10 Game Mechanics for the Classroom

About.me
I teach sixth graders, and I know they would be sold on the concept, but I struggle with the premise of applying game mechanics in my classroom. I loved video games as a kid, and sometimes I found myself connected for too many hours to my game of choice: Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo. As an adult I've found certain games for my phone that have created the same "time suck" that those Italian brothers did for me when I was younger. One game in particular, Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle Earth, occupied my thoughts constantly, so much so that I erased it from my phone, waited a couple of weeks, loaded it a second time, and finally erased it for good, never to return...yet. Maybe a bit of an addictive personality.

I couldn't get past the negative effects these types of games have on me. I figured these games were a waste of time and energy, and the people that I love were not getting my full attention because I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in my game at every instant.

Enter World of Warcraft.

Assignment
As part of a class I took, I was required to play WoW, so I dove in. After creating my character, a night elf rogue named Wolfsmak, I checked out level 1. I sat there for an hour trying to move and checking tutorial options, and then I frustratedly turned it off. The next day I thought I'd better give it another go, so after reading that you move through the game by clicking BOTH the left and right mouse buttons, I began traveling through the forests. It was fun! Altogether too much fun... I can see how incrementally gaining knowledge and powers bit by bit is motivating. But I was still terribly concerned about the "time suck".

Personally and professionally, I think children need to have balance in their video or computer game play, really for the time commitment it becomes. I believe there are much better uses of their time.

Going through the first 10 levels of the game (per the assignment instructions) has opened my eyes to the benefits educators can glean from understanding how these popular games work. Noting the mechanics of the game and the inspiration, motivation, and determination it creates in students was helpful. While I still believe that these games are mostly a waste of time in and of themselves, I have seen the benefits they can bring to a classroom environment. I specifically enjoyed the progress bar at the bottom of the screen in WoW and was very motivated to get that last little bit so that I could reach the next level. Creating this drive in students seems worthwhile to me.

So if you choose to play WoW or Minecraft or whatever, I trust that you will look through the lens of the educator "for the good of the students". I discovered 10 game mechanics from WoW and have listed them below with the classroom applications that may be helpful for you. Take a look.

Mechanic #1: 
Tailor your character to your desires.

• Give students choice for completion of the activity.
• If the same activity is required, give options within the activity.
• Include a student art project within the activity.

Mechanic #2: 
Seek advice with a "how-to" or tutorial on the Internet.

• Allow students to seek advice from classmates, teacher, Internet, or reference book.
• Create a FAQ sheet for the activity to help students help themselves.
• Train 2 different student experts for each activity so students can come to them with questions first.

Mechanic #3: 
Follow a step by step process for quest completion.

• Give clear written instructions and review with students.
• Make the sequence for activity completion logical.

Mechanic #4: 
Listen to encouraging words from those who give instructions.

• Stay motivating as a teacher and encourage students to use only positive words with each other.
• Every criticism should be started with something positive.

Mechanic #5: 
Spend as much time as you want to complete the quest.

• Allow students ample work time.
• Allow students to progress at their pace, teaching mini-lessons for small groups, focusing on differentiation.
• Set up stations in the classroom where small groups can go to work on a designated piece of the activity.

Mechanic #6: 
Note your progression with a progress bar shows what's been completed.

• Create a digital or material slide bar in the classroom to show progress on an activity.
• Give a reward (level up) when the progress bar reaches the end.

Mechanic #7: 
Revive your character without any other penalty by reaching the "graveyard" when death occurs.

• Give feedback to students and have them redo part of an activity for full credit.
• Remind students that it takes time to erase a mistake but that it's a necessary part of school and life.

Mechanic #8: 
Receive new abilities or tools as you progress, which help you to dive deeper into the story/game.

• Celebrate with students when they gain a new "tool" in understanding the activity or material.
• Give students a new tool (pencil or eraser) when they finish a tough activity.
• Create an activity that has multiple layers. Possibly allow different students to start at different points, progressing to the next level if they can reach the end.

Mechanic #9: 
Collaborate with other players within the game.

• Give classroom time for collaboration with peers.
• Find a class that's doing something similar and connect with them via Skype or Google Hangout or Blogging to discuss ideas.
• Create a website of some material the students have mastered and share it with other classes in different locations.

Mechanic #10: 
Receive rewards for quest completion.

• Give incentives like a homework pass or extra recess time when an activity is completed well.
• Create experience points that students can use in the classroom "market to buy small items.

Perhaps you have a game of choice and can add some more game mechanics for the classroom. Maybe you've tried something that has or has not worked. Feel free to share what you know and add to the discussion.