You’re Using Too Many Worksheets

Do you rely on traditional teaching methods such as using worksheets? If so, you may contribute to why your students are bored. While worksheets can have their advantages such as recapping what is taught in the classroom, and helping you assess student performance, they are also boring for students to complete all the time. First, they don’t accommodate all learners, which can confuse and frustrate students. Second, a redundant worksheet discourages any deep-level thinking. Try to limit the number of worksheets you use in the classroom. When you do use a worksheet make it engaging by having students work together to complete it. This makes students use their critical thinking skills to explain and question how they got their answers.

Your Activities Aren’t Interactive

If you have a conventional classroom setup where you deliver lectures while students take notes, your students might lose interest. To keep attention spans of students, you must make your lessons more interactive and involve them in learning. One effective method for achieving this is the Jigsaw cooperative learning approach, where students collaborate as a team to accomplish a task. Each student is responsible for a specific part but must also work together to complete the whole task. This hands-on, participatory approach helps students stay interested in the content being taught. The more interactive your lessons are, the less likely you are to have bored students.

You’re Not Utilizing Tech Tools

Nowadays, students are increasingly drawn to technology. To capture their interest in the classroom, it’s important to incorporate technology into your lessons. Rather than solely lecturing, consider using a Smartboard to encourage students to engage with the material by interacting with the board. Instead of paper quizzes, try using computers or, even better, tablets. Instead of partnering with students within the classroom for a project, offer them the opportunity to video conference with another class from a different state or country. By integrating technology in your teaching, you can spark your student’s interest in the material and improve their engagement in the classroom.

Not Enough Student Choice

Do you find that you make all of the choices in the classroom? If so, you may be contributing to your student’s boredom. If you give up some of the control, and let your students start to make a few of the choices, you may see a dramatic difference in your student’s classroom engagement and their achievement. Consider implementing a choice board in your classroom, this lets you choose what your students will learn while also giving them options from a menu you’ve created.

The possibilities for choice board menus are endless — you can tailor them to any subject, topic, or concept. You can also create different choice boards based on each student’s abilities, allowing struggling students to work on one board while more advanced students tackle another. You can keep students interested and engaged in the material by differentiating learning and giving them choices.

You’ve Failed to Connect With Students

Another reason why you might be contributing to student boredom is that you’re not quite connecting with your students. If you don’t prioritize understanding your students’ interests, backgrounds, and learning styles, you may struggle to create engaging lessons that resonate with your students. Take time to learn about your students and their personal lives. This will help you tailor your lessons to their interests and create a more engaging learning environment. Don’t be afraid to ask your students for feedback, this will help them feel like their opinions are valued. Ask them about your teaching methods and listen to their suggestions. When students feel like their opinions are appreciated, they are more invested in the learning process.

While it’s true that you may contribute to bored students through traditional teaching methods or not utilizing enough technology in the classroom, student boredom is a complex issue that cannot be attributed solely to just teachers but rather is the result of a combination of factors that impact students’ attitudes towards learning. By addressing this issue and making the appropriate changes in your classroom you will be creating a learning environment that is engaging, meaningful, and relevant to students’ lives.

Teachers never stop learning; check out our available graduate degree programs  to hone your skills and promote lifelong learning and academic excellence.

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There are many aspects of a school that can negatively impact an introvert’s willingness to engage in class. The classroom environment and atmosphere, class size, daily disruptions, and content are just a few. Teachers need to be aware of these and adapt them to suite the needs of all of their students.

Classroom environment and atmosphere can be very intimidating to introverts. If there is not much structure or lack or rules, extroverts will take over the class and introverts will never engage. Teachers need to reflect on all of their students and find what might be barriers in the classroom that they can change to help introverts feel like part of the class and then be willing to interact with the content. On the other hand, class size, disruptions and content typically cannot be changed. But there are still ways to help engage classroom introverts.

Build a Bond with Classroom Introverts

Making connections with class introverts can help them feel more comfortable and motivated in your class. Teachers should get to know these students both inside and outside of the school. Find out what their interests are academically and socially. Use these interests in your class lessons to pique their interest and willingness to engage in the activity.

Survey all your students (both extroverts and introverts) on their likes and dislikes. In a non-obtrusive way, share how some of your extroverts and introverts like the same things. This will help introverts make connections and feel more comfortable in your class which will likely result in more student engagement.

