A Guide to Gamification: Using Games to Increase Engagement in the Classroom

Ashley Rittinger
Project overview
This project is an exploration into gamification and how teachers can use gamification in
the classroom to improve classroom behaviours and engagement. I took a first hand look into
how engaging and motivating the apps really are. I read about and experienced the gamification
strategies first hand to explore the motivation, engagement, and entertainment they could
potentially bring to the classroom. I looked at specific technologies, such as Kahoot! and Quizlet,
as well as strategies used in the classroom to support gamification. I have connected each of the
apps to specific links in the ELA 10-30 curriculum, as I am the most familiar with that program
of study and will be using it most frequently in my future teaching career.

Background
Gamification was the topic I was given in class for a previous assignment and I really
enjoyed researching ways to use the topic in the classroom. I wanted to extend my knowledge of
the apps and strategies that could be used in the classroom, so I chose to use the same topic for
this integration project. We have all had the experience of sitting in a classroom, bored out of our
minds because the content being delivered is not engaging enough. The technology we have right
at our fingertips can change the experience of school for students from a grueling, never-ending
lecture to a more fun and appealing experience. Gamification is the integration of game elements
into conventional learning activities. Gamification is meant to increase engagement and
motivation, and has been proven to increase collaboration and creativity in the classroom as well.
Many people refer to gamification as using games and video games to enhance learning
activities, but that is actually game-based learning. Gamification is rather using elements
typically found in games, such as leaderboards, badges, point systems, and more, to enhance
classroom activities. Gamification and game-based learning are different strategies and the terms
should not be used interchangeably. I will be looking at apps for game-based learning in this
project as well as simple gamification. Gamification strategies can include activities such as a
review game in a Jeopardy format, classwide rewards systems, or even rewards for reaching
academic objectives. The activities should be designed to support learning by making more
engaging content, which will improve student understanding and motivation.

Driving question
The driving question for this exploration is: What are some available gamification apps
and how engaging are they, in the context of a grade 10 English class?
Rationale
I chose this topic because I am passionate about students being excited to learn. If we
increase the excitement of the learning environment, students in turn should have more success
in understanding and retaining important information. Research by Endel Tulving suggests that if
we provide learning in exciting events, people have an easier time remembering those events,
and thus, retaining the information, (p. 68). If we use the technologies we have available to us to
create these episodic moments, our students will be more successful in all academic objectives.
Using apps is a great way to formatively assess student learning as well. I want to see
specifically if we can make these sorts of moments by enhancing learning activities with game
elements. I’m hoping to discover in my research that making learning fun, makes more learning.

Tulving, E. (1993). What Is Episodic Memory? Current Directions in Psychological

Science, 2(3), 67-70.

Considerations
Some things that need to be considered are the availability and price of certain
technologies. There are certainly ways to gamify the classroom that do not involve the use of
technology such as computers or tablets but they must be accessible to use apps and websites. I
think it is also important to mention that not every lesson or class can, or should, be gamified.
Sometimes conventional learning is best suited for the content.
I have given each technology an engagement score out of 10, based on my interaction
with the technology, the content available for free, and my overall opinion of how fun the
technology would be for the hypothetical classroom I have created for context.

Research
I have used some specific apps before that will work with the project such as Quizlet and
Rezzly, so I have experience with some gamification apps. I intend to use the following as tools
and research for the exploration:
Academic articles:
● Armier, D. D., Shepherd, C. E., & Skrabut, S. (2016). Using Game Elements to Increase
Student Engagement in Course Assignments. College Teaching, 64(2), 64–72.
● Jaiswal, P. (2020). Integrating Educational Technologies to Augment Learners Academic
Achievements. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET),
15(02), 145.
● Silloats, M., Jesmin, T., Fiadotau, M., & Khulbe, M. (2020). Gamifying Classroom
Presentations: Evaluating the Effects on Engagement Across Demographic Factors.
Proceedings of the European Conference on Games Based Learning, 537-546.
 ● Stone, A. (2019). Levelling Up: Motivating Students Through Gamification. Teach, 30-
33.
Trusted websites:
● https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/crossfit-teaching/ (point #3 specifically)
● https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/12-examples-of-gamification-in-
the-classroom/
● https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2019/09/the-best-gamification-apps-and-techniques-
for-in-your-classroom
● https://www.edutopia.org/blog/gamification-in-education-vicki-davis
● https://www.edutopia.org/article/does-our-natural-affinity-games-have-place-classroom

Hypothetical classroom
The hypothetical classroom I will be using to create a context for this exploration is a
grade 10 English class. I have chosen an English class as I am a drama major and will likely not
teach anything other than drama and English in my career in a secondary school. Access to a full
class set of Chromebooks or tablets would be ideal. As students get older, there is a chance that
they will all have access to a smartphone while in the classroom, which would be beneficial for
use with apps such as Kahoot!.

