level up! using elements of gaming in the classroom grading … · 2019. 12. 4. · as phones and...

LEVEL UP! USING ELEMENTS OF GAMING IN THE CLASSROOM GRADING SYSTEM 1

Level Up! Using Elements of Gaming in the Classroom Grading System

Lance E. Holly

Western State Colorado University


Table of Contents

Title Page……………………………………………………..1

Abstract…………………….…………………………………3

Introduction……………………………………………...…….4

Background…………………………………………………...4

Literature Review……………………………………………..8

“Level Up!” Study Design…………………………………..16

Findings……………………………………………………..29

Discussion…………………………………………………..34

Limitations…………………………………………………..40

Next Steps…………………………………………………..43

Conclusion…………………………………………………..46

Appendices…………………………………………………48

References………………………………………………….72


Abstract

Gamification refers to the use of video game mechanics in a nongame setting, such as a

classroom. Today many students encounter game mechanics in their daily lives, and this

research explores how using elements of those mechanics in the classroom affects student

achievement. Using these elements, the grading system of two Civics classes were

transformed to include experience points, levels, perks, and achievements. Approximately

40 students were involved in this gaming system for one quarter (ten weeks) in an effort to

collect data such as attendance rates, percentages of assignments turned in, and overall

grades. Students were surveyed about their feelings concerning the gaming system and

their motivation. The principal findings include increased attendance; slightly decreased

completion of assignments; and not too much of a change in overall grades. Students

expressed strong interest in the gaming system, especially the academic motivation it

provided for them, and further research is being taken over the next quarter to solidify these

findings.


Introduction

Today’s students are growing up in a world that is full of games. Students play

games on systems such as personal computers or Playstations, on mobile devices such

as phones and tablets, and online through sites such as Facebook. Gaming is becoming a

very natural part of many students’ lives (McGonigal 2011). As educators, one way to

increase student engagement and motivation is to link elements of gaming to the

classroom procedures (Sheldon 2011). Many games use components such as levels,

experience points, unlockable rewards, and achievements to entice the player to keep

progressing. Education is about progression as well, through lessons, units and

gradeswhy not tap into these gaming systems for our students? The research presented

here involves two high school Civics classes that were transformed to include aspects of

games, and results such as attendance, turnin rates of assignments, and grades were

examined. Some conclusions from the first ten weeks of this new system include positive

changes in attendance; negative changes in turnin rate of assignments; and not too much

of a change in overall grades. Students overwhelmingly reported that the Level Up system

positively affected their academic motivation.

Background

The game system created for this classroom experiment is called “Level Up!” The

Level Up system was created for two reasons. First, finding new and innovative ways to

change the classroom to be more meaningful and engaging for students is a high priority in

21st century education. A few recent TED Talks and YouTube videos have discussed the


idea of “gaming the classroom,” and this sounded interesting as a motivational tool (for

example, Jensen 2012). Second, game mechanics are a natural way to connect with

students and provide them with a more interesting, rewardsbased learning environment

that keeps both the teacher and the students excited about learning. To create the system

the author drew on knowledge of gamesfrom roleplaying games like Diablo, World of

Warcraft, or Dungeons & Dragons; to firstperson shooters such as Call of Duty or Titanfall.

Many games today are combining elements to make the player feel like they are

progressing with a constantlyupgraded character, and this is a sense worth instilling in

students. The goal was to design a classroom where students start at a base level and

progress upward, finding “perks, bonuses and upgrades” as they “adventure” into learning

(to use some gaming vernacular). The idea of turning learning into a game energized the

classroom, and looking back it has certainly piqued the interest of students.

The rationale behind gamification in the classroom is the idea of constant forward

progression. Most games today allow the player to gain points, gain rewards, or gain

levels. The key word is ‘gain’very rarely does the player ever lose what they have gained.

This idea is perfectly suited for the classroom. What if students were always gaining and

moving upward towards a goal, rather than constantly shifting back and forth? Take a

standard baseten percentage grading system, for example. Students begin at 100%, and

every assignment will move their overall percentage up or down. A student with a 95%

average can earn a 91% on an exama very strong scoreand still see their overall grade

decrease. One goal of the Level Up system was to change this idea of constant fluctuation,

because this can be frustrating for students. The rationale behind this system is that when


students earn points, they keep those points, and they are always gaining toward their next

level or their next goal. If a student receives a low score on an assignment or test, they are

still gaining the points they earned, and thus they are always progressing, even if they didn’t

earn the maximum available points.

This study began with a research question. Concerning gamification, a central

question was, “How does using elements of gaming in the classroom affect student

achievement?” The more complex version of this question involves the idea that student

achievementincluding attendance, grades, and turnin rate of assignmentscan be

positively or negatively affected by transforming the grading from a baseten percentage

system to a levelsbased forward progression system. That question looks like this: “How

does using elements of gaming in the classroom, such as levels, experience points, perks,

and achievements, affect student performance such as attendance, assignment turnin

rate, and overall grades?” These questions were approached by first collecting data with a

class that was using the standard grading model, but learning the same material that the

experiment classes would be learning. Weekly attendance was recorded, in addition to

assignment turnin rates and final grades for this “control group” class. While this data was

being collected, the gaming grading system was created. Beginning the following quarter,

the new grading system was implemented with the same class subjectwise (although not

the same students), and the content was taught in exactly the same way as the control

group. The same data was recordedattendance, assignment turnin rate, and overall

gradesand the two groups were compared when it was finished. Notes were taken

throughout the whole process, including the author’s reflections and student reactions;


surveys were administered to students about their thoughts on the gaming grading system;

and meticulous notes and charts were kept to describe what was happening with the levels,

experience points, and perks.

A number of assumptions and beliefs existed going into this research. First, there

was an assumption that there would be positive gains across the board. Second was the

assumption that all students would naturally like this system better than the old system.

Third, the author assumed that it would be much less work than it turned out to be! Many

documents and tracking systems were created throughout the quarter, and a central issue

was figuring out ways to effectively keep students up to date on their progress. Before the

quarter started the system included rules, point values, and rewards; however there were

many unanticipated challenges that had to be dealt with as they came upmany issues

were brought up by students themselves, and a central part of the learning process was

talking through those issues and compromising with the classes. The teacher and classes

were learning and experimenting together, which ultimately made the system much

stronger than it was when it began.

Concerning the assumption of positive gains, there are a number of factors that

could not be controlled in this research, such as students dropping out or simply never

showing up to class, which negatively affected data. In order to get over this hurdle, the

author has kept the attitude that this quarter was an experiment, a work in progress, being

constructed by both the teacher and the students, and going forward the system will

become stronger and more streamlined the more we work on it. Thankfully, other

educators who have tried similar experiments (such as Sheldon 2011; Annetta et al. 2009;


Jensen 2012) encountered many of the same challenges and growing pains.

Literature Review

The use of games as learning tools in the classroom, known as “gamification”

(Corcoran 2010; De Freitas & De Freitas 2013; Kapp 2012) has become increasingly

popular in recent years. Institutions around the worldeducation or otherwisehave begun

using games as a motivational tool to foster creativity and competition among workers.

Many schools and individual teachers have taken on the challenge of “gamifying” their

classrooms (Bertoli 2012; De Freitas & De Freitas 2013; Sheldon 2011) in order to

provide students with a stronger sense of motivation and excitement for learning. The use

of gamification ranges from using educational video games to build critical thinking, to

implementing gamebased learning sites such as Khan Academy to practice math and

science (www.khanacademy.org), to completely restructuring the classroom to resemble a

multiplayer game such as World of Warcraft (Sheldon 2011). In a world where students are

constantly being bombarded with information and visuals, and extrinsic incentives are

found from Facebook to Playstation, the gamification of the classroom is an approach to

education that is increasingly effective (Goli 2013).

Gaming is not a foreign concept to students. According to the Entertainment

Software Rating Board (ESRB), 67% of households in the United States play computer or

video games; 40% of gamers are female; and the average gamer spends 8 hours per

week playing games (ESRB 2013). Publications such as Kapp (2012) and McGonigal

(2011) discuss the relevancy of games in today’s world. They summarize how the advent

https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.khanacademy.org%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFUhb1XOYlNI_lxQF3ay-VJ2fW_BQ


of video games in society has led to a change in motivation when it comes to the concept

of progression, as well as benefits in critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis. In

playing video games, people not only find an enjoyable experience but also one that is

challenging and requires them to think about obstacles in order to proceed. This same

framework can be applied to education, and four of the primary aspects of gaming that

most effectively translate from games to the classroom are experience points, levels,

perks, and achievements.