Teachers should also try to make school/family connections for their introverts. Reach out to your students’ caretakers and find out from them where they feel their children struggle and flourish. The more connections and introvert has with their teachers, the more comfortable and willing they will be to participate in class. Additionally, teachers can take notice to see who their introverts are friends with. Maybe they have several friends in the same class that the teacher can sit the introverts next to. Any way to create a welcoming class environment for introverts will help immensely.

Let Classroom Introverts Pick their Groups Regularly

Forcing introverts to work in groups or be with certain students can make them less engaged. Through surveys, you can find what ways your students like to learn best. Perhaps your introverts might like to work in pairs instead of group work. By giving students choice, they will feel connected and be more responsive to completing the task at hand.

It will also help introverts by alerting them ahead of time of possible group work:

• Ask them to stay after class
• Let them know what the project details are and how they are going to work with other students

At this time, you can ask them if there are specific students they work better with and let them know you will put them in that group. This will settle any nerves and prepare them for what is coming.

Draw Out their Strengths

Engaging introverted students and all students happens when we know who our students are. Finding the strengths of your students and then using that in your class will completely change your classroom atmosphere for the better. You might have introvert students who love to make videos; allow them to do this for a class project. You might learn that you have introverts who love art; allow them to create a collage or painting for an assignment.

Universal Design of Learning (UDL) can help teachers think of different ways they can present content and allow their students to show what they have mastered. Creating multiple means of engagement will show teachers where and how their students can excel.

Quality, Not Quantity

Engagement does not always mean active participation. You may think that your introvertive student is not engaged in your class because they are not raising their hand or giving answers. But that can be completely false. Engagement can be done quietly. Students may be thinking and processing the information. They may be trying to make connections to their own lives silently.

At the same time, make note of when your introvert students do participate:

• How did they participate?
• Why did they participate?
• For how long did they participate?

Then, you can start incorporating more of those lessons or activities into your class for that student. Introverts may not speak in every class and that is okay. Become aware of different types of engagement by reflecting at the end of each day on how your students interacted with the content of that day. You may be surprised to see the quality of engagement by your introverts that did not include raising their hand and giving answers in front of the entire class.

Teachers never stop learning; check out our available graduate degree programs  to hone your skills and promote lifelong learning and academic excellence.

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Why is Only Observing Instruction Less Effective?

Participating in learning compared to observation only is always a better learning opportunity for students. Research shows that engaging students in the learning process improves their focus and attention, while motivating them to use their critical thinking skills (University of Washington, 2021). Facilitators who approach learning in amore student-centered way help increase opportunities for students to become engaged with material and have a more meaningful learning experience.

When students are only observing, they are missing out on the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and see information from more than one perspective. The promotion of active learning requires students to participate as opposed to just ‘sitting and getting’. Participation in online learning is just as important. Students who do not engage actively with online learning may fall through the cracks and be passed along without gaining vital information.

How Does Student Participation Impact Learning?

Student participation impacts learning tremendously. This goes for in person learning and online learning. Getting students to participate online is not always easy. It takes some work on the part of the facilitator to plan and implement engaging activities and lessons. Participation increases interest. When students are interested in what they are learning, it is easier to maintain focus and attention. It also helps students understand multiple perspectives and teaches them how to collaborate in a learning environment. Students are more likely to retain knowledge when they participate actively in learning. Being able to interact with the curriculum and their peers virtually is key to increasing motivation and helping students retain what they are learning.

Strategies to Foster Student Engagement and Participation

There are many ways to engage students in online learning and increase their participation. One of the ways to do so is to use participation features online tools offer. Such features include hand raising on online collaboration platforms such as Zoom, utilization of the chatroom, collaboration on online tools such as Google Slideshows, and Pear Deck. The following are other useful strategies that can be used to engage reluctant students and increase participation, especially during online instruction.

Plan Dynamic Discussions – Teachers can put thought into the questions they pose to students and plan questions that will peak student interest and foster interesting and productive discussions. 

Incorporate Writing – Asking students to write is a way to get them to engage naturally. Instructors can ask students to write in many forms blogs, essays, journal entries, etc. Writing forces students to engage and helps students move from observing to participating.

Survey Students – Asking students how they would like to participate in learning is a great resource. When teachers become aware of learning preferences, they can better differentiate for their students.

Pair Students Up – Utilize the breakout room feature to encourage students to collaborate with one another.

Use Online Brainstorming Tools – Search out and use online brainstorming tools such as Padlet.

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Culture is the fiber of who we are. It encompasses everything from the food we eat to the art we admire, and even includes the way that we approach learning. When seeking to engage students in the classroom, a teacher must make a conscious effort to deliver lessons that are culturally relevant. While it may seem difficult at the surface due to standards and testing requirements, culturally responsive teaching is beneficial and necessary. Below we will dive into how infusing your lessons with culture will enhance student engagement and discuss practical ways to maintain a culturally relevant classroom.

How Culturally Responsive Teaching Engages Students

In order to exercise culturally responsive teaching, you must first understand who your students are and what issues they face. As adults, we are somewhat removed from the culture of our students even if we share a similar heritage. Taking time to understand how your students live, how they learn, and what matters to them is crucial. Once armed with this information, using it to drive your instruction will increase learning engagement.

Culturally relevant lessons are engaging because they are personalized. They make the students themselves the foundation for learning. Students are more likely to engage in lessons that are tailored to their experiences and needs. They are more likely to be enthusiastic about learning when they can make connections between the work and their world. Cultural relevance is the answer to the “why are we learning this” questions. When learning has a clear purpose, students are more likely to invest.

Ways to Implement Culturally Responsive Teaching

Encourage Student Voice

When it comes to cultural relevancy, your students are the experts. Spending copious hours poring over research to understand your students’ culture is futile when you have walking, talking cultural goldmines in the classroom. Set aside time for activities that allow students to express who they are and where their passions lie. This can be done through a survey, discussion, writing assignment, or even a project. Be sure to take notes and keep them accessible during planning time. When assessing culture, you become the student.

Embed Culturally Relevant Content

When you know what comprises your students’ cultures, embed this information into your lessons. This could range from analyzing song lyrics from their preferred musical genre to using real-world information in math problems. When teaching research, allow students some autonomy that includes cultural choices.

Make Connections to Real-World Issues

We are living in a time when technology can give students endless exposure to issues that plague our society today. As such, our students are often very informed and have valuable insight and opinions. Provide a safe space in your classroom where students can discuss, analyze, and even plan to solve real-world issues. While many modern issues often breed controversy, we must remember that we aim to raise well-informed, involved citizens.

Teach and Expect Tolerance

In order to cultivate a classroom environment that embraces culture, it is imperative that you teach students to be tolerant and demand respect for others. Tolerance prohibits judgement and creates a safe learning environment. Teaching students to accept and celebrate others, no matter how different, is a life-altering endeavor.

Practice Inclusive Cultural Relevancy

Every student’s culture matters, even if their culture is unique to only them. Find a way to include the culture of every student you teach throughout the year. Even if one student has a culture that is different, this serves as an invaluable learning experience for all students.

Include Parents and Families

Understanding student culture is a learning curve. Who better to support you in this effort than the families that belong to the students’ cultures? This can be as simple as sending home a parent essay and can even include inviting parents in as guest speakers. This also fosters a sense of community amongst your students and shows that who they are matters.

Culturally responsive teaching is exciting and worthwhile. It provides an opportunity for you to learn from your students while instilling pride within them. When culture is a priority in the classroom, student engagement will always surge.

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There are numerous ways that an administrator can engage students. Mostly, these will be overall positive interactions. There will be times when the interactions will be disciplinary and where remediation is necessary. However, even in these situations, a positive interaction and end result can occur.

Grade levels will determine the nature of administrative relationships with students, but the ongoing goals are the same. The lead administrator sets the tone in the school and should be encouraging, nurturing, set high academic and behavioral standards, and foster a sense of community within the school.

So while you occupy one job description, your roles are many. You are the chief citizen, encourager, cheerleader, disciplinarian, goal setter, public relations officer, community liaison, academic officer, and so forth. Legally, you are acting “In Loco Parentis,” a legal term that signifies that you occupy the role of parent during school hours.

Strategies for Engaging Students

Let’s look now at the specific ways that an administrator can engage students. The first is a very general engagement, but in many ways it is the most important. You are the face of the school. You set the tone, mood, and are the primary shaper of the school culture. Simply put, you will walk around and get to know people: students, staff, parents, and guardians etc.

Make an effort to introduce yourself, learn the names of your students, and develop ongoing relationships with them. Inquire about their academic progress, the extracurricular activities they are involved in, their hobbies, and their general well being. Know your boundaries. Do not pry into personal areas that students are reluctant to talk about, but leave things open for students to approach you on weightier personal matters if they’d like. You can then take appropriate steps to refer them to a counselor, contact their parents, or call social services if need be.

You can at times give personal guidance, but be careful not to stray over any lines you shouldn’t cross. This is an ongoing balancing act, and you need to regularly check yourself as well to be aware of the appropriate protocol in these situations. If a grey area arises, wait and seek advice from a colleague. Never act impulsively.

The principal/administrator will also engage students on the academic level. While it is the role of the classroom teacher to deliver instruction, the principal plays a large role in promoting and rewarding academic achievement in the school. This is typically done at the end of the marking periods, possibly monthly if the school has a “Student of the Month” program and at the end of the year, for yearly academic achievement awards. At the high school level, it may be for recognition of an academic or athletic scholarship a student has been awarded.

Conversely, the principal can engage students who are struggling academically to lend assistance, point to resources, play a role in possible retention, and/or suggest an alternate program of study.

As I mentioned in the opening, the principal occupies many roles and is the primary shaper of the culture. A facet of schools that you don’t hear about too often these days is the goal of developing good citizens and promoting good citizenship. This was one of the original purposes of schools in the colonies and the early United States, if not the primary purpose. It still exists, but is often implied rather than actively promoted. At my school, we make an active effort to recognize acts of citizenship through our “Caught Being Good” initiative. Students that are acknowledged for good deeds receive a small certificate, pick a prize from the prize box, and get their picture taken and posted on our Facebook page. This is a quick and easy way to recognize and engage our students while we promote citizenship.

Another way for administrators to engage students is to attend extracurricular events. This can range from family nights, talent show competitions, sporting events, school concerts and plays etc. As the principal of an elementary school, I have to attend each event the school has. It is a fun way to interact with students and families, and they show appreciation when you attend and show a genuine interest. When I was a high school vice principal, I went to one sporting event for each of the sports. On the high school level, there are far more opportunities to attend events and you have to pick and choose so you’re not out every night of the week.

These are a few of the main ways administrators can interact with students throughout the school year. The last mention I would make are community events that are not school sponsored. This can range from sports leagues that are not school affiliated to town fairs, festivals, etc. This isn’t something that you are obligated to make a part of your schedule, but if you have opportunities to go to any of these events, I would recommend it. It shows you are interested in the community you work in beyond your paid responsibilities and obligations.

*Updated December, 2020

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Years later, after making education my profession and following in my parents’ footsteps, I realized my genuine love of education was not shared by the students in my classroom. I struggled with trying to engage students who did not want to be in school, and only after realizing my own inherent biases was I able to successfully meet the needs of my students.

Why Might Some Students be Non-Responsive?

As I quickly discovered during my early years in education, not all of my students shared my love for education or the content I was teaching. Great educators build positive relationships with their students, and in the constructing and forming of those relationships, students provide clues as to why they don’t like school or won’t engage. A closer look at these non-responsive students reveals multiple factors leading to a dislike and even distrust of school and school leaders. Factors such as volatile home situations, poverty, abuse, lack of understanding, and mistrust lead students to exhibit feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, negative attitudes, and a complete shut-down mentality.

How to Engage Non-Responsive Students

When engaging non-responsive students, understand there is no one correct tried-and-true method. It takes hard work, time, and commitment to the student or students in your classroom who simply won’t connect. However, our duty as educators is to bridge the gap and provide purpose, connection, and a sense of accomplishment to all our students, particularly those who don’t respond to traditional methods of classroom instruction. Engaging non-responsive students can be done through a multitude of strategies, which involve creativity and trial and error.

Provide Student Choice

As a teacher in my early years, I planned lessons, activities, and events inside the classroom that I would enjoy. I quickly realized my level of enjoyment and my students’ levels were vastly different. As teachers, we must provide levels of choice to our students. Student choice creates empowerment, critical-thinking skills, and increases awareness of the content for students. Student choice can also help those who are non-responsive to previous activities become more engaged in topics or lessons of interest to them.

Can We Just Talk?

