Creating Gamified Learning Tasks: From Ingenious Ideation to Impactful Implementation

It is indeed a daunting task to engage learners in the online learning environment. During online teaching, many educators struggle to motivate their learners to complete tasks due to the perceived lack of control compared to face-to-face instruction. Thankfully, there are some measures that can be taken to improve this situation. One is to re-examine and redesign existing tasks to create a playful yet meaningful online learning experience.

A. Steps to Gamify Solutions

It is important to note that tools and applications will not automatically transform your activities or tasks into something interesting. A careful ideation process is vital. In this post, I share five key steps that I believe are useful in creating gamified learning tasks that increase student engagement and improve learning attainment. The diagram illustrates the steps.

a. Step 1: Decide the Scope/Topic

It is important to outline the existing scope and topics of your course or subject. Then, from the list, decide which one(s) you would like to redesign as gamified learning tasks. Typically, you might want to choose a topic that is confusing students or more difficult for them to understand. While selecting the topic, remember to roughly list the tasks you want them to complete and align those tasks with the expected learning outcomes so that you can measure them later.

b. Step 2: Chunk the Tasks

Based on your initial list of tasks, chunk them into a series of manageable steps or “levels”. Imagine this process as similar to game challenges that one must go through at each level. You can name each chunk “mission”, “challenge”, “stage”, or any other suitable term. This step is illustrated in the above table.

c. Step 3: Add Game Elements

This is where your task will be more engaging as you add game elements or mechanics. Based on the chunking you did earlier, you must add suitable game elements to each chunk. Typical game mechanics include points, badges, and a leaderboard, but I highly recommend consulting the Octalysis Framework by Yu-Kai Chou, which outlines mechanics you could use. An example of this step is shown in the table above.

In the given example, the element of unpredictability and curiosity is added. Students who fulfil the task will be awarded a virtual mystery box. This creates a sense of excitement about "What's in the box?" and motivates students to complete the tasks. However, it is advisable not to add too many game elements to each mission, as “too much of a good thing” can be annoying. Also, ensure that you plan it in a logical progression so the series of tasks is not disjointed. Ultimately, you still want your students to learn from the entire process, not merely collect “points” for each mission.

d. Step 4: Map to Relevant Tools

There are hundreds of online tools available that you could explore and select to include in your gamified learning tasks. It is highly recommended that you try and experience those relevant tools before deciding which ones to use, as familiarity would allow you to guide students better. In the case of the virtual mystery box earlier, you could do it using Genial.ly, Padlet or even Google Sites, whereby only the “winners” will access the page and get the extra clues. Essentially, you do not have to restrict yourself to a singular tool. Use the relevant ones that are user-friendly or have a gentle learning curve, something students could learn without spending too much time on the technical aspect.

When mapping in this step, remember to include spaces or rooms for you to assess the students progressively and provide timely feedback. For example, if you have chosen Padlet, allocate a section where students can ask questions about the task. You may also include a mini quiz as a task or challenge. Progressive checking is key in encouraging students to engage with the tasks.

e. Step 5: Package as a Narrative

All your hard work in Steps 1 to 4 would be meaningless if you structured everything like a typical assignment. Hence, it is pivotal to develop a suitable narrative that is engaging enough to motivate your students to complete each stage. Try talking to your students to learn what they love most, or use trending issues as part of your narrative.

I have used the “Marvel Universe” as a narrative sample. Characters from the Marvel comics formed a whole storyline for the tasks assigned to them. I have also used stories from Netflix series and trending computer games to create my gamified learning tasks. Having such a narrative ensures all tasks are synced, and students understand the content at the macro level, giving them a bird's-eye view of what awaits them.

B. To Gamify or Not to Gamify?

Gamification has been widely studied and shown to have positive effects on learning. However, the most important aspect of this endeavour is still in the ideation process, which would eventually become an impactful implementation. It would be a fallacy to think that adding content with “fun tools” would immediately make the tasks fun. Careful mapping of functions, learning outcomes, game elements, and tools is essential.

As Ken Eklund aptly said: “If you make a game about something that matters, your “players” will want to participate in that larger discussion. Making that participation meaningful in the game can also be meaningful in real life.” So, I hope the steps I shared will be useful as you embark on the “gamification” adventure of redesigning your learning tasks.

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This guest post was written by Kee Man Chuah, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Language and Communication at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia.

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