Students and Experience Points

The current paradigm of grading in the classroom involves the AF letter system,

based on a 100 percentage points scale. Students begin at 100%, and each assignment

or test affects their average in the class, which can only go down from that initial point.

Numerous teachers have decided to turn that model around and have students begin at 0,

so that they can only move up. One way to do this is to use a system of experience points

(Annetta et al. 2009; Jensen 2012). Experience points are essentially the same as any

points that teachers use for assignments or tests, except that they are building up toward a

certain mark (in this case, the “level.”) By telling students that they are earning experience

points, a different kind of engagement is achieved (McGonigal 2011; Sheldon 2011). As

mentioned above, our students live in a world full of experience pointsroleplaying games,

shooting games, mobile device games, Facebook gamesthese points are everywhere.

Many students find the idea of earning experience points completely separate from the

idea of getting a score on an assignment or test (Kapp 2012). By tapping into the power of


words and a sense of achievement, teachers can use experience points to influence

student achievement and motivation (Jensen 2012).

Teachers have used experience points in different ways. Some teachers have

experience points parallel the numbers used for actual grades (a number of case studies

are examined in Sheldon 2011:505, 195202; as well as Ross 2010), while others devise

a system that involves increasing difficulty as students gain more and more points (Sheldon

2011: 133136, 211215). Whichever way a teacher decides to use experience points, the

idea is the samestudents begin at zero, and as they complete tasks they are awarded

with experience points that move them up (instead of down, as percentages and averages

often do). This system often creates a completely different sense of excitement in the

classroom, which teachers have used to increase student learning (Bertoli 2012; Jensen

2012).

A number of online learning sites such as Khan Academy and iCivics

(www.icivics.org) use experience points as motivators for students, and these sites allow

students to gain rewards as they gain points. For example, Khan Academy awards

students with personal badges as they accrue experience points; while iCivics allows

students to use experience points to purchase cosmetic upgrades for their digital avatar

that is used within the site. These sites, as well as many classroom gamification

experiments done by other teachers (Bertoli 2012; De Freitas & De Freitas 2013; Sheldon

2011), provide students with a way to track their experience points. This idea is another

point that makes the gamebased model of grading different than the existing modelby

using experience points, many students have an increased interest in tracking their own

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icivics.org%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEsCXIzyhJzfdHHcdldpbhpEmrq4Q


progress, and equating their experience points to their success and achievement.

Students and Levels

Gaining experience points is shown to be effective, but where do these points take

our students? A key element of many video games in today’s world is to “level up” your

character upon reaching a certain number of experience points. Increasing levels rewards

students with quick benchmarks that allow them to reflect on their progress, and rank

themselves against their peers. Ranking in the form of leaderboards is a common aspect

of many games today (Annetta et al. 2009; Simoes et al. 2012; Sheldon 2011), so why not

put that motivator to use in the classroom? Levels are a way for students to understand

their progress in a way that grades and percentage points sometimes do not. Additionally,

levels can only go up, not down, and they are simple to calculate. Many students get

frustrated with a percentagebased grading system because it can be hard to

understandtests are weighted differently than homework assignments, for example, and

the idea of a weighted grade can be quite complicated to a student who simply wants to

know where they stand (Ross 2010). Compare that with the very concrete explanation of

how many experience points the student has earned and what level that equates to, can be

both simpler for the student and more immediately relevant, given that they see and use

similar systems in many other games throughout their experiences.

Teachers have used levels to show progression in a variety of ways. Some

teachers have required students to attain a certain level before a grade is awarded

(Sheldon 2011: 52, 145), while others have matched the experience points and levels to


the same baseten scale that is now used for letter averages (Erenli 2013). A very high

percentage of teachers who have experimented with employing the leveling system in the

classroom have reported a positive correlation between student motivation and the change

in the grading system (Annetta et al. 2009; Bertoli 2012; De Freitas & De Freitas 2013;

McGonigal 2010; Ross 2010; Sheldon 2011; Simoes et al. 2012). Once again, this idea is

not new. Games such as Call of Duty and Farmville use the idea of levels, and the system

of “ranking up” or achieving higher levels of progressrepresented as a numberhas a

significant impact on the numbers of people playing those games. If the classroom is a

series of accomplishments and benchmarks, such as mastering a subject or understanding

a concept, then it makes sense to reward students with a method of progression that is

both simple and concrete. Levels serve this purpose well.

As alluded to above, levels can easily translate to letter grades (Sheldon 2011:

145). Some teachers have found it overwhelming to track experience points, levels, and

the required letter grades for each student, but the systems do not have to be separate.

The most common current grading system uses the idea that an A is awarded when a

student achieves 90% of the possible assignment points or higher; a B at 80%; and so

forth. Based on inspiration from the work of Sheldon (2011), a handful of teachers have

attempted to link experience points to the baseten scale so that the levels students

achieve directly equate to the percentages required for letter grades. Additionally, if a

letter grade was needed a teacher could at any time simply divide the number of

experience points a student has by the total number available at that moment to figure out a

percentage that relates to a letter grade.


Students and Perks

Many studies that discuss the benefits of gamification in the classroom suggest

using a system of extrinsic rewards for students (Corcoran 2010; Erenli 2013; McGonigal

2011). These rewards are typically achieved through reaching a certain level or number of

experience points. Rewards can be called a number of names, such as bonuses, benefits,

or perks (Jensen 2012). Some teachers call student rewards ‘perks’ because of the

correlation with the popular video game Call of Duty. In this game, as the player advances

he/she unlocks certain benefits to the character as levels and experience points are

gained. These perks are not a onetime reward; instead they are something that

permanently upgrades the player’s character. Student motivation can be increased if

students feel like they are ‘upgrading’ their classroom experience in this same way.

Studies have shown that such extrinsic rewards can help students motivate to increase

their achievement and participation in class (Annetta et al. 2009; Jensen 2012; Kapp

2012). However, it is important to note that the teacher must be careful and make sure that

students are not “playing the game” (in this case, doing school) just to earn the rewards.

There needs to be intrinsic value in learning. Both McGonigal (2011) and Sheldon (2011)

point out that a smart teacher can incorporate both the extrinsic rewards of individual

bonuses while also maintaining the intrinsic rewards of learning. This is done by engaging

the learner in the tasks at hand, and framing assignments and tests as challenges to be

conquered rather than busywork to be hastily finished.

Gamification experiments such as Classroom Live (De Freitas & De Freitas 2013)

incorporate rewards into the system of achievement over the course of a school year.


Rewards can include everything from a student’s player’s aesthetic appearance to

bonuses for completing assignments in a certain amount of time. As described above,

iCivics offers students rewards in the form of avatar customization, and even a way to put

reward points towards benefitting a charitable organization. Many online teaching games

such as Khan Academy use a system of badgesvisual indicators of progression and

achievementas rewards for student performance. The idea of badges and other

indicators of progress (such as trophies) can also be seen in the rewards model of

Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation.

An interesting idea concerning the use of perks is providing students with a choice

of rewards. Many teachers have found that students enjoy having a choice in the

classroomwhich reading materials to use, which assignments to do first, or how to use

study time to review for a test (McGonigal 2011). Giving students a choice of perks as they

level up allows them to customize their learning experience. Several of the teachers in

Sheldon’s case studies (Sheldon 2011: 505, 133136, 195202, 211215) include reward

systems that offer classroom supplies, experience point bonuses, school tshirts, music

during work time, or additional hall passes. Using rewards such as these, students do not

forget their original purpose (learning) by having nonrelevant objects dangled in front of

them (such as candy or pizza parties), but instead gain beneficial tools or upgrades that

enhance their learning experience.

