Course Syllabus

Course Goals 

Course Purpose 1 

To increase student engagement, teachers' repertoires of gamification applications should be expanded. 

Course Purpose 2 

Teachers will work together to improve their professional experience by incorporating gamification strategies when designing learning experiences. 

Expected outcomes 

• Participants will view game-based learning as a valuable tool to increase student engagement with science learning. 
• Participants will be confident that they can create an effective game-based learning lesson. 
• Teachers will have sufficient resources available to them to implement game-based learning techniques. 
• Teachers will create a game-based lesson to use in their classroom. 

Audience 

High school teachers 

Delivery Format 

Canvas, synchronous online 

Tools 

Laptops, Internet access, Nearpod, Pear Deck, Gimkit, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Blooket, Canva, and more 

Final Assessment 

How will I know my course goal was met? 

Teachers will design a game-based learning experience for their students to use in class. 

Module 1 

Title 

Understanding Gamification 

Learning Objective (using Bloom’s verbs) 

Teachers will understand and select various types of gamification applications. 

Pacing Considerations 

25% of allotted time 

Activities 

Teachers will investigate various gamification platforms including but not limited to the tools identified in Course Goals 

Activity 1: 
Complete  
Pre-Course Assessment 

Likert-type scale for participants to assess how highly they agree with the expected course outcomes as stated below on a scale of 1 to 5: 

• Game-based learning is a valuable tool to increase student engagement with science learning. 
• I am confident that I can create an effective game-based learning lesson. 
• I have sufficient resources available to me to implement game-based learning techniques. 

Activity 2: 

Presentation 

Complete the Workshop Introductory Nearpod guided by the presenter introducing participants to gamification platforms that gamify presentations, formative assessments, collaboration, and competition. 

Activity 3: 

Free-play 

Participants will select a less familiar platform from a predetermined list and play a representative game on that platform. The predetermined list will include Nearpod, Pear Deck, Gimkit, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Blooket, Canva, Whack-a-Bone, Rhode Island Recycle Game, Gizmos, PhET Interactive, and Blood-Typing Game. 

Break 

A small 10-minute bathroom/brain break will be provided. 

Module 2 

Title 

Analyzing and Evaluating Gamification 

Learning Objective (using Bloom’s verbs) 

Teachers will collaborate to analyze various gamification applications and evaluate their effectiveness in high school classrooms. 

Pacing Considerations 

30% of allotted time 

Activity 1: 

Creation of Whiteboard 

Teachers will utilize a prepared Canva Whiteboard in collaboration to identify and sort as many gamification platforms as possible. See Appendix B for details of the Canva Whiteboard. 

Activity 2: 

Sharing and feedback on Whiteboards 

Participants groups will share their collaborative whiteboards in a discussion post. Then participants will review the collaborative whiteboards of other groups and provide feedback to the groups. 

Break 

A small 10-minute bathroom/brain break will be provided. 

Module 3 

Title 

Creating Gamification Final Product 

Learning Objective (using Bloom’s verbs) 

Teachers will design a game-based learning experience for their class. 

Pacing Considerations 

45% of allotted time 

Activity 1: 

Final Product Creation 

Participants will select a relatively unfamiliar platform to design a game-based learning experience for their class. Either they can create a game using a gamification platform or they can incorporate a premade game into a lesson plan. See Appendix C for further details. 

Activity 2: 

Review Game-Based Lesson 

Teachers will share their game-based learning experience with another participant. They will participate in the game or lesson and provide feedback to the designer of the game/lesson. See Appendix C for further details. 

Post-Course Assessment 

Likert-type scale for participants to reassess how highly they agree with the expected course outcomes as stated below on a scale of 1 to 5: 

• Game-based learning is a valuable tool to increase student engagement with science learning. 
• I am confident that I can create an effective game-based learning lesson. 
• I have sufficient resources available to me to implement game-based learning techniques. 

End of Course Feedback 

Participants will complete an end-of-course feedback questionnaire describing the effects of the presenter and course.