Interactivity and Engagement
As educators, we always look for tools to engage our students while providing the academic experiences necessary for student success. Teachers have used games or game-type platforms to excite students about completing an activity or reviewing for a summative assessment for years. Now we lean on computer software or websites to provide the game platform. Using digital game-based learning in the classroom motivates students to stay focused, provides immediate feedback, and allows students to build the soft skills necessary to work collaboratively (Chen et al., 2020). Also, we must acknowledge that digital game-based learning is a powerful tool for the classroom. Educators only need to watch the students on their electronic devices during a free moment to realize that students are quickly opening a game or social platform to discover the power digital interaction has over the lives of everyone (Nwogu, 2019). Knowing how powerful digital-based gaming and tools are in motivating students to engage with academic topics and the need for a foundation in technology is an excellent impetus for utilizing digital platforms in the classroom.
A challenge teachers face is keeping up with the latest trends and tools. It takes time, effort, and often money from our pockets to utilize resources that appear professional-looking, are engaging, and help us provide the rigor necessary to move students forward. When we use digital tools in the classroom for teaching concepts or checking for mastery, key elements are required. The game (activity) should have substance and flow (Nwogu, 2019, p. 20). Flow, states Nwogu (2019), is the idea that whatever you do is so engaging that you cannot stop until it is completed. It could be compared to reading the first book in a series or finding an author that is so engaging that you must continue reading until no more books are available. The other key factor identified is substance (Nwogu, 2019). My initial introduction to digital platforms for student practice was not very promising. The district purchased Study Island as a tool for practice and remediation. I remember seeing students click through the answers until the correct one was chosen. At the time, the program allowed the student to keep trying for the correct answer until it was finally chosen. Students should be allowed to correct their mistakes and identify growth areas, but the program would repeat the question so much that some students would not initially attempt a correct answer. This program lacked flow because the students did not need to show mastery, only an ability to wait out the program. This program was my first lesson in choosing substantive and engaging programs. Now my challenge is to find fast-paced and colorful programs that meet the rigor required for the grade level (Ofosu-Ampong, 2020). Finding programs that will provide a game as a reward for answering a couple of correct answers is effortless. Even though this is the case, the student and teacher need to get the appropriate feedback from the activity to determine mastery, and those types of games waste instructional time. Utilizing any digital tool in the classroom can have positive and negative benefits, and the interesting aspect based on research is that the student’s age does not matter. A group of researchers learned through the meta-analysis of current studies that programs providing opportunities such as topic reviews, skill development, advancement of higher-order thinking processes, and increasing soft skills showed problematic tendencies or threats to negate the purpose of the activity (Biryukov et al., 2021). So what are some programs that are free to use but allow the student to engage in “play” or competition while showing areas of mastery of the need for remediation? Some software programs provide libraries of engaging activities and easy tutorials for the user, meet the criteria for FERPA, and, even better, are available for free.
The three applications I will share can be used in a traditional classroom or virtual learning environment. The applications can be shared through Canvas and Google Classroom or by entering a code on the student’s digital devices. The teacher can also cast or use screen mirroring to share the activity with students in a face-to-face classroom or through software developed for virtual meetings to provide direct instruction. The applications can be used for free with the availability of paying for a more comprehensive package. I use the free subscription for each of these programs, and I am happy with the aspects of the programs that are available to me.
Of the three programs, Canva is my favorite. As educators, Canva gives you access to the professional library, usually a paid subscription. If you decide to work in Canva and want to utilize the professional library, you must use your school or district email when enrolling. Canva’s web address is www.canva.com. The application provides tutorials, templates for presentations, social media posts, posters, and newsletters. The preceding list does not even touch the surface of what is available. Anytime I need to create something from scratch, I log into Canva to get started. The templates and available resources allow for providing a professional-looking product without stress. I made a calendar in Canva for dress-up days during the holiday season. If you want to see a creation using their template and my personal touches, here is the link to the calendar. I have also created and downloaded PowerPoint presentations to turn into orientation videos or use as professional development tools. Anything you make can be shared to Google Drive, your computer, or directly to your social media platform. A feature that also makes Canva appealing is student access. Students in our district use their district email to create projects in Canva. The tools available allow students to develop projects that showcase their learning individually or through collaborative efforts. The projects can be shared with the teacher and presented to classmates.
