Chapter 1. Setting Up Gamification in a Moodle Course

Gamification in education is a design process that reframes goals to be more appealing and achievable by tapping in to our emotions. From a game designer's perspective, fun is just another word for learning. Once we have figured out the patterns in a game, it stops being fun. The challenge is to learn how to play it.

Figure 1.1: The Book 'Theory of Fun' by Raph Koster describes people as, 'amazing pattern matching machines'

Games create resilience in players by creating a series of adequate challenges that are satisfying to resolve. Sid Meier says: Games are a series of interesting choices. Jane McGonigal stresses how important emotions are throughout this learning journey:

Game Designers are obsessed with emotion. How do we create the emotions that we want gamers to feel, and how can we really make it this intense, emotional experience?

This book offers both pedagogical and technical guidance on applying game-thinking to education. Follow the step-by-step guide to create a very basic course that acts as a framework ready for your own content. Firstly, and most importantly, this approach is ideal for busy teachers and encourages creativity, ownership, and the ability to respond to the changing needs and situations in the classroom. Secondly, this approach keeps learners more engaged and creates opportunities for motivation through status, access, power, and stuff, which, as described by Gabe Zichermann, are the basics of Gamification. Professor Dweck's research has shown that a growth mindset is what creates resilience. Through the book you will see how game designers have achieved this very well and how teachers can use these ideas in course design.