Curricular links
Gamification activities could potentially relate to the following GLOs and SLOs in the English
Language Arts Program of Studies (https://education.alberta.ca/media/160418/ela-pos-10-
12.pdf):
GLO 1: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
● 1.2.1- Consider new perspectives
● 1.2.3- Set personal goals for language growth
GLO 2: Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms, and
respond personally, critically and creatively
● 2.1.2- Understand and interpret content
● 2.1.3- Engage prior knowledge
GLO 3: Manage ideas and information
● 3.1.2- Plan inquiry or research, and identify information needs and sources
● 3.2.1- Select, record and organize information
● 3.2.4- Review inquiry or research process and findings
GLO 4: Create oral, print, visual and multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and artistry of
communication
● 4.2.1- Enhance thought and understanding and support and detail
● 4.1.3- Develop content
GLO 5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
● 5.1.3- Recognize accomplishments and events
 ● 5.2.1- Cooperate with others, and contribute to group processes

Learning activities
Gamification can be used in the classroom for many things, but I would like to focus on it
as a way to assess prior knowledge and student understanding. Apps can be used to complete
quizzes, make study guides, create healthy competition based learning games, and much more.
Students could use the technologies to create questions to quiz their peers on their understanding,
or teachers could use the technologies to find out more about students’ skills and ideas.

Assessments
In some ways, the use of the gamification strategies and apps are assessments in
themselves. I would record the anecdotal evidence from the class activities to prove the prior
knowledge and understanding of the students when using the strategies. The technologies I am
researching allow for many different types of assessment including assessment of prior
knowledge, formative, and summative assessment.

Differentiation
A beautiful thing about gamification is that you don’t have to be good at using
technology and you don’t have to be the most intelligent person in the world to work it. If a
student is unable to complete the work assigned using the technologies they have many options
to complete the work in a differentiated manner. Some options are pairing up with another
student to work on the assignment together, providing help from the teacher during class time,
and changing the difficulty of the assignment to suit the student’s needs. If availability of
technology at home is an issue, many schools have a technology borrowing policy where the
student could potentially rent or borrow an item from the school.
First Technology: Kahoot!

Link to the Technology: https://kahoot.com/

What is it?
Kahoot! Is a quiz making technology that students and teachers
can utilize for themselves and their peers. The software is very user friendly and fun to use!

How does it work?

Kahoot! can be used as a learning activity as well as for assessment. Teachers can make
quizzes to give to students, or students can make quizzes to give to their peers. There are also pre
existing quizzes created by others that are free to use if they work for your situation. Using a
projector at the front of the room, the quiz is played for the students. They must enter a specific
code to be added to the game. The students use their smartphones or another device such as a
laptop or tablet to answer the questions. They will see their results in real time and are able to
engage with other students about what the correct answer might be. At the end of a quiz, a
leaderboard shows up, determining which students placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their class.

Curricular links
Kahoot! Can basically be used to assess any type of learning from the curriculum but the
following list highlights some of the best uses:
● GLO 2: Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms,
and respond personally, critically and creatively
○ 2.1.2- Understand and interpret content
○ 2.1.3- Engage prior knowledge
● GLO 4: Create oral, print, visual and multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and
artistry of communication
 ○ 4.2.1- Enhance thought and understanding and support and detail
○ 4.1.3- Develop content

Assessment
Kahoot! Can be used for assessment in many ways. My favourite way to use Kahoot! For
assessment is to create a quiz to give to the students before a lesson to assess their prior
knowledge of a specific topic. They can take the same quiz or a similar one after the lesson,
where the results can be used as a formative assessment of understanding. Teachers could also
have students create their own quizzes to display their understanding.

Considerations
One big consideration, especially with older students, is that they are able to choose a
nickname for themselves that shows up on the screen. This gives them an opportunity to be a
“class clown” and give themselves an anonymous chance to write something inappropriate for
the classroom. One way to try to get around this is to only allow students to use their real name
and to eject those with fake names from the game.
Kahoot! is becoming increasingly popular with teachers, which makes it very likely that
students will be using it on a daily basis. I urge you to be selective when you decide to use
Kahoot!, as there can be “too much of a good thing”. Students will get bored of using the same
technologies over and over again, which will increase poor classroom behaviours instead of
favorable ones.
Kahoot! has a free account as well as multiple choices for paid accounts. If you are using
Kahoot! with multiple classes and wish to save all quizzes you create for the future, you may
outgrow the features of a free account. The paid accounts range from $5/month to $15/month, all
of which will likely not be reimbursed to you by your school district.