Projects created in Canva can be uploaded into Nearpod. Nearpod is an application that can be used as a whole group teaching tool, assigned in an LMS, or accessed through a digital code on the website. Teachers can create games and lesson assignments or access a library of resources created by other users. The application’s creators have quick-start guides for new users and self-paced modules to develop more sophisticated skills. Nearpod also has a free and paid subscription. If you work for a school district that uses Renaissance Learning for progress monitoring, you may have access to Nearpod without creating a log-in. I generally work with adult learners providing professional development to the teachers in my school. We take brain breaks during professional development. This activity can build teamwork and to earn a few small prizes. I created the background for the presentation in Canva and downloaded it as a PowerPoint. Final touches were added and then uploaded into Nearpod. The PowerPoint became separate slides, so the interactive features of the slide were lost, but everyone had fun guessing the quote or phrase. If you are interested in seeing the activity, click on the link Guess the Quote. I am also sharing a sample of something I call a snapshot. I use snapshots to check student understanding of concepts presented in the daily math lessons. In this case, the activity would be shared in Google Classroom, making it self-paced. The activity can be shared as an embedded link or by code.
The final tool I am sharing is Blooket. This tool is extremely popular with our students and can be addictive for the gameplay that appears between correctly answered questions. The subscription is free, but you can upgrade for extra perks. The website is user-friendly, but when I used the tool for the first time, I could not find any tutorials. I have learned tricks and gained tips from fellow educators while looking at what others have created. I have a middle school student, and when I asked her about the website, she taught me how to navigate the site. I have since learned that students create their own Blookets. This tool is for practice. It can replace the time math tests educators use for fact fluency and the activities that are lovingly called the “Drill and Kill” assignments. This website is not one that I would use for teaching concepts or even determining mastery, but I find it helpful to build some excitement and competition in the classroom. The program provides feedback to students when an answer is incorrect but does not allow them to keep guessing. If a teacher purchases the one step above the basic free program, the teacher can monitor student answers and provide feedback to the student also. It is a fantastic motivator for the students.
There is no denying that there are more applications and websites than we could ever use in the classroom. It is also indisputable that technology has opened the world to our students. The advent of asynchronous and synchronous classrooms during COVID-19 quarantines certainly brought a new appreciation for the plethora of educational technology. It also forced many teachers out of their comfort zones. Those old enough to remember using hard copies of dictionaries and encyclopedias and climbing through library stacks remind our students how easy research has become in the last few decades. The gamification in our classrooms resembled file folder games and bulletin boards! No matter how games are presented in the classroom, educators must consider how learning theory supports the tool or application (Hew et al., 2019). In our educational world of accountability, we need to engage our students but still, be mindful of the big picture. The last matter we want to consider is how valuable the tool or application is across multiple disciplines. The versatility of a program that can be used in an interdisciplinary manner saves teachers time in preparation, presentation, and student training (Hussein et al., 2022). When one program fits multiple needs, it also provides security that keeps us within the federal guidelines given in FERPA.
References
Biryukov, A. P., Brikoshina, I. S., Mikhalevich, N. V., Sycheva, S. M., & Khalimon, E. A. (2021). Gamification in education: Threats or new opportunities. SHS Web of Conferences, 103, 02001. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202110302001
Chen, C.-H., Shih, C.-C., & Law, V. (2020). The effects of competition in digital game-based learning (dgbl): A meta-analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(4), 1855–1873. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09794-1
Hew, K., Lan, M., Tang, Y., Jia, C., & Lo, C. (2019). Where is the “theory” within the field of educational technology research? British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(3), 956–971. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12770
Hussein, M. H., Ow, S. H., Elaish, M. M., & Jensen, E. O. (2022). Digital game-based learning in K-12 mathematics education: a systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-021-10721-x
Nwogu, C. (2019). Embracing the power of gaming in education substance, engagement, and flow. Information Today, 36(5), pp19–20.
Ofosu-Ampong, K. (2020). The shift to gamification in education: A review on dominant issues. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 113–137. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520917629