It sounds simple, the idea of talking with students to gain a better understanding of where they are. However, the art of conversation has been lost with the number of hoops educators have to jump through. Now more than ever, thanks to COVID-19 protocols and a spring semester of school closures, conversing with students is paramount. Many students across the country and world did not receive personal, individualized feedback and conversation in person. Students crave interaction, and a simple gesture such as a lunchroom conversation, a hallway chat, or a conversation at an afterschool event can go a long way in the classroom.

Culturally Relevant Lessons/Materials/Projects

As I mentioned earlier, my inherent bias in my own teaching arose from my personal experiences with education, which were all positive. In today’s society, schools are on the frontlines for social justice movements, and students are faced with a myriad of obstacles and problems before them that can weigh on them in their educational journey.

Choosing culturally relevant lessons and projects can further help to build community and trust between student and teacher. A lesson that is built on trust, relevance, inclusiveness, and openness is a lesson more likely to impact a non-responsive student that may be labeled as such because they have never felt connected to a teacher or lesson. As teachers, we must put our personal biases aside, take risks, and present content outside of our own comfort zone.

Winner, Winner

As a former coach, I believed that competition between players led to improvement. Players would work harder when drills or activities were scored or made competitive. The same can be true when using games in the classroom. Although some students may shy away from competition, the creativity behind the actual lesson or event can cause students who are traditionally not engaged become more active and involved.

Great teachers use video game principles as well to connect with students who may be seen as non-responsive during the school day, but have an active gamer profile at home, where oftentimes a truly different personality exists. Creative, challenging projects where students can “win” at something allows for more walls and barriers to be broken down, and where non-responsiveness turns to active engagement. 

Ultimately, are we labeling students non-responsive because it is easy to identify students who just don’t do what we as teachers want them to do? Have we tried reaching students on a deeper and more personal level? I believe that all students inherently want to succeed and do well. They want to please and crave positive words of encouragement and affirmation. As educators, we must consistently challenge ourselves and our own ways of thinking to provide opportunities for students to connect. If we do this, we get to see students evolve, grow, and shine before our very eyes. And that, my fellow educators, is why we do what we do.

*Updated September, 2020

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Make Success Attainable Early and Often

School is like a marathon. Students are constantly working toward goals in the remote future: standardized tests, course grades, and even an eventual high school graduation. Our students often don’t have the stamina to sustain motivation throughout extended periods. To keep motivation going, teachers should provide chances for success every day. For example: Although the goal is success on a long-term project, what are students expected to accomplish in a single day? How can they show pride in progress? Make short-term goals clear, and give effective feedback on these goals often. We must remember that students often don’t have the life experience that causes adults to persevere toward far-off goals.

Differentiate the Product

When students complete a task that was designed with their strengths, interests, and weaknesses in mind, student engagement inevitably increases. As educators, we often differentiate the process or content of an assignment, but neglect to differentiate the product. Students don’t have to all demonstrate mastery in the same way. While one student may demonstrate summarizing through paragraphs, for example, another could demonstrate it through a comic strip. Student motivation increases when they are working toward a goal that utilizes their strengths and enhances their weaknesses.

Set and Enforce Clear, Consistent Expectations

Student motivation isn’t only born through fun and excitement – classroom management also plays a part. Believe it or not, when a teacher sets high expectations and sticks to them, students are more motivated to work hard. Sometimes students lack motivation simply because they don’t have to put in effort. When behavior and academic expectations are not evident and consistent, student productivity suffers. Create an environment where students understand that their best is not only encouraged, but expected.

Make Learning Fun

Student motivation is often so inundated with buzzwords like rigor and differentiation that it can be easy to forget about good, old-fashioned FUN. It’s important to stay current in student culture – what do your students enjoy doing, and how can you incorporate it into learning? We all know that this changes constantly. Think about your favorite teacher as a kid. Not the teacher you appreciate as an adult, because their tough-love suddenly makes sense, but the one you loved in the moment. The one who made work seem desirable and effortless. That was likely the “fun” teacher.

Student motivation is on a constant learning curve. Teachers must be intent on knowing their students, and using that knowledge to drive instruction. When students work because they want to, learning is optimal.

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Why can Student Engagement Be Challenging?

Engaging students can be challenging in various ways as not all students are on the same level academically, socially, and emotionally. To add a little more to the mix, not all students learn in the same way. Taking all of a learner’s differences into account can present many challenges for the teacher:

• How can the teacher meet students’ needs?
• How can the teacher consistently incorporate all the different types of learning into the classroom?

