Week 9 Reflection

This week, we explored gamification and game-based learning. We had an informative session with Kara Dawson, who showed the unique and creative ways that Mindcraft can be used in the classroom as an educational tool. I personally played Minecraft when I was 10 to 12 years old, mostly in creative mode, building houses and farms. My peers, on the other hand, mostly played in survival mode. Coming away from that session, I was intrigued by gamification and wanted to test it myself. Kara made it look entertaining while still being educational. I believe gamification is an excellent tool to drive engagement in students and make learning fun. At points, you forget you are learning, and it’s not just a game.

More on Mindcraft as an educational tool at Learn71.

I later tested out GetBadNews, a digital game that teaches media literacy about misinformation. The goal is to gain as many followers as possible through online activity, via a fake Twitter account. It then proposes that you pretend to be Donald Trump and post comments that gain attention and followers. While doing this, it points out the little things that suggest it is fake, such as the username and responses. I think this activity is beneficial in teaching students about reliable sources and misinformation; however, after completing the game, I considered how this may promote students to create impersonations and post misinformation to gain attention online. I think the game lacks some clarity on the purpose and in guiding students to the right choices. As a participant, I wanted to do the most absurd things in the activity to gain positive reinforcement through the followers I gained. Now, I can imagine some people wanting to do the same thing in real life on their social media. I believe it was Kyra in my class who also mentioned how it came across as very left-wing, which I agree with.

Later in the day, I visited my practicum placement, where my mentor shared with me that she uses Duolingo to support her teaching of French. She said each child has their own Duolingo account online, and they are able to work at their own pace. I think this is a fantastic way to teach languages, especially with students at varying levels. I also use Duolingo, but to learn Portuguese, and I find the gamification of it makes it enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding.