TED Talk

Fascinating video. My mind was going 100 miles an hour trying to figure out how I can create these concepts of gaming and rewards in my courses while I was listening to this video. I think grading needs to be replaced with level advancements and rewards. I have found myself wanting to come back for more to see how far to the right my bar is getting in each group, it's fun and more importantly I am learning. I need to get this into my course, so many thoughts, so lost as to where to begin.

The Seduction Secrets of Video Games

This article is on a personal level for me as I have a son who loves video games. He is only 9 and he is really good at them, but it is a constant mental struggle for me, as I refuse to allow him to spend hour after hour in front of a video game, which is what he wants. I am one of the mom's who thinks they can be a waste of time. So reading this article makes me wonder if I am right, or if I need to back off.

I will begin with this thought however, I am not sure I will ever get on board with the idea that Grand Theft Auto has any redeeming quality or value and somehow is teaching people how to assess real life situations. We do not need to be "entertained" by that type of violence and I am appalled that education and GTA can be used in the same article. Ok, now I will step off of my soap box.

Some of the ideas that caught my attention and I agree with are first that we like control and we get that in gaming. I believe there is truth to that, having complete autonomy is a big deal for my son, and I know he feels that while gaming. I just hope that translates into other parts of his life. I am a runner, I am in total control when I am running and it gives me a high, so I keep doing it. When I am running, it's all about what I want, how fast, where I go, etc. So, I think needing control is part of who we are, but as long as there is balance in our lives, I can get on board with this, but it can't be exclusively through gaming.

I like the idea of constant challenges being presented, where we see progress but are allowed to have time to experiment and step by step learn as we go. That is how life works and those are important lessons.

And last of all, the idea that we need failure is true, we need to know that when we fail we can find a way to solve the issue and we can go back to the situation and find success by trying again, huge life lesson!

Gamifiying Education

• The most important aspects of gamifying education in my assessment is making sure the students are in charge of their education and learning. The narrator talked about agency, and I believe that is such a strong power and often students don't realize that. Sadly, they may not realize it because teachers take it away, so when we give agency back to the students, they will embrace their power.
• Grading was another issue and I like the idea of rewarding rather than punishing students. I do think there are some who are challenged by the desire to maintain an A, but for most that drive is not there.
• Last of all, External motivators are needed to encourage the students, make them want to come back for more. If a class grabs their attention, whether by interesting content, great teaching or a desire to gain a reward, education has won and that's why we are here.