Designing the learning challenge

1. Set up unnecessary obstacles for kids to voluntarily tackle

According to Jane McGonigal, this is the defining feature of games, and the difference between work and play.

Consider how you’d frame a creative writing challenge.

Work: Finish your story by noon or you’ll lose iPad time!

Play: Let’s see who can write the craziest story about grandma and turtles!

The second will likely induce flow because it’s an invitation with unnecessary obstacles.

A rugby example:

Work: If you concentrate on this passing drill for the next 10 minutes, we will have a game at the end.

Play: I’m looking forward to seeing the weirdest ways to pass and if they work too!

The players will be interested in experimenting but also checking to see if they are successful too.

2. Use themes your kids like

This one is so simple but so important. If your kids prefer their best friend over grandma and trains over turtles, then change things up!

Kids need genuine interest in the challenge to go into flow.

A rugby example:

Use superheroes who perform similar tasks in their comic book adventures. For example, Spiderman for great crawling, The Hulk for powering through the tackle.

3. Pick the right level of difficulty

For the creative writing challenge, you could adjust the required length, number of characters, or vocabulary words to make sure kids feel the right balance of challenge and empowerment.

A rugby example:

Adjust the space the players have, the pressure they are under from attack or defenders (the numbers in the exercise) or the time they have to complete the task. You move these up and down for the whole group, or just for particular players.

4. Select authentic rewards

For example, an extra 20 minutes of iPad time or a trip to see grandma and read your story to her.

Be careful, rewards can backfire against flow! Make sure they focus kids on the challenge itself, not on what they get if they succeed.

A rugby example:

You might say you will play their favourite game at the end, or you might extend