In teaching these game classes I’ve stumbled into rocky terrain. I’m presently having to build and restructure a wealth of assignments, lessons, etc. Gamifying (its a word, dammit) a class means more than just adding the competitive element. You need to create themed scenarios that simulate real world experience and then quantify the value of those experiences in a way that leaves room for success in competition. On the positive, it forces me to look back at the work and teaching I’ve been doing and, in reframing, improve the quality and clarity of what I am producing.
There’s the life lesson I’m taking away from this: Doing the same thing over and over again doesn’t necessarily make you good at something. It makes you skilled in doing something that may just suck.
Tomorrow my classes are entering the character creation phase of the game. I’ll be getting to know them a lot better and they will be getting to know each other a lot better. By Tuesday we’ll be deep into project based learning.
Hopefully i’ll be ready.