Students and Achievements

The last element of gaming used in this classroom experiment is a system of


achievements. Achievements are similar to perks in video games in that they are rewards

given to players upon reaching certain objectives; however they are not typically a tangible

item or upgrade. Instead, achievements show off a player’s specific accomplishment that

may represent a milestone or impressive event. In the classroom, achievements have

been used by teachers to award students for reaching certain levels, or by accomplishing

certain feats (Corcoran 2010; Goli 2013; Kapp 2012). Examples of these feats include

completing a number of a certain type of assignments, contributing to the classroom

discussion in a positive way, or by collecting a specific number of perks (McGonigal 2010).

One enticing aspect of achievements is that they often come with a unique name that is

often humorous or indicative of the accomplishment. Achievements on video game

systems such as the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3 have names that can be shown off to

other players. Similarly, teachers have experimented with showing off student

achievements on a leaderboard, so that other students can see who has achieved which

rewards (Sheldon 2011: 236238).

Researchers such as Anetta et al. (2009) and Jensen (2012) have pointed out that

achievements and similar reward systems can be positively linked to student engagement

and motivation. The idea that students feel as though they are constantly moving toward

smaller, more manageable goals helps them feel forward momentum. Is there an element

of fun in achievements and rewards? Of course! Learning should be naturally fun and

exciting, and using a system of achievements that emphasize a student’s particular

accomplishment is an effective way to bring fun back to learning.


Literature Review Conclusion

Gamification of the classroom can be seen across the country in schools and by

individual teachers. Elements of gaming such as experience points, levels, perks, and

achievements have been shown to have a positive impact on student engagement and

motivation (Annetta et al. 2009; Bertoli 2012; De Freitas & De Freitas 2013; McGonigal

2010; Ross 2010; Sheldon 2011; Simoes et al. 2012). However, there is not enough

published research to make this fact known to the entire education world. This study is an

attempt to fill a gap in the research about using elements of games in the classroom

grading system. It has been demonstrated with these few studies that small changes in

words and concepts (from “assignment scores” to “experience points;” from “grades” to

“levels”) can influence the motivation and achievement of students. Pioneering authors

such as Sheldon (2011), McGonigal (2011), and the creators of Classroom Live (De

Freitas & De Freitas 2013) have blazed a trail for many other teachers to experiment with

gamification in their classrooms. The future is bright for bringing fun, excitement, and

friendly competition to learning.

“Level Up!” Study Design

The gaming grading system created for this experiment involves several

components. Two Civics classes were usedperiods 3 and 6which started with 52 total

students and ended with 47. These Civics classes were the only ones being taught during

Quarter 3, so the system was only for them. The students ranged from 9th to 12th grade,

ages 1420. Many students at the school are considered highly impacted, and almost all of


them are over age and under credit. Schoolwide average attendance is about 67%, and

typically most classes end with a 1:1 pass:fail ratio. Many students are dealing with a lack

of parental involvement at home; child care for their own kids; or being in and out of the

court system. Therefore, the goals of this new grading system were to see if any positive

gains could be made from students in any areas of academic achievement. These are

students who need every incentive to do well in school, and who are in dire need of

motivation!

For this research, the setting barely changed. Students were still in the same

classroom, following the same procedures, and learning the same material. The new

gaming system was introduced to them on the first day, as part of the introduction to the

class presentation. A small part of nearly every day was spent discussing some part of the

system, whether it was a reminder or an update. Two class leaderboards were hung on the

wall to track progress, and slightly longer personal conferences were held during review

time to catch each student up with their rewards. Otherwise, the class and the material

stayed exactly the same as Civics classes had in the past.

Experience Points

In the Level Up system, all students began at level 0 (see Appendix A for the class

syllabus). Every assignment, warm up, test, and day of attendance earned them

experience points (XP). Students received 100 XP for attending class; 50 XP for a

complete warm up; up to 100 XP per daily assignment; up to 500 XP for units 1 and 2

tests; and up to 1000 XP for the final exam. Attendance is simpleif you’re here, you earn


100 XP; if you’re not here, you earn 0 XP. Warm ups were equally straightforwardif you

complete the warm up, you earn 50 XP. If you don’t, or if you’re not present, you earn 0 XP.

Daily assignments had to be fully completed and correct to earn 100 XP; otherwise points

were taken off (just like a regular assignment would be graded). The same goes for

tests500 or 1000 XP were the maximum score values, and students gained XP towards

those maximums by answering questions correctly.

It is worth reiterating that the idea of experience points is not fundamentally different

from other types of points awarded by teachers. Assignments can still have percentages,

as can tests. The major difference, however, is how students perceive those points. In the

Level Up system, if a student scores 50 out of 100 on a daily assignment, he/she has

earned 50 XP toward the next level. The student is still progressing. The student has not

gone backwards. In a more typical percentage based grading system, a 50/100 score

would be 50%, which would likely bring the student’s overall average down. This is where

the paradigm shift occursgaining 50 XP is far more exciting for a student than being told

“you got half the questions wrong, so you got 50%, which is an F.”

Levels

As discussed above, students are always progressing. Their goal through

progression is to gain levels. Every 500 XP, a student “levels up.” A level up is common

terminology in games, signifying an increase in power or abilities for the character, and the

reaching of a new rank or status. In the Level Up system, there are twenty total levels, and

10,000 total XP. Students were able to earn, on average, a maximum of 250 XP per day


of class (that’s one warm up, one assignment, and their attendance. Obviously this

changed on test days, etc.). At the school used for this experiment, class is held four days

per week, so students could earn up to 1000 XP per week by being present all four days

and completing all required assignments. With tenweek quarters, the total XP able to be

earned was 10,000. (A few issues with these numbers occurred, such as review and test

days, as well as me not being present a couple days, so in the end every student did not

necessarily have the 10,000 XP maximum.) A student’s final letter grade was based on

their final level, achieved by the end of the quarter. Students needed to reach level 12 to

earn a D (at 6,000 XP); level 14 for a C (7,000 XP); level 16 for a B (8,000 XP); and level

18 for an A (9,000 XP). See the table below for a visual representation of this leveling

system.

Table 1: Levels, Experience Points, and Grade Equivalents

Level Experience Points Grade Equivalent

1 500

2 1000

3 1500

4 2000

5 2500

6 3000

7 3500

8 4000

9 4500

10 5000


11 5500

12 6000 D

13 6500

14 7000 C

15 7500

16 8000 B

17 8500

18 9000 A

19 9500

20 10000

In this way, XP lines up directly with a percentagebased grading system. For

example, 8,000/10,000 = 80%, which is a B in the regular system. While final letter grades

were not achieved until the end of the quarter, students could at any time check where they

were in relation to the levels needed for certain grades. This technically meant that

students were at an F for most of the quarter; however a simple division calculation could

always be done to see how many points a student had earned against how many were

possible to see what their “normal” grade would be at that point. (This was especially

necessary for female students who relied on constantly updated grades for child care

checks from the state.) See Appendix B for a full view of the XP and levels progression.

Again, this system is not fundamentally different from a normal grading system.

Students are still earning a B for doing 80% of the work. Points that students earn are still

divided against the maximum point total. What is different is how all of this information is

displayed and discussed. Students understood that they were working to gain XP to hit


level 12, because once they hit level 12 they were “safe” and could not fail the class. They

could progress upwards and earn a higher grade, but they could not go backwards. This

point of perpetual gain and not loss was of central importance to students, as will be further

discussed later. For both students and teachers, the change in philosophy involves the

idea that if students have done 70% of the class work over a quarter, they have earned

their C, and failing a test should not penalize them for the work they’ve already done;

however that test can be seen as an opportunity to move forward and reach an even higher

grade.

Perks

In the Level Up system, reaching a new level is not only a marker of progress toward

a letter grade. Levels also award “perks.” Starting at level 1, every two levels students

earned a perk. Perks can be thought of as coupons, or currency, for the classroom. In

games, perks are bonuses that help the player’s character become stronger. In this

experiment classroom, perks were used by students to make their learning experience

better or more efficient, and possibly to gain something nice for themselves! Perks are

stickers that go on the student’s “gamecard,” or achievement tracker (see Appendix C for

an example gamecard). Students can choose to use perks at any time, to gain rewards

that help them in class. Students can earn a maximum of ten perks in a quartera perk

every two levels comes out to 10 total perks for 20 total levels. See the table below for a

list of rewards students could purchase.


