Part I: Education

Gamifying the Student Experience

Let me begin by exploring the experience of education, after all, we are, or have been students of formal academia and/or vocational training in one form or another, and there is no escaping being students of life. As a college instructor of Video Game Art & Design, I use the concept of game design to explain and encourage the academic experience that my students can expect. I realize when the first semester begins, that I have a classroom full of gamers; they’re fans of puzzle solving activities, immersive interactive adventures, and the social synergy of multiplayer experiences. They aspire to thrive in at least one of the disciplines that make up the ingredients of the game development team, but the idea of schooling can be intimidating, even foreign if their previous academic experience in high school wasn’t taken too seriously. So I put it in terms they understand and appreciate, and maybe even find a familiar form of motivation.

I lay out their journey as a set of levels, not semesters. With each new semester they have essentially “leveled up” and applying their acquired knowledge like a Mass Effect skill tree, readying them for the incremental level of expectation that unfolds. Each level (semester), presents its own story arc that delivers the exposition of learning content; the rising action of exercises and assignments; the climax of a major project or exam; and the dénouement of submission, celebration, and finally, closure.

I explain that their grades are experience points, a consistent accumulation of achievements that they are required to meet in order to progress to the next level. When you’re a level 7 character in The Witcher 3, there are a lot of skills to acquire before taking on a level 30 monster, and the same concept applies to student studies through prerequisite accomplishments.

I often joke that I, as the instructor, am the final boss they need to defeat, but then share the reality that I play the role of the messenger, mentor, and even keep them entertained as the trickster in their academic story. (Yes, that’s me as Sub-Zero)

When I approach them with this analogy, the intimidation of education can be minimized and appear a welcome challenge full of engaging characters, invested narrative, and fantastic rewards.

It is their confidence that sees the most impressive boost because their academic journey can appear more fun and achievable; many take pride in their gaming skills and they realize they can put them to good use. It also helps that their instructor seems cool and can approach the seriousness of education with gamified concepts of fun and play.