It is a never-ending cycle of questions that we have all said to ourselves in some way, shape, or form. As educators and lifelong learners, it is essential to keep engaged students through various student engagement strategies and techniques, but how do you do this consistently and well?

How did Remote and Hybrid Learning Impact Student Engagement?

Remote and hybrid learning had a severe impact on student engagement. It was a new way for students to learn, but it was also a new way for teachers to teach. In observations and informal assessments I made during remote learning and in talking to fellow educators about their experiences, student engagement was incredibly challenging.

It was often difficult to get students to join the virtual meetings, let alone be engaged in them. So many students rely on the school to be that loving and supportive environment that helps them build confidence. The “new” learning model did not meet those needs of many students, and teachers had to get very creative on how to keep students engaged.

Virtual lunch bunches, counseling sessions, math classes, extra help meetings, homeroom, and much more all became the new and not-so-improved norm.

Why is Student Engagement Important?

Student engagement is vital because you need students engaged to have meaningful learning experiences. Students tend to lose focus when a lesson is boring or less engaging. On the flip side, their focus is much more significant when students are actively engaged.

Community

Student engagement is important in building a sense of community within the classroom. When student learning takes place through group projects and discussion, it creates better communication skills with their peers and with you and other teachers.

When students build that sense of community, it generally creates a more positive and impactful learning environment. Not only does it create a better learning experience for the students, but it gives them many life skills that will help impact their success in the future.

Creative Projects

Knowing your students and what they enjoy is also important. This will help build that classroom community and help to build the student’s confidence. Give options on class projects such as:

• Creating a YouTube video
• Making a three-dimensional model
• Writing a creative story
• Creating something on Scratch

This also makes teachable moments where the students can show off their talents and help teach others that might be interested.

Ways to Use Technology to Increase Student Engagement

There are numerous benefits to technology in the classroom, and there are so many different options of websites and apps that individualize the learning experience for each student. As a teacher, you get pulled in so many directions and stretched thin so often that it becomes overwhelming trying to keep up with your students’ individual needs. With your students using technology in the classroom, it can make this a little easier.

Utilizing technology in the classroom can also support various learning styles and increase student engagement. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile learners fill the classrooms in our schools, and each type of learner thrives with different types of assignments.

There are many ways to ways to use technology in the classroom to increase student engagement.

Interactive Programs

• MobyMax
• NWEA Skills Accelerator
• Prodigy
• Freckle

These are all programs that will challenge each student on their individual needs. These adaptive learning platforms will allow students to learn at their own pace while filling in gaps and accelerating those already on grade level. If you use a math workshop model in your classroom, you can use one of these programs for the technology piece.

Through data studies that I and the other instructional coaches in our district have done, we have observed that consistent use of these types of programs can positively impact not just student achievement but also student engagement and student buy-in.

Engaging Websites

There are so many websites that can help meet student needs, such as:

• BrainPop
• Khan Academy
• Edpuzzle
• Other brain break videos

Hands-On Tech

Smartboards, document cameras, and Chromebooks make engaging students easier using that technology component. If your school is lucky enough to have Ozobots, VR Goggles, or other cool STEM gear, it can be a great hands-on learning experience for the students.

Classroom technology can help streamline operations and routines which is beneficial for student engagement. Having routines set in place is imperative to running a successful classroom. This also increases student engagement as the students know and understand the expectations of different routines. For example, suppose you are working in small groups in ELA and have one station including technology. In that case, it gives students a nice “break” to work on assignments most beneficial to their individual progress.

Virtual Meetings

As educators and students alike struggled through much of the pandemic, we all did take away the value of video meetings. You can take your knowledge of video meetings and use a program such as Zoom, Google Meets, or Skype to form relationships with classrooms similar to yours anywhere in the world you choose! This can provide students with a great deal of cultural experience while increasing student engagement with a cool, unique type of “pen pal.”

Student Blogs

It is important to relate learning in school to the real world and real-life experiences. Having students turn in writing assignments as blogs can help to motivate and engage students. This creates that ownership of their work, and making it published adds another cool twist to the assignment.

Technology is ever-evolving and has the potential to bring us places we could have never imagined. Students have grown up with technology, and it keeps “moving and shaking,” which presents many opportunities for our students to become more actively engaged.