Table 2: List of Rewards for Perks

Rewards for perks ranged from basic school supplies such as pencils, highlighters

and notebooks to quality of life items such as water bottles, use of headphones during work

time and additional hall passes. Two rewards in particular stood out among the list for

many students, including a 100 XP bonus to their grade, and an entry into the

endofquarter gift card drawing. Two $25 Visa gift cards were purchased, one for each


class, and if a student chose to he/she could pay three perks to gain a ticket into a lottery

drawing for the gift card. As will be discussed in more detail later, some perk rewards

were quite popular (such as XP bonuses and music at work time), while others only had a

single student purchase them (additional hall pass and hand sanitizer, among others).

Students were also able to earn “class perks.” These were classwide rewards that

unlocked only after every student reached a certain level. As shown in the perks chart (full

chart in Appendix D), class perks were available once the whole class reached level 5,

level 10, level 15, and level 20. The initial thought with these class perks was that higher

level students would try to help those at lower levels in order to gain those rewards.

However, while it might have been a good idea in theory, the class perk system was not

effectivestudents never mentioned it, and far too many students rarely showed up to class

and never even reached level 5 by the end of the quarter. In a later section future changes

to the Level Up system will be discussed; class perks is one of those changes.

Achievements

The last element of the Level Up system is the achievements. Achievements are

prevalent in video games today, with players earning badges or icons with certain

descriptions as they complete various tasks or objectives. Typically, players can show off

their achievements to others with a page dedicated to this endeavor. In essence,

achievements are a way to entice the player into progressing further, and being able to

numerically or visually display their accomplishments. In the Level Up system used in this

classroom, students earned achievements for completing various objectives related to their


learning (see Table 3 and Appendix E for a list of the achievements). As students

completed tasks (such as an attendance streak or completing a set number of news

articles) they were rewarded with a badge (again, a sticker) that the students then placed

on their gamecard along with their perks. Each achievement has a name, description, and

unique badge design.

Table 3: List of Achievements

Achievement Name Description Badge

Ace! Complete a test or quiz with no mistakes

Civics Mayor Achieve Level 5

Civics Governor Achieve Level 10

Civics President Achieve Level 15

Barack Obama Achieve Level 20

Congressman/Congresswoman

Help another student who is struggling

or

Popular Politician Parent or guardian attends parentteacher conferences for Civics


Supremacy Impress Mr. Lance with something

4/4 Attend class Monday through Thursday without missing a day

Two And Counting! Attend two straight weeks of school without missing a day

Big Ten Complete ten daily assignments

20/20 Vision Complete twenty daily assignments

Informed Citizen Complete two Articles of the Week

News Master Complete five Articles of the Week

Commander In Chief Gain all Civics achievements

Students also received a second copy of their badge to put on the class

leaderboard. The leaderboards are large drawings of the White House (it is Civics class,

after all!), one for 3rd period and one for 6th period. By placing a copy of their badges on

the class leaderboard, students could show off the progress of the whole class while

staying anonymous. Students could always check the competition between the two


classes by the number or type of achievements posted on the leaderboard, but they would

never feel embarrassed or shamed by seeing (or not seeing) their name displayed.

Please see Appendix F for a gallery of pictures including: student gamecards,

leaderboards, students placing their achievements on the leaderboards, and students

showing off their gamecards.

Data Collection

As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, the primary data to be gained from the

Level Up system was student attendance, turnin rate of assignments, and overall grades.

In addition to these quantitative measures, student thoughts and reactions were also

tracked. Combined with personal reflections, these various types of data would show a

complete picture of how the system worked during the quarter.

Attendance, assignments, and grades were all tracked in a single spreadsheet (see

Appendix G). Each week of the quarter the total number of students enrolled in the class

was recorded, as well as the total number of students present that week. An attendance

percentage was then calculated. As the quarter progressed, all of the weekly percentages

kept adding up and finally yielded an overall attendance percentage for the tenweek

quarter. Assignments were recorded in the same manner, by multiplying the number of

assignments given in a week (not counting warm ups or tests; only daily classwork) by the

total number of students and then counting how many assignments had been turned in that

week. Again a percentage was found, yielding a weekly percentage of assignments turned

in. (It is worth noting that assignments were counted from Monday to Monday, giving


students a chance to complete their last assignment over the weekend and turn it in

Monday. After that Monday, no further assignments were counted even if they were turned

in. This rule was followed consistently in both quarter 2 [with the control class] and quarter

3 [with the Level Up classes]). At the end of the quarter, the percentages of assignments

were all added together to find a total percentage of weekly assignments completed.

For overall grades the numbers of A, B, C, D and F scores were recorded at the

end of each week, for each class. This was possible for the Level Up classes even though

the students spent most of the quarter at a level not high enough to pass; one can simply

divide to calculate what the overall percentages were at the time, giving a letter grade

based on the standard baseten scale. The most important data concerning letter grades

came at the end of each quarter, comparing how many students had which letter grades,

and how many passed compared to failed. All of this dataattendance, assignments

turned in, and gradeswas compared to quarter 2 statistics (the class that did not use the

Level Up system), which were recorded in the exact same manner.

To collect data concerning student thoughts and opinions, a survey was

administered around week 8 of quarter 3 to both of the Civics classes (Appendix H). This

survey had a quantitative portion which had students respond to statements with a 1, 2, 3 or

4 rating; as well as a qualitative portion where students were able to write their thoughts

about various aspects of the Level Up system. The surveys were entirely anonymous;

students were not required (or encouraged) to write their name on the paper; nor was their

grade going to be affected by their responses. To compile responses, quantitative data

was entered into a spreadsheet and the total numbers of 1s, 2s, 3s and 4s were tabulated.


For the qualitative data a summary sheet was created with a wide range of student

opinions, from good to bad and from thoughtful to simple.

In addition to student achievement and student thoughts data, a spreadsheet was

created to track perks and achievements throughout the quarter (Appendix I). This

spreadsheet served two purposesfirst, it allows the teacher to sit down with a student and

double check that they had all of the correct perks and achievement badges; second,

information about student use of perks was able to be summarized, as well as which

achievements were the most or least commonly earned. For each student, a record was

kept of how many perks they had been given, how many perks they had used, which items

they had purchased, and which achievements they had earned. Please note that this chart

was only added to when a student was present and was talking with the author about their

perks or badges (such as a personal conference), and thus not all of the data is present.

Many students who were rarely present may not have exactly accurate data in this tracker.

The tracker was meant to be used as a tool to keep a record of what had been given to

students, and if the students were never there to receive their perks or badges, then that

information might not be in the spreadsheet.

Lastly, throughout the quarter the author kept a personal journal of sorts, describing

thoughts and reactions as the system unfolded. Information about successes, failures,

needed improvements, student suggestions, reflections on what worked surprisingly well,

what crashed and burned, and issues that came up from students that were not previously

thought of were all recorded. This data was collected informally, usually written at the end

of the day, and was used mostly for personal reflection but also as a place to keep notes


and suggestions for future improvements.

Findings

The principal findings of this study fall into two categoriesthe quantitative data that

shows how attendance, assignments, and grades were affected by the Level Up system;

and the qualitative data in the form of student thoughts and opinions concerning the system.

The quantitative data compares student achievement from quarter 2 (using the standard

grading system) and quarter 3 (using the Level Up system). The qualitative survey data is

not compared to quarter 2; it stands alone and shows student impressions and reactions to

the system.

The data taken from quarter 2 involved a single Civics class during a ten week time

period. The class started with 30 students, and ended with 20 students due to drops and

changed schedules. Quarter 2 included the Thanksgiving week, which skewed the data

slightly due to low student attendance during the two days before break started. There was

also one week of no data, due to two very snowy days and two instructor sick days. Lastly,

quarter 2 involves a single displaced week that happens after a 2week winter break.

These are some of the qualifiers for quarter 2.

The data taken from quarter 3 involved two Civics classes during a ten week time

period. Period 3 started with 26 students and ended with 23. Period 6 started with 28

students and ended with 23. Therefore, 46 total students are involved in the final data.

Quarter 3 included a TCAP week where 9th and 10th graders were often not present due

to testing, as well as two instructor sick days. Therefore, some inconsistencies exist in the


quarter 3 data, just like that of quarter 2.

Attendance, Assignments and Grades

The three most important student achievement statistics tracked during this

experiment were attendance, assignments turned in, and grades. The same statistics

were tracked on a weekly basis for both quarter 2 and quarter 3. The table below

summarizes this quantitative data.

