefore effective, so will endeavour to return to this idea.

Leader Board

• I know that viewing your position on a Leader Board can be highly motivational to game-players.
• I intend to create a leader board based on XP and also listing badges and Quests, but which does not reference Levels. Thus position on the board is driven by effort, not attainment.
• Not yet sure whether this will be an online board or a physical display in the classroom. It may need to be both and could be the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of teacher workload.

I think that has covered the key elements I want to put in place. As ever, I would love to hear the views of anyone - expert, experimenter or interested reader - on how you think this might all work in practice.

Collo