“… the teacher marked increased motivation and deeper interest in class work. Pupils tend to show more participative behavior, in every dimension of the class: to answer questions and to work in class. They want to claim points.”
Classcraft: from gamification to ludicization
The Research Behind Classcraft
Classcraft is paving the way for happy, engaged, motivated students
Research shows that Classcraft has a positive impact on student motivation and engagement, academic performance, school attendance, and classroom culture.
Teacher Survey
Following a voluntary survey by over 875 teachers using Classcraft, results showed that:
98% of teachers say that it has increased student engagement,
99% of teachers say that it has had a positive impact on the classroom atmosphere (bullying),
88% of teachers have reported an increase in academic performance,
82% of teachers have reported improved attendance
“... a female student who generally was the shyest in the class became a leader. She swapped roles with a male learner who in 9 out of 10 activities used to be a man in charge. Moreover, he spotlighted her strengths —organizational skills, reflective nature, and being knowledgeable. The final products are just outstanding.”
“Students stuck to the rules and performed better than in the first term. The whole class average at the end of the school year 2014/2015 was 5,4 (first term: 4,98) and was the best at school, with the highest average 5,93 and the lowest 4,87 from all of the subjects. … Grade 7 has become a team …. who shares a role in group work.”
Use of Gamification in the IB History Class and as a Tool for Form Teacher. New Empirical Research and SolutionsIn the group using Classcraft, 3 times less students reported being bored in class, versus the control group. 50% more students expressed an interest in subject matter.
“Classcraft is a motivating element of almost all students, improving their academic performance, creating a good working atmosphere in the classroom free of disruptive moments, and encouraging collaborative work among students, it is considered a positive tool for the attention to diversity.”
El Classcraft com a mesura per incentivar la motivació, l’atenció a la diversitat i l’aprenentatge de les ciències naturals.
Games have a positive impact on our lives
Games have pro-social benefits, help with mental health, and enhance autonomy and competence, which support intrinsic motivation.
“Students who played ‘pro-social’ games that promote cooperation were more likely than others to help out in real-life situations like intervening when someone is being harassed.”
How Video Games Are Changing EducationVideo game players, regardless of gender, reported higher levels of family closeness, activity involvement, attachment to school, and positive mental health. Video game players also had less risky friendship networks and a more favorable self-concept.
Do Video Games Promote Positive Youth Development?“... conditions that enhance a person’s sense of autonomy and competence support intrinsic motivation…”
“People who experienced autonomy and competence in playing showed more positive outcomes, helping again to explain why … games may provide a source of pleasure and perhaps restoration.”
The Motivational Pull of Video Games: A Self-Determination Theory Approach
Games change learning for the better
Games are also important tools in developing reasoning and problem-solving skills, creativity, and better memory.
“Game play involves repeated actions that strengthen the brain cell connections underlying memory and learning.”
“Games that require teamwork help develop collaboration skills.”
“Improves ability to reason and solve new problems independently of previous acquired knowledge.”
The Neurology of Gaming“A study found that kids who played video games scored 23% higher in creative tests involving tasks such as drawing pictures and writing stories.”
“Video game players perform 10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than non-game players.”
Leveling Up the Social Benefits of Video Games“Video games can improve early literacy in 4 and 5 year olds, especially letter recognition and story comprehension.”
“Kids who played Tetris for 30 minutes a day for three months had a thicker cortex than those who didn’t play. (The cortex is believed to process coordination and visual information.)”
The Motivational Pull of Video Games: A Self-Determination Theory Approach
Successful classroom management helps teachers be more effective
Classcraft streamlines classroom management, which is a huge pain point for teachers and a key factor in students' academic and social success.
“Research has shown us that teachers' actions in their classrooms have twice the impact on student achievement as do school policies regarding curriculum, assessment, staff collegiality, and community involvement.”
“... on average, teachers who had high-quality relationships with their students had 31 percent fewer discipline problems, rule violations, and related problems over a year's time than did teachers who did not have high-quality relationships with their students.”
The Key to Classroom Management“... overall classroom climate and student discipline problems were cited as among the most powerful factors that contribute to teacher burnout.”
The Role of Classroom Management Efficacy in Predicting Teacher Burnout“In general, classrooms with more structure have been shown to promote more appropriate academic and social behaviors.”
Evidence-based Practices in Classroom Management: Considerations for Research to Practice
Positive school climate matters more than ever
Poor school climate is linked to higher drop-out rates, lower academic performance, and more behavioral issues. Attention to social emotional learning can help.
36% of student drop-outs left because they did not like school.
25% couldn’t get along with teachers, and 20% didn’t feel they belonged
“In a national sample of 148,189 sixth to twelfth graders, only 29% to 45% of surveyed students reported that they had social competencies such as empathy, decision making, and conflict resolution skills; and only 29% indicated that their school provided a caring, encouraging environment.”
“... SEL programs are associated with positive results such as improved attitudes about the self and others, increased prosocial behavior, lower levels of problem behaviors and emotional distress, and improved academic performance.”
The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions
Personalized learning boosts student achievement
Personalized learning helps students learn in a way that's meaningful to them and can lead to better academic results.
“... students in the study made gains in math and English language arts that were significantly greater than their peers in other school. Importantly, average performance of students in the study’s schools were below the national averages for their starting grade, and above the national averages for their ending grade two years later.”
Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning“Neuroscience indicates there is greater variation among female brains (or among male brains) than there is between male and female brains; therefore, teachers are better off differentiating instruction according to the particular strengths and needs of the entire class population than differentiating by gender.”
What Neuroscience Says About Personalized Learning“In schools with personalized learning systems everyone has a learning path, similar to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), so the stigma of receiving specialized services is reduced.”
Personalized Learning – Part 3: Four Myths and Facts“Personalized learning is simply what is best for kids. Learning experiences are authentic and meaningful. They want to see the purpose and connect education to real life.”
“Personalized learning builds a culture of trust between the students and adults. It becomes okay to try, fail, and learn from that failure.”
Why do teachers implement personalized learning?