Table 4: Comparing Attendance, Assignments, and Grades Between Q2 and Q3

Data Type Quarter 2 (Control)

Quarter 3 (Level Up) Change

Attendance 55% 72% (3rd P.) 60% (6th P.)Average: 66%

11% Increase

Assignments Turned In

47% 48% (3rd P.) 32% (6th P.)Average: 40%

7% Decrease

Final Grades 13 Pass, 7 Fail1.9:1 Ratio

29 Pass, 18 Fail1.6:1 Ratio

0.3:1 Ratio Decrease

Concerning attendance, the one Civics class in quarter 2 averaged 55% over the

ten week period. In quarter 3, one Civics class averaged 72% and the other averaged

60%. The average for both classes in quarter 3 was 66%, which results in an 11%

increase from quarter 2.

Concerning assignments turned in, the quarter 2 Civics class completed 47% of

their assignments within the one week time limit. The quarter 3 classes completed 48%

and 32% of their assignments, averaging at 40% for the two classes. This results in a 7%


decrease from quarter 2.

Concerning final grades, the quarter 2 Civics class ended with 13 students passing

and 7 students failing. This comes out to a 1.9:1 ratio. The quarter 3 classes combined to

have 29 students pass, and 18 students fail. This ratio is 1.6:1. Therefore, the quarter 2

ratio is higher by 0.3.

Using all three of these data points, the following conclusions can be made

comparing quarter 3 and quarter 2:

Attendance with the Level Up system increased by 11%.

The percentage of assignments turned in under the Level Up system

decreased by 7%.

The pass/fail ratio using the Level Up system decreased by 0.3, from 1.9:1

pass:fail to 1.6:1 pass:fail.

Perks and Achievements

Throughout quarter 3 all information regarding perks and achievement badges in

both Civics classes was tracked. This data cannot be compared to quarter 2, because

neither of these systems were present for classes prior to this experiment. Therefore,

these findings are not comparative but are simply informative regarding the general results

of the Level Up system.

From the perk and badge tracker (Appendix I) the following conclusions can be

seen:

Across both classes, students earned 270 total perks.


Students used 189 perks.

The most purchased item was bonus XP (30 students), followed by water

bottles (10 students) and music during work time (9 students).

The top three achievements earned in both classes were Mayor (reach level

5; 42 students); Big Ten (complete ten assignments; 38 students); and 4 For

4 (attend class all four days of a week; 35 students).

Survey Data

A survey was administered to all students during week 8 of quarter 3 (Appendix H),

which included both quantitative and qualitative responses. The full survey responses can

be seen in Appendix J. Summarized here are the most important numerical data, and an

brief overview of student responses.

Students were asked to respond to thirteen statements about the Level Up system.

Many questions were simple comprehension queries, such as “I know what experience

points are” and “I like using experience points.” Students were asked to respond on a 14

scale, where 1=No!; 2=Kinda Sorta; 3=Pretty Well; and 4=Yes!. The most important

statements for this research were:

1. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to improve my attendance.

2. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to turn in my assignments.

3. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to get a higher grade in class.

The results of these statements can be seen in the table below.


Table 5: Summary of Student Responses Concerning Motivation

Statement 1 (No!) 2 (Kinda Sorta) 3 (Pretty Well) 4 (Yes!)

#1 (Attendance) 0 (0%) 6 (18%) 5 (15%) 23 (68%)

#2 (Assignments) 1 (3%) 3 (9%) 4 (12%) 26 (76%)

#3 (Grades) 1 (3%) 3 (9%) 4 (12%) 26 (76%)

We can see that students overwhelmingly responded positively to the Level Up system

affecting their motivation across all three categories. For attendance, 68% of students

said that the Level Up system motivated them to improve; 76% of students reported that

the Level Up system motivated them to turn in more assignments; and 76% of students

said that the Level Up system motivated them to get a higher grade in class. Other relevant

data includes: 77% of students said that they like the Level Up grading system, and in

general, students reported that they understood and liked the perk system more than levels

or achievements.

A more complete list of student comments can be found in Appendix J, but shown

below is a short sample of written responses from both Civics classes:

“I like the idea about the level up grading system because it reminds me of ‘Call of

Duty’.”

“The level up grading system is fun and keeps the class entertaining.”

“I like the fact that once you reach a level you cannot go down only up.”

“It’s hard to keep track of what badges or perks you should have.”

“Achievements are motivating because you can see who is like at a higher ranking.”

In general, student written responses were positive about the system, but there were a few


that mentioned the difficulty of keeping track of everything, or that achievements didn’t

serve much of a purpose. Overall however, students seemed to enjoy the system and

reported that they liked having it as a part of class.

Discussion

The Level Up system certainly had its ups and downs throughout the quarter. As

can be seen from the data above, some aspects of student achievement were positively

affected, and others were not. It is important to realize that this new system will take more

than one quarter to become as effective as it can be. However, by combining the

quantitative data concerning student achievement and the qualitative data concerning

student thoughts and opinions, there are a number of results to celebrate from

experimenting with this system.

Positives of the Level Up System

Starting with what worked, the first positive statistic is attendance. Overall

attendance in quarter 3 increase by 11%. This is an excellent outcome, especially in a

school that struggles with consistent attendance. While it is difficult to know for certain

whether the Level Up system can be directly responsible for this increase, the student

survey results suggest that it helped. From the survey, 68% of students recorded the

highest rating to the statement of whether the Level Up system motivated them to attend

class more often. If we combine the highest and second highest rating of that question, a

total of 83% of students reported that the system positively affected their attendance.


Therefore, combining this survey data with the 11% increase in attendance, we can

tentatively conclude that the Level Up system directly affects students’ motivation to attend

class.

Continuing with the survey, students also overwhelmingly reported that the Level Up

system motivated them to turn in more assignments and earn higher grades in class. If we

again combine the two highest ratings for each statement, 88% of students reported that

the system motivated them to turn in more assignments, and 88% also reported that the

system motivated them to earn higher grades. However, there is an apparent disconnect

between what students reported on their surveys, and what actually happened in the

classroom concerning assignments and grades. In quarter 3 students on average turned in

7% fewer assignments than in quarter 2, and earned on average slightly lower grades. It is

difficult to know for certain what effect the Level Up system had on these results. For

example, the students in quarter 2 and quarter 3 are different, and different students have

various learning styles, issues at home, or any number of other factors affecting their

academic performance. Therefore it is difficult to connect the Level Up system to

decreased academic performance. It is very important to know that 88% of students find

the Level Up system motivational, because the school is dealing with students who in

general lack academic motivation. While assignments and grades may have decreased

from quarter 2 to quarter 3, there is a very real possibility that many students did turn in

more assignments, or earn a higher grade than they would have previously. Without using

the exact same students in a perfectly controlled setting, it is impossible to know for

certain. That is why it is worth reiterating that the survey results suggest that the Level Up


system is motivational, even if that motivation means turning in a few more assignments

than the student might have otherwise.

Other positive indicators from the surveys concern the ideas of forward progression,

the perks, and the achievements. The comment that kept coming up on the surveys had to

do with the idea of moving forward and not backward. Many students wrote that their

favorite part of the Level Up system was that they could not go backwardsonce they had

reached a new level, they were “safe” and could only move up, not down. This sentiment

was repeated over and over by students weekly. As discussed earlier in this paper, one of

the central paradigm shifts of this gaming system involves the idea of gaining and not

losing, which is exactly what students responded to. Students reported that they knew what

level they wanted to achieve to get the grade they desired, therefore they knew exactly what

to work for and did not have to fear falling backward. From the perspective of the teacher,

it was very refreshing to see students react as they saw their new experience point gains or

new levels and always respond with excitement, rather than the more usual glum reactions

seeing that their new percentage is lower than the last time they checked.

Regarding perks and achievements, many students reported that they enjoyed

earning rewards in class, and that the perks allowed them options for making their

classroom experience better; while the achievements provided motivation and a sense of

positive reinforcement for completing their tasks. Several students also mentioned that the

achievements on the leaderboards gave a sense of competition that helped the class work

better. On the survey, students reported that in general they understood and liked the perk

system more than levels or achievements. Very few students rated any elements of the


Level Up system at the lowest ranking.

