Photo by Clint Bustrillos on Unsplash
I have to admit that I love Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). One of the first video games that really sucked me in and immersed me into the world of the Sword Coast was Baldur's Gate II. The rich characters with amazing voice acting, the variety of ways to solve quests, the sheer amount of said quests, and the story had me hooked.
Fast forward 23 years and Baldur's Gate III is finally released and is a worldwide hit and easy shoe-in for Game of the Year! And a wonderful distraction from learning, but that isn't what we're here to talk about!
On Friday October 13th Academica Group shared their daily round-up titled "Today's Top Ten in Higher Ed" and the second article caught my eye. The headline reads,
Rosemont instructor gamifies classroom to improve motivation, participation, engagement
It's safe to say that caught my attention and I eagerly dove into the summary! And then I clicked through and read the whole thing.
The short version is that Alexandre Leroux has created a game called "Classes & Dragons" to help drive engagement and participation in his Chemistry course. Students create a character and gain experience by attending classes and completing homework. They can lose life if their phones go off, if they are late, or if they forget key equipment (calculator, notebook, etc.). When they have enough experience points to level up they are rewarded with assignment extensions, loaner kits, the ability to choose exam questions, and an ultimate gift!
You can find the article here. The article is written in French but the website has a handy translation button in the top right if you need it (I did!)
I love this idea. It may resonate with me more because I love video games and D&D however if made easy and accessible enough then I imagine it can appeal to a wide audience. I can see a greater appeal for younger learners but I can also see adult learners getting behind this too. My mind is racing with how I can incorporate some gamification into my teaching and training and I'm looking forward to exploring this area!
What do you think? Can games and learning work side-by-side? Or is school a place for learning and not playing? Comment your thoughts below.
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