As John Dewey stated, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” This is impactful as it tells us to embrace the new and “go with the flow,” as it can significantly impact student engagement and success in the future.

Do you have passion for ed tech? Check out our available educational technology graduate degrees and get started today!

*Updated May 2022

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What is Gamification? 

Gamification is a way of teaching that involves challenges and game-like strategies to teach, review, or scaffold skills and standards. The idea of using games to engage students is not a new concept. In my early years of teaching in the middle 1990s, it was a trend to incorporate review of skills through a Jeopardy-like game created with index cards and library pockets. Later teachers became more tech-savvy and classroom response clickers were used for students to respond to questions and compete in answering quickly and correctly. Today, with many schools having access to better technology, and some even having one-to-one classrooms, gamification is even easier to implement.

Why Does Gamification Increase Student Engagement?

There is no doubt that students enjoy game-based learning, but teachers may wonder if it truly enhances their learning and engagement. The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” When games are used with intentionality, teachers are able to align them to learning outcomes, which can impact the acquisition of new skills or a review of previously learned material. Games can likewise help build collaboration and encourage teamwork, a necessary workforce skill.

Another benefit of gamification is that it allows students to gain the ability to provide constructive criticism and offer feedback to peers in a constructive manner. This accountable talk is another life-skill that is hard to teach in the classroom where the teacher is the primary lecturer.

Most importantly, because the gaming platform is a very familiar format, students will easily get lost in the lesson and enjoy the learning process because they are so engaged. This form of engagement is proven to motivate students to come to class with an eagerness not often seen in the traditional classroom. Research by Ryan, Rigby, and Przyblski (1) found that gaming fulfills three basic needs in those who play:

1. The need for autonomy. People have the need to be in control, to make choices, and practice self-sufficiency.
2. The need for competency. People desire to know the choices they make are valid and allow them to overcome challenges placed in their paths.
3. The need for relationships. Playing with others, whether on a team or in competition, increases communication skills and promotes collaboration.

Gamification Examples to Try in Your Classroom

There are several competitive assessment online platforms that have students race to answer questions either pre-made or created by the teacher to fit the learning outcomes. With the increased number of students with personal cell phones or tablets, quiz platforms like Kahoot, Quizlet, Blackboard Learn, and Quizzizz, to name a few, allow students to compete in answering questions in real time. The teacher is able to see who has answered correctly and provide direction for those who have a misunderstanding so that feedback is instant, increasing understanding.

Turning assignments into a game is another simple way to allow student choice and provide students with engaging activities. One example is the Tic-Tac-Toe or Bingo Card of tasks. Students are allowed to choose items in a row to complete. These could include a variety of learning style activities so that students are able to choose activities of their interest while learning the same skills or standards. Activities might include creative writing, research-based questions, drawing, or analyzing and problem-solving tasks. When strategically placed, the teacher still has autonomy over the types of activities each child must accomplish, but the student has control over their chosen assignments.

Most people enjoy the chance to participate in a scavenger hunt. This is another game that is easily brought into any class setting and can be done in cooperative groups or independently. Young students may be looking for items of certain parts of speech or sums of mathematical equations while older students may use the internet for research-based inquiry. Prizes or extra points could even be given to those completing the quest first to encourage students to stay on-task and work efficiently.

For more technology-based gaming, there are platforms such as Classcraft, DYKnow, and Class Dojo that allow teachers to incorporate classroom management and parent communication in the same platform where students can compete to earn merit badges for work accomplished, good behavior, and through interactive paths of learning.

Finally, there are many programs and textbook companies who have determined that gamification is the best way to increase engagement and strengthen learning. McGraw-Hill Connect, Starfall, Reading Eggs, IXL, and Study Island are just a few of the many programs that provide differentiated instruction for students while allowing the teacher a chance to monitor progress and collect data on student achievement.

It is very easy to become creative and sprinkle gaming concepts throughout instruction and assessment. Students may be inundated with games during their free time, but it is because they enjoy the competition, the quest, and the achievement. Through gaming, students learn it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you recover and learn in the process. Because gamification is a proven way to motivate students and increase their activity and engagement in learning, it only makes sense that teachers incorporate this strategy in their classroom activities.

References

Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S & Przybylski, A. K., (2006). The motivational pull of video games: a self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion. 30, 347-364.

*Updated August, 2020

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