Based on the above discussion, the positive aspects of the Level Up system during

quarter 3 can be summarized as follows:

Overall attendance increased by 11%.

Students overwhelmingly (83%88%) reported that the Level Up system positively

affected their motivation concerning attendance, assignments, and grades.

The most frequent student comment on surveys, and a subject that came up in class

very often, had to do with the idea of forward progression, where students gained

experience points and levels, but never lost them.

Students reported understanding and liking using perks and achievements in class.

Difficulties of the Level Up System

There were a number of data points and reflections that suggest the Level Up

system may not have worked positively for everyone. Beginning with the quantitative data,

the two negative points concern the assignment turnin rate and overall grades. As shown

in the data above, from quarter 2 to quarter 3 the percentage of assignments turned in on a

weekly basis decreased by 7%. Similarly, the final grades decreased from a 1.9:1

pass:fail ratio to a 1.6:1 ratio. Therefore, it is tempting to conclude that the Level Up

system caused students to turn in fewer assignments and earn lower grades. However,

based on some of the qualifiers discussed above, this conclusion may not be accurate. It

is very difficult to directly link the Level Up system with specific gains or losses in statistics.

For example, students overwhelmingly reported that the Level Up system increased their


motivation to turn in assignments and earn higher grades (88% of students marked a 3 or 4

rating on the survey), however the numbers show that assignments and grades decreased

from quarter 2. Again, with different students facing different challenges, it is difficult to

make definite comparisons. The author firmly believes that many students in quarter 3 did

in fact turn in more assignments or earn higher grades than they might have otherwise,

because of their motivation through the Level Up system.

Another qualifier comes from the disparity between the two Civics classes in quarter

3: the data shows great gains for 3rd period (72% attendance, 48% assignments turned in,

and a 2.3:1 pass:fail ratio), compared to decreased achievement for 6th period (60%

attendance, 32% assignments turned in, and a 1.2:1 pass:fail ratio). What could have

caused this? Because 6th period is the last period of the day, did students opt to skip that

class more often? Was it simply that smarter students existed in 3rd period? Answers to

these questions are beyond the scope of this research, but the point is that it is very difficult

to know exactly what affected student achievement in both quarters of this experiment.

From the perspective of the teacher piloting the Level Up system, there were a

number of difficulties and challenges during quarter 3. The idea of wholeclass perks did

not work. Neither Civics class had every student reach even level 5 for the first class perk,

so none were able to be given out. Another problem was with some of the achievements.

There were five achievements that were only earned by either 0, 1, or 2 students.

Therefore the achievement list was “crowded” with very difficult to obtain badges, or

students did not seem to care about earning them. This latter point is a distinct possibility,

because a number of students mentioned on their surveys that some achievements were


“too hard to get” or that “tracking achievements is too difficult.” Therefore, if students have

a hard time knowing which achievements they can get and which ones they already have, it

will be challenging for them to care as much about the whole achievement system.

Three other difficulties as the teacher involved tracking students’ XP, levels, perks,

and achievements; producing achievement badges; and extra grading. A method was

developed where every two days the teacher would quickly update each student with their

XP and level as the class was working on their warm up assignment. This was quite time

consuming, because it meant having to look up each student before school started, and

manually write down their XP on the roster sheet. Then, if students had earned perks or

achievements, they had to be quickly handed out during this checkin. Problems arose

when students weren’t present, or came in latethey might not get their update, and thus

they might not get their perks or badges. Some students who missed class for several

days in a row (not an uncommon occurrence) might rarely get updates or perks because

they missed the continuous discussion of their progression. It was hard to ask students to

keep track of their own levels and perks, although reminders and “checklists” were offered

as often as possible. In order to make the Level Up system feel alive and enticing, a great

deal of effort was put into constantly showing students their XP and levels, and handing out

perks and badges.

Concerning the badges, much time was spent designing them in a document,

transferring them to label paper, printing them out in color, and cutting them to size. This

last part was extremely time consuming, even with student assistants helping. Each badge

had to be manually cut out of label paper, and achievements required two per student (one


for their gamecard and one for the leaderboard). Beyond time spent making and cutting

badges, more assignments had to be graded and checked more carefully, due to the XP

system. Putting attendance and warm ups in the gradebook was easy100 XP if a student

was present, and 50 XP if a student completed a warm upbut daily assignments, articles

of the week, and tests really added up to a lot of grading at the end of each day. Add to

this the constant recording of perks and badges in the tracker, and the system was quite

time consuming as a teacher! The next section will discuss ways the author plans to

streamline and simplify the entire process.

Based on the above discussion, the challenging aspects of the Level Up system

during quarter 3 can be summarized as follows:

Overall assignments turned in weekly decreased by 7%.

The pass:fail ratio decreased from 1.9:1 in quarter 2 to 1.6:1 in quarter 3.

Wholeclass perks were never earned by either class.

Some achievements were never earned; possibly due to lack of student awareness

or difficulty in tracking which achievements had already been gained.

Tracking student progress, updating students, producing badges, and extra grading

were all difficulties faced by the teacher.

Limitations

The primary limitations of this study include the sample size, the unpredictable

nature of students, and having to compare two classes of different students. Other

limitations such as time and lack of parental feedback existed as well, but they were of less


consequence than the three primary limitations. Data from the second phase of the Level

Up system (quarter 4) would be extremely helpful, but due to time restrictions this data

cannot be obtained. Parental involvement and feedback concerning the system would also

be beneficial, but such involvement is not a reality at the school.

Concerning sample size, the quarter 2 control class ended with only 20 students.

Reflecting back on this experiment, a more effective approach would have involved

gathering data from two Civics classes in quarter 2 instead of one, in order to provide

more numbers to compare. When the Level Up system was designed, the plan was to

experiment with only one Civics class during quarter 3, and at the last minute the plan

changed to use two classes. Therefore, data exists from 47 total students in quarter 3, but

only 20 in quarter 2. Ideally, a stronger comparison would come from perhaps 100 total

students each quarter, but that was not possible given the size of the school and timeframe

of the project.

Throughout the ten weeks of a quarter, student behavior can be very unpredictable.

For example, a student will say that they enjoy class and are motivated to pass, and then

not show up for a week straight. Other students will complete half of a daily assignment

and then never finish it, because work seems to never get finished outside of class. Many

students were given progress reports and were allowed to finish missing assignments over

a weekend and then turn the work in on Mondays, and very few ever did. Lastly, there were

several students between both Civics classes in quarter 3 whose attendance was

extremely low (5%), and those students were never dropped so their data pulled down the

rest of the numbers.


The biggest limitation of the study was having to compare sets of classes with very

different students facing very different situations. Students everywhere have issues to deal

with outside of school, but this is especially true at a highly impacted school with 85%

free/reduced lunch. Some students have a calm, structured home life where it is possible

to do homework and stay organized, while other students rarely show up to school with a

backpack, binder, or any materials for class. Some students show up every day while

other students go missing for weeks at a time. A common problem is weather: many

students do not have a way to get to school when the temperature drops or there is snow

on the ground, or they lack the motivation to take the three busses and two hour trip to get

to school (it’s hard to blame them). Other students will show up to school no matter the

weather, and never make excuses. Therefore, it is very hard to compare classes and

attribute student achievement to a single factor such as the Level Up system.

Concerning the specific classes in quarter 2 and quarter 3, a large difference can

be seen among all three. In general, the quarter 2 class would be considered a “middle of

the road” class by the standard of other classes at the school. The 3rd period class during

quarter 3 would be considered a “high performing” class based on pass rates, MAPS

scores, or other school measures. Lastly the 6th period class during quarter 3 would be

classified as a “low performing” class based on attendance and overall pass rates.

Therefore, it is quite difficult to say with any certainty whether or not the Level Up system

directly impacted the quantitative data such as attendance, assignments turned in, and

grades. The survey data with student thoughts is quite important, however, because a

student marking “yes!” to the statement “The Level Up system has motivated me to


increase my attendance” completely depends on that students’ prior attendance track

record. Motivation can be quite different from one student to anotherperhaps one

student’s idea of motivation is to not miss a single day during the quarter, while another’s

idea is to come to class two days per week instead of one. In this way, the survey data is

very helpful because it allows students to show how the Level Up system affects them

personally, which may not necessarily show up in the overall numbers of the achievement

data.

