Gamification of behavior modification

(Image: Gamification Education) 

Initially the idea of gamification in education brought to mind the incorporation of games that practice certain skills, whether they be math or language arts related. As I began to further read about gamification, I realized that these games that I believed were enhancing students understanding, as well as incorporating digital media effectively, were truly just like any ordinary assignment, quiz or test, just in a different format. Most of the games we use are ones that students must answer problems and get the correct answer to move forward towards a goal or certain achievement. Which is great, but it is just play. Even though, one piece of information that was relayed throughout all of the readings and videos for this week was, that play is an important and healthy part of brain development. While I whole heartedly agree with that statement, I don't believe that all of the games or online activities students participate in during a school day are particularly aiding in brain development. Yes, students may learn and realize that if they keep trying at something they can find the correct answer or the solution to the problem, but are they able to recognize the steps that got them there, or are they solely focused on the end achievement of winning? And if that is the case, are we teaching them any life skills to benefit them further on? 

One specific example of gamification in the classroom is ClassDojo, which something that I am interested in experimenting with at least one of my classes this upcoming school year. While reading about the Top 10 Education Gamification Examples that will Change our Future, I came across ClassDojo and was immediately intrigued. ClassDojo provides a gaming scenario where students have an avatar and can earn positive or negative points individually and as a class based on their behavior. The teacher can set goals and provide immediate feedback. Teachers spend a large amount of their time with students focused on behavior management rather than instruction . This gamification provides teachers with a digital media platform that promotes positive behaviors within the classroom, and focuses more on the positive of reaching their goals, rather than the negative which is generally associated with behavior management within the classroom. This brief video is an introduction to ClassDojo for students which explains what it is and how it can be used. It then finishes with setting the teacher up to introduce how they plan to use it within their own classroom. 

As I began to have an understanding of what it was, I was curious to see how teachers were using ClassDojo within their own classrooms. Both of the examples below show two brief snapshots of how it is being incorporated into their behavior management system. 

• This first link shows how Matt Hurst begins each class using ClassDojo and his SmartBoard.
• This next link goes into more detail with how Mr. Tyler Keefe incorporates ClassDojo throughout the day with his students.

As I continued my search to see how other educators were using ClassDojo, I turned to Twitter to find hundreds of different tweets, links and blogs related to the use of their digital media behavior management tool, which best of all is FREE! Within the ClassDojo Twitter feed, I stumbled upon a blog Teaching Organization through Interactive Notebooks. Coming upon my second year of teaching, and being responsible for preparing my students for state testing in science, I found this a very simple and easy way to incorporate writing into our science classrooms more easily. I also believe it would be a motivating way for students to take pride in their work as well as utilize the ClassDojo behavior management tool to earn points for completed assignments within their notebooks. 

Positives

• Engaging digital media platform for behavior management that allows students to see exactly how they are doing.
• Provides an interactive way for teachers, students and parents to view behavior each day within the classroom.
• Students can take ownership of their character and their behavior. 
• Can be accessed on multiple devices, anywhere.
• Can set individual and whole class goals, rewards, or consequences based on end of day report.
• Can be used to take class attendance and hold students accountable for any assignments or tasks.

Negatives

• I didn't like how it seemed that Mr. Tyler Keefe always had his phone on him and was constantly accessing it.
• It seemed like a distraction, more so to him and his focus on his classroom, than to his students.
• It could become very time consuming until you have a rhythm for its use within your classroom.
• You need to be able to update it throughout the day.
• Would seem to work best on an iPad or other tablet device, rather than a phone, which would have personal distractions. 
• Then you run into BYOD policies if your district doesn't have a tablet device available for you. 
• Could provide distractions to students and problems as they see you constantly accessing a device. 

Motivators

Extrinsic: Students have goals and objectives that need to be met in order for them to earn points. If the goals and objectives are met, then they are able to earn points which allow them to move up in levels or earn rewards, however the teacher has it set up. I would have it set up so that individually and as a class students would be responsible for keeping track of their points. Once students and the class reach certain point amounts, they could move up a level and at certain levels there would be rewards available that the students and I have determined together. However, there would also be consequences if students earned below a certain point value for the day or if students lost points for a day, instead of earning. This would encourage team work and show students that they have choices to make each day with the outcomes being different, which should in turn lead them to successful choices individually and as a class. The teacher is then shifting the focus of behavior management from him/herself to the students, which leads to intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic: Students need to take ownership and pride of their character and behaviors that they display both in and out of school. By incorporating ClassDojo, I would be providing a means of accountability for their actions, or teaching them how to behave and treat others in a way that is socially acceptable. This is something that is falling more and more upon the teachers, and this method would provide the ideal platform for social education without a lecture. If students are able to receive positive feedback, as well as recognize any negatives, then they will hopefully develop or build upon a sense of ownership and pride in their successes and continue to strive to do better each and every day. The successes and sometimes failures they see through their avatar, which is just an exciting or engaging representation of themselves, will continue to be a challenge for them to overcome or excel upon throughout the course of the year.

All in all, I look to use ClassDojo as a motivating way to focus on positive behaviors rather than the negatives and to give students the opportunity to see what I am thinking directly in terms of class and individual behavior. This would provide a means to hold students accountable for individual, group and class actions as well as allow me to reward them for their positive actions and completion of tasks or assignments. I would like to use it at the beginning of each class, as Matt Hurst did utilizing his SmartBoard, and also find a way to incorporate it within my classroom routine, without having to constantly be on a device. Students would be accountable for keeping track of their points earned each day and week on an individual, group and whole class basis. We would review the results at the end of each day prior to dismissal which would allow for any discussion to happen which not only encourages an open line of communication, but also allows for a fresh start the next day.

(Images found through a Google Image Search: ClassDojo)