Activities
1. Using Kahoot! to assess prior knowledge.
a. The following link will take you to a Kahoot! quiz I found that could be used for
formative assessment of prior knowledge in a hypothetical grade 10 English class.
The teacher would use the information given from the results of the quiz to decide
what to spend the most time focused on in the lesson. For example, if 18/20
students answered the questions about “plot” correctly, the teacher would know
that most students already know and understand the concept, therefore she would
spend more time on lesser known concepts.
b. https://create.kahoot.it/details/3ea5d7a3-fa83-4a6a-a116-95a8dfaf7733
2. Using Kahoot! as formative assessment of learning
a. Teachers can have students use Kahoot! as a tool for formative learning by having
the students take a no-risk quiz. The information from the results of the quiz
 would give the teacher an accurate reading of how the students are understanding
a concept. The teacher would give the quiz either in the middle of the lesson or
just before the end of class to see the progression of learning.
3. Using Kahoot! as summative assessment of learning
a. A teacher could use Kahoot! As a summative assessment of learning by having
the students create their own quizzes to give to their peers. The quiz would be
given a mark based on a rubric and the students would be marked for the correct
answers they gave for the quizzes. This activity is like a 2 for 1 when assessing
learning as the quality of the quiz is marked as well as the answers the students
respond with.

Conclusion
In my opinion, Kahoot! is a great way to integrate technology in the classroom. It allows
students to use their precious personal devices in the classroom and adds a bit of fun to quiz
taking as well. Kahoot! Is a great resource to make pop quizzes and other quick assessments
lower risk and in turn, less scary for some kids. The app can be used for free, which is great for
teachers on a budget. Kahoot! is great for learners of all ages and could be brought into virtually
any classroom where quick and easy assessment is needed. The only downfall of Kahoot! at this
point in time is its popularity, meaning that students may get bored of using the technology time
and time again. Because of this downfall, I give Kahoot! an engagement score of 8/10.

Similar apps
● Blackboard Learn: https://www.blackboard.com/
● Poll Everywhere: https://www.polleverywhere.com/
● Schoology: https://www.schoology.com/
Second Technology: Quizlet

Link to the Technology: https://quizlet.com

What is it?
Quizlet is a study tool and gamified learning
platform where students and teachers make flashcards to
study with and play embedded games.

How can it be used?

Quizlet can be used as a study tool for any class content that can be written down on
flashcards. The flashcards can then be studied in the traditional way, as you would with paper
flashcards, used to create automated quizzes on the website, or used to play learning games with.
The automated quizzes have options to create a quiz with short answer questions, true and false,
multiple choice and more. Quizlet is also compatible with languages other than English,
including French and Spanish, which would be helpful for students in immersion programs or
those taking second language courses. The technology even has an option for the flashcards to be
read aloud, which is great for students who struggle to read, have visual impairments, or just
simply prefer auditory learning. Students and teachers can share the sets of flashcards they make
with each other which allows for collaboration and contribution to a group process. Quizlet
shows the students their progress when studying and tracks which concepts need the most work.
 Quizlet has a collaborative live game for the classroom called Quizlet Live, where
students can interact with the flashcard sets in real time. You must sign up for Quizlet with a
teacher account to have access to Quizlet Live. Quizlet Live puts the students into teams to work
together to answer the questions correctly. This is a great way to have students collaborate and to
create a little bit of healthy competition.

Curricular links
● GLO 2: Comprehend literature and other texts in oral, print, visual and multimedia forms,
and respond personally, critically and creatively
○ 2.1.2- Understand and interpret content
○ 2.1.3- Engage prior knowledge
● GLO 4: Create oral, print, visual and multimedia texts, and enhance the clarity and
artistry of communication
○ 4.2.1- Enhance thought and understanding and support and detail
○ 4.1.3- Develop content
● GLO 5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
○ 5.1.3- Recognize accomplishments and events
○ 5.2.1- Cooperate with others, and contribute to group processes

Assessment
Quizlet is best used for students to assess themselves and their understanding of class
content when studying. Teachers could use the information from Quizlet study results to
formatively assess the understanding of their students. If the teacher encouraged the students to
use the flashcard sets they shared with them, the teacher could use the automatically generated
quiz from the website as a summative assessment of learning.

Considerations
The first thing to think about when using Quizlet is that students are able to share their
study sets and information with each other. This increases the risk of having incorrect
information on flashcards circulating around your classroom. To help with this issue, all sets of
flashcards could be sent to the teacher for verification of correct information before the students
start studying the sets.
A second consideration is that Quizlet has a paid version as well as a free version. To
access all the endless study options on Quizlet, you must have a paid account. There are 2
options for paid accounts to choose from that are relatively affordable if you prefer the extra
content that they will give you. There is the Quizlet Go option which costs $3.75/month or the
Quizlet Plus account for $5/month.
 Quizlet can be used on smartphones but the technology works the best on a bigger device
such as a laptop or Chromebook. Using Quizlet in the classroom would be best if there were
community devices, such as laptops, available for students on a 1:1 basis.