Next Steps

Even though a significant part of the data was not positive, the author is confident

that the Level Up system is a valuable change for students. If the survey data is any

indicationand there is far more data from informal questioning of the classesthen it is

clear that students enjoy and find value in the Level Up system and want to continue using

it. In fact, other classes which do not currently use the Level Up system have heard about it

from their peers and often ask me about starting it for their class. It is highly likely that using

the Level Up system again in quarter 4 will yield more positive results, as students now

understand the system, know what to expect, and will not be taken aback by its presence.

Similarly, as the teacher, knowing the system and what to expect will certainly be

beneficial! The system will be changed to make it more streamlined and userfriendly, both

for the teacher and the students. Positive changes in both Civics classes are expected in

quarter four.

The Level Up system is not quite ready to be available for all classes. The system


will stay for the two Civics classes, and those classes will have a fresh start. The students

involved will be the same with only a few exceptions, so there should be little in the way of

teaching the system. Students will start at level 0 again, with new leaderboards, and work

their way up through the levels earning perks and achievements. Students will be earning

mostly the same items, however the system is being tweaked to better serve their needs.

Changes to the Level Up system include: taking out some of the lessearned

achievements; modifying some achievements; creating new badge icons; changing the

rate at which students gain perks; changing the value of perks; and removing wholeclass

perks. The syllabus for quarter 4 can be seen in Appendix K, with the new information

concerning perks and achievements. There are going to be twelve achievements instead

of fifteen, which keeps the list a bit more concise and manageable for students. The

achievements are going to be focused on the more accessible and less obscure

categories. Additionally, a crosscurricular approach with the graphic design class during

quarter 3 has resulted in new badge icons created by students. There exists a whole new

set of badge icons for each achievement, which will hopefully add to student buyin knowing

that they had a hand in creating part of the system. Lastly concerning the achievements, in

order to cut down on the time spent producing them the parameters of the badge icon have

changed to fit an address label which can be easily printed and peeled off. Therefore, no

more cutting out badges!

Regarding perks, students will be awarded one perk for each level they gain. This

will simplify the update process, as the teacher will be able to quickly find out if a student

has all their perks, since their level number will equal their total perks. Additionally, if


students are leveling up every 23 days, more perks will be handed out which leads to a

greater sense of accomplishment and progression. This is a strong changeit should be

easier for students to feel like they are earning and gaining, not harder! In order to balance

the rate at which students earn perks and the rewards they can buy, the number of perks

required to buy certain rewards will be changed (see Appendix K). Many of the simpler,

school suppliestype rewards are worth one perk (these are the rewards that were seldom

purchased); nicer items like binders, water bottles, and XP bonuses are worth two perks;

and five perks are required to buy the higher end items like the school tshirt or entry into

the gift card drawing. Lastly, wholeclass perks will be removed altogether. This change is

for two reasons. First, due to the nature of the classes it is unreasonable to expect that

every student will reach even the first cutoff point (level 5); and second, there was not a

single student commentverbally or on the surveysabout class perks, which leads to the

conclusion that students did not put much stock into them.

Even though the numbers will not be used for this research paper, data will still be

collected through quarter 4. It is worth knowing if students do a bit better now that they

know the system, and know what to expect. The data to be recorded includes: weekly

attendance and assignments turned in; final grades; a list of items purchased by students;

and achievements earned. These numbers will then be compared to those of quarter 3 in

order to see whether or not the system worked more effectively. A similar survey will be

administered toward the end of quarter 4, modifying the questions to have students

respond in a reflective manner comparing their comfort level and performance with the

Level Up system in quarter 3 vs. quarter 4. The goal is to see more positive results, while


staying aware of the many other factors at work when it comes to student achievement and

performance.

Conclusion

The Level Up gaming system was developed by the author, drawing on the work of

other teachers around the country, in order to examine student achievement in a new

grading environment. The primary difference between the Level Up grading system and a

traditional system is that students are constantly progressing and never moving backwards.

Students are given many opportunities to gain experience points, level up, unlock perks,

and earn achievements. Many students growing up today are familiar with game

mechanics, and implementing those elements in the classroom makes learning more

interesting, engaging, and motivating.

This study compared a class period using a traditional grading model with two class

periods using the Level Up system. Student achievement varied, including an 11%

increase in attendance but a 7% decrease in assignments turned in, and a slightly lower

pass:fail ratio. However, students overwhelmingly reported that they enjoyed and preferred

the Level Up system to their other grading systems, and many described how the sense of

forward progression and rewards of perks and achievements made the class far more

interesting and entertaining. Many students found success with the system, including

several who were calculating their experience points daily and double checking their levels

with methis is exactly the type of engagement this study aimed to improve.

Being at a school with highly impacted populations, a classroom system that adds


motivation and incentive to schoolwork is especially important. An innovation such as

turning the classroom into a game has the potential to captivate students who might

otherwise be unmotivated to perform in school. While others may argue that using perks

and achievements may be a form of bribery, one could argue that the world today is

becoming increasingly rewarddriven, from the work force to gyms to diet plans to mobile

phone games. In the 21st century students are expected to reflect on their performance

and calculate what is needed to get to the next stage; why not bring those aspects into the

classroom in order to better prepare this generation for that world?

The future of gamification will be played out in classrooms all over the country in the

coming years. There are many ways that teachers can implement ideas seen here, or

come up with ideas of their own, that work for their specific students. Whether the students

have access to games at home or whether they are students who may not be as

experienced, the basic ideas of forward movement, clear and concrete measures of

success, rewards, and achievements are enticing and beneficial to us all. As McGonigal

(2013) points out: “..games are interactive and engaging. It’s no wonder they are so

pervasive with both children and adults!”


APPENDIX A: QUARTER 3 SYLLABUS

Welcome to Mr. Lance’s Civics class! You begin at Level 0 You will gain Experience Points (XP) by completing assignments, attending class,

and tests As you gain XP you will level up, and unlock perks for yourself or the class Daily assignments are worth 100 XP, daily attendance is worth 100 XP, and warm

ups are worth 50 XP Therefore, each day you can earn a maximum of 250 XP Tests are worth anywhere from 500 1000 XP

Here is the Level and Experience Point table:

Level Experience Points

Grade Equivalent

Perk

1 500 One Individual Perk Coupon

2 1000


4 2000

5 2500 One Individual Perk CouponClass Perk #1

6 3000


8 4000


10 5000 Class Perk #2


12 6000 D


14 7000 C



Class Perk #3

16 8000 B


18 9000 A


20 10000 Class Perk #4

What are Individual Perks? Perks are bonuses that help you in class You earn one perk every 2 levels. You may choose to use them at any time, or keep them

for later use

Here is the list of Individual Perks:

Perks Available for One Coupon

Four pencils

Three pens (black ink)

Two highlighters (your choice of color)

Two notebooks (your choice of color)

One threering binder

One water bottle

One bottle of hand lotion

One bottle of hand sanitizer

Use of headphones during work time (one full week)

Choice of music for class music (if class perk is unlocked)

Onetime 100 XP bonus

One additional hall pass

Perks Available for Three Coupons

NAS Tshirt of choice

Entry into the end of quarter gift card drawing (two cards, $25 each)


What are Class Perks? Class Perks are rewards that the entire class earns when everyone reaches a certain level

Here is the list of Class Perks:

Class Perk Description

#1 (at class level 5) Every student receives a 200 XP bonus, effective immediately.

#2 (at class level 10) Students can request for Mr. Lance to play music during work time. Students may vote each day on whether they want music or not.

#3 (at class level 15) Mr. Lance must bring food and drink for the entire class, on a day of the class’s choosing. The class may vote on the type of food and drink. Mr. Lance reserves the right of final decision regarding appropriateness and cost.

#4 (at class level 20) The class may take Mr. Lance outside after school on a day of their choosing, and either 1) throw water balloons at him without resistance; or (if applicable) 2) throw snowballs at him without resistance.

