How to Gamify Your eStudent Services
NOTE: I conducted this presentation yesterday at Educause. I’m not (of course) going to reorder and finesse bits of it. So stay tuned (I’ll be updating the blueprint accordingly.)
As I mentioned yesterday, feel free to use this presentation in its entirety. Please give me a nod as the original creator – I have that millenial/gen X ingrained need for accolades.
In this session, you’ll embark on a collaborative journey from the basics of game mechanics through a make-and-take plan for implementing gamified experiences for your students. We will identify opportunities, brainstorm solutions, and explore examples from institutions that have implemented all or parts of a gamified solution. Click on the blueprint below to access and download a Google Doc version of the accompanying How to Gamify Your eStudent Services Blueprint.
Access this page at: tinyurl.com/gamify-estudent-services.
**Each time you see this icon in our presentation, you’ll be referring back to the blueprint to plan for the implementation in your institution.**
The objectives for our session include:
- Describe how game mechanics can be leveraged to motivate specific student behaviors.
- Explain how cultural and institutional factors interact with agile committee design and development.
- Create an interactive blueprint for gamifying e-student services.
Extra Credits: Gamifying Education
What the Experts Say about Game Mechanics
Created by Knewton and Column Five Media
Go to your Make-and-Take Blueprint. Brainstorm and take notes for the PREPARATION section.
EX: The Academic Game Plan Challenge at Tri-C
- Students don’t have clear pathways for progressing towards their degree.
- Student often self-advise, take extra courses that they don’t need, and don’t take courses that they do need.
Challenge:
- Create a gamified mechanism for students to have, check, and use an academic plan
Behaviors we want to motivate and reinforce in our students:
Behaviors relating to having and using an academic plan:
- Having an academic plan
- Checking an academic plan
- Making regular progress
- Making real-time adjustments as needed
- Having an “end date” for graduation
Behaviors relating to student success:
- Participating in New Student Orientation & eLearning Orientation
- Registering early
- Attendance (virtual or F2F)
- Tutoring
- Advising
- Mentoring
Storyboard for Academic Game Plan
Vendor Storyboards and Game Mapping
Go to your Make-and-Take Blueprint. Brainstorm and take notes for the GOAL ORIENTATION section.
Gamification of Student Services and Experiences
RIT’s Just Press Play
So what is Just Press Play?
- Component of the student experience
- Incentivizes college interaction and engagement
- Multiple ways to track participation
- Multiple ways to participate
- Student’s assemble their own “quests”
- Funded through Microsoft Research Connections
- Will release open source code shortly for other institutions
eStudent Services at Tri-C through Title III Grant
- eMentoring
- eAdvising
- eTutoring
- eLearning Orientation Online
- New Student Orientation Online
Go to your Make-and-Take Blueprint. Brainstorm and take notes for the eSTUDENT SERVICES PLANNING section.
IMPLEMENTATION:
High Tech Options
- Integrated technology like Just Press Play
- Virtual Badges through Mozilla Open Badges
- QR codes
Low Tech Options
- Virtual Scavenger Hunts
- Adaptive release in LMSs
- QR codes
- Manual, paper-based playcards
Working in Context: Cultural Factors
Go to your Make-and-Take Blueprint. Brainstorm and take notes for the PROBLEM SOLVING section.
eLearning and the Innovation of the Academy 