More information about the Quizlet premium plans:

Activities
1. Using Quizlet to assess prior knowledge
a. Teachers can use Quizlet flashcard sets to engage students in an assessment about
their prior knowledge of class content. The teachers can share the study sets they
have made with their students and take note of the results from the automatically
generated tests, games, and learning from the students’ interaction with the
technology. The results from this learning play can help the teacher decide what
to focus on next.
2. Using Quizlet as a review or study tool
a. Students can use Quizlet on their own, or at the request of their teacher as a study
tool or review tool in class. The study sets can be projected onto the white board
and played as a class, or students can play together in smaller groups on
community devices. The games on Quizlet are Smart Board compatible and can
be played with interaction from the class. This would also be a good time to take
advantage of the Quizlet Live feature.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Quizlet is a great tool to introduce to students to increase their study and
better their study habits in a fun way. The interactive platform allows them to see their progress
in real time and only work on the things that they need more help understanding. As everyone
has their own strategies for studying, some students may not find Quizlet as engaging or helpful
as their peers, but the technology is still relevant and useful in a group setting. The Quizlet Live
aspect of the technology is the most fun and engaging part of the technology for classroom use. I
would like to give Quizlet a 7/10 for engagement

Similar apps
● Brainscape: https://www.brainscape.com/
● Course Hero: https://www.coursehero.com/
● Anki: https://apps.ankiweb.net/
Third Technology: Classcraft

Link to technology: https://www.classcraft.com/

What is it?
Classcraft is a behaviour management system for the classroom that
allows students to interact with each other and collaborate to fulfill class
deadlines and expectations.

How can it be used?

Students create an avatar of themselves which acts as their personalized character in the
app. The students play together as a team to gain and lose points by completing, or not
completing, class objectives. The type of character the students chose also grants them special
powers, which the teacher decides on. Students can gain points and badges for completing
assignments on time, helping others, and actively participating. The group activities help
students stay accountable for their own work, which is great for high school aged students.
Students lose experience points for handing in assignments late, failing to collaborate, and
missing objective deadlines. The teacher creates the punishments and the rewards so they suit the
classroom community, engage students, and manage classroom behaviour. There are some
premade options to choose from for rewards and punishments, or teachers can create their own
and assign point values to each.

Curricular links
● GLO 1: Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
○ 1.2.1- Consider new perspectives
○ 1.2.3- Set personal goals for language growth
 ● GLO 5: Respect, support and collaborate with others
○ 5.1.3- Recognize accomplishments and events
○ 5.2.1- Cooperate with others, and contribute to group processes

In my opinion, using Classcraft is less about gamification to support curricular links and
more about using gamification to keep students accountable for their own learning.

Assessment
Assessment from information on Classcraft would mostly be of classroom behaviours
and assignment completion. It is not the best technology for creating activities that could be
formatively or summatively assessed. The teacher can view the progress of the students and their
experience points to ensure they are finishing their work on time and keeping themselves
accountable.

Considerations
Some students may cooperate with the technology to just gain points at first instead of
using the technology genuinely to learn. This can be a problem at the beginning but after a while
the students will only be able to engage with the content if they use the technology accurately.
The technology does display individual student achievement and progress to the class
community, which could be a problem for students who struggle or are behind. Teacher
modification and monitoring should be enough to guide students away from bullying and
unfavourable behaviours, but it is tricky to make sure students are being treated fairly in an
online context.
Some of the more in depth features of Classcraft involve a paid membership. There is a
version that is completely free but not all features will be available for your class if you do not
upgrade. The prices for the two possible upgrades are not readily available on the Classcraft
website, which leads me to believe that the technology is pricey.

Activities
1. While the class is working on an assignment, the teacher can use their account to give
experience points to students who are behaving well and completing their work, or to
take away experience points from those who could fix their behaviour. If students notice
the teacher giving points to peers for something they are doing in the moment, it may
encourage the rest of the students to follow suit, increasing favourable behaviours
throughout the classroom.

Conclusion
 I think that this technology is a very cool way to gamify giving rewards and punishments
in the classroom. The consequences can be changed and updated as the classroom community
adapts to using the technology. Students will be more likely to act in favourable ways if they are
rewarded for their behaviour. I also think Classcraft is a great way to keep evidence of how the
good behaviours and work ethic increase over a semester for each individual student. The look of
the technology is exactly like a video game which is enticing and engaging. Overall, I would like
to give Classcraft a 7/10 for engagement. There are so many things that this technology could be
adapted to do and I think in the future, with some updates, Classcraft could be a huge part of
classroom management in every classroom.

Similar apps
● Classdojo (best for elementary): https://www.classdojo.com/
● Socrative: https://www.socrative.com/
● Kickboard: https://www.kickboardforschools.com/