What are Achievements? Achievements are rewards that you gain for completing certain tasks An achievement is a badge that you earn for reaching a goal There will be a class leaderboard of all students who earn achievements

Here is a list of the Civics Achievements:








Congressman/Congresswoman

Help another student who is struggling

or

Popular Politician Parent or guardian attends parentteacher conferences for Civics

Supremacy Impress Mr. Lance with something









APPENDIX B: EXPERIENCE POINTS & LEVELS CHART


APPENDIX C: GAMECARD, BADGES & PERK ICONS


APPENDIX D: LIST OF PERKS


APPENDIX E: ACHIEVEMENT LIST


APPENDIX F: PHOTOS OF STUDENTS, GAMECARDS & LEADERBOARDS


APPENDIX G: ACHIEVEMENT SPREADSHEET


APPENDIX H: STUDENT SURVEY

Survey Civics Level Up Grading System

Directions: Read each statement and check the box that best matches your opinion or feeling. This will NOT affect your grade! It is only to help me make the class better! Please be honest.

Statement No! Kinda Sorta

Pretty Well

Yes!

1. I know what the Level Up grading system is all about.

2. I like the Level Up grading system.

3. I know what Experience Points are.

4. I like using Experience Points in class.

5. I understand what Levels are.

6. I like using Levels in class.

7. I understand what Perks are.

8. I like using Perks in class.

9. I understand what Achievements are.

10. I like having Achievements in class.

11. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to increase my attendance.


12. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to turn in my assignments.

13. The Level Up grading system has motivated me to get ahigher grade in the class.

14. Please tell me what you LIKE about the Level Up grading system.

15. Please tell me at least one thing you DON’T LIKE about the Level Up grading system.

16. If you had to choose between the Level Up grading system, and a normal A, B, C, D, F grading system, which would you choose and why?

17. Do you know what you can buy with Perks? Make a list of as many things as you can remember.

18. What is your opinion of Achievements? Are they fun? Pointless? Motivating? Don’t Care?

19. Any last thoughts or ideas for me? THANK YOU!!


APPENDIX I: PERK & BADGE TRACKER


APPENDIX J: SURVEY DATA & SUMMARY OF RESPONSES

“I like the idea about the level up grading system because it reminds me of ‘Call of Duty.’”

“The level up grading system is fun and keeps the class entertaining.”

“Achievements feel nice, being awarded for trying and hard work.”

“Achievements are pointless.”

“I like the fact that once you reach a level you cannot go down only up.”

“Achievements are motivating! Every time I get an achievement I feel like I’m getting rewarded for doing something that is my responsibility!

“It’s hard to keep track of what badges or perks you should have.”

“[Achievements] are fun! You get a badge for doing something good. It’s like you are actually acknowledging the work we do.”

“I love it because it encourages us to do better and compete with people to see who has the highest grade.”

“Achievements are motivating because you can see who is like at a higher ranking.”

“[Achievements] are fun because it’s like elementary you get stickers when you do something good.”

“I like that I can buy stuff.”

“As soon as you get a level you can not go down. You can only keep moving forward.”


APPENDIX K: QUARTER 4 SYLLABUS

Welcome to Mr. Lance’s Civics class! You begin at Level 0 You will gain Experience Points (XP) by completing assignments, attending class,

and tests As you gain XP you will level up, and unlock perks for yourself or the class Daily assignments are worth 100 XP, daily attendance is worth 100 XP, and warm

ups are worth 50 XP Therefore, each day you can earn a maximum of 250 XP Tests are worth anywhere from 500 1000 XP

Here is the Level and Experience Point table:

Level Experience Points

Grade Equivalent

Perk












12 6000 D One Individual Perk Coupon


14 7000 C One Individual Perk Coupon


16 8000 B One Individual Perk Coupon



18 9000 A One Individual Perk Coupon



What are Individual Perks? Perks are bonuses that help you in class You earn one perk every level. You may choose to use them at any time, or keep

them for later use

Here is the list of Individual Perks:

Perks Available for One Coupon

Two pencils

Two pens

One highlighter (your choice of color)

One notebook (your choice of color)

One bottle of hand lotion

One bottle of hand sanitizer

One additional hall pass

Perks Available for Two Coupons

One threering binder

One water bottle

Use of headphones during work time (one full week)

Onetime 100 XP bonus

Perks Available for Five Coupons

NAS Tshirt of choice

Entry into the end of quarter gift card drawing (two cards, $25 each)


What are Achievements? Achievements are rewards that you gain for completing certain tasks An achievement is a badge that you earn for reaching a goal There will be a class leaderboard of all students who earn achievements

Here is a list of the Civics Achievements:










APPENDIX L: HRC APPROVAL


APPENDIX M: PARENT CONSENT FORMS


References

Annetta, L. A., Minogue, J., Holmes, S. Y., & Cheng, M. (2009). Investigating the impact of video games on high school students’ engagement and learning about genetics. Computers & Education, 53, 7485.

Bertoli, B. (2012). How one teacher turned sixth grade into an MMO. Retrieved from http://www.kotaku.com/au/2012/03/howoneteacherturnedsixthgradeintoanmmo/

Corcoran, E. (2010). The “Gamification” of education. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/28/educationinternetscratchtechnologygamification.html

De Freitas, A. A., & De Freitas, M. M. (2013). Classroom Live: a softwareassisted gamification tool. Computer Science Education, 23:2, 186206.

Erenli, K. (2013). The impact of gamification: Recommending education scenarios. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 8:1, 1521.

Entertainment Software Review Board (2013). How Much Do You Know About Video Games? Retrieved from http://www.esrb.org/about/videogameindustrystatistics.jsp.

Goli, S. (2013). Can Gamification save our broken education system? Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/02/21/cangamificatiosaveourbrokeneducationsystem/

Jensen, M. (2012). Engaging the learner: Gamification strives to keep the user’s interest. T+D, 66, 4044. Retrieved from

http://www.astd.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TDArchive/2012/01/EngagingtheLearnerGamificationStrivestoKeeptheUsersInterest

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Gamebased Methods and Strategies for Training and Education. Pfeiffer.

Kapp, K. M. (2012). Games, gamification, and the quest for learner engagement. T+D, 66, 6468.

McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Penguin Books.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kotaku.com%2Fau%2F2012%2F03%2Fhow-one-teacher-turned-sixth-grade-into-an-mmo%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEdNnIL5tHuFWVv9we1ybah88BMzQ

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2F2010%2F10%2F28%2Feducation-internet-scratch-technology-gamification.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGLMIsXNsQHy_LmZ8xw1A3cV9B0GA

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.esrb.org%2Fabout%2Fvideo-game-industry-statistics.jsp&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFU2xfqsu4YmGaC5YEkBuAZlqjaTw

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Frealspin%2F2013%2F02%2F21%2Fcan-gamificatio-save-our-broken-education-system%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHnDMBOJ7NY27hCewJUa246hcgSjg

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Frealspin%2F2013%2F02%2F21%2Fcan-gamificatio-save-our-broken-education-system%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHnDMBOJ7NY27hCewJUa246hcgSjg

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astd.org%2FPublications%2FMagazines%2FTD%2FTD-Archive%2F2012%2F01%2FEngaging-the-Learner-Gamification-Strives-to-Keep-the-Users-Interest&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGSg0X_NHS_AHrcvM3b6ofxHVHfvw

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astd.org%2FPublications%2FMagazines%2FTD%2FTD-Archive%2F2012%2F01%2FEngaging-the-Learner-Gamification-Strives-to-Keep-the-Users-Interest&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGSg0X_NHS_AHrcvM3b6ofxHVHfvw


McGonigal, J. (2010). Gamifying Student Engagement [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/gamifyingstudentengagementmatthewfarber

Ross, M. (2010). Case study: Math teacher uses gamification to help atrisk students succeed. Retrieved from

http://www.teachthought.com/trends/acasestudyingamification/

Sheldon, L. (2011). The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game. Cengage Learning PTR.

Simoes, J., Redondo, R., & Vilas, A. (2012). A social gamification framework for a K6 learning platform. Computers in Human Behavior, 345353.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edutopia.org%2Fblog%2Fgamifying-student-engagement-matthew-farber&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNH3PooH-5Fh2yainIXX9pykIIU2qQ

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teachthought.com%2Ftrends%2Fa-case-study-in-gamification%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHFoqnbOyx7-An2m_4Ea3W64kbHPA

level up! using elements of gaming in the classroom grading … · 2019. 12. 4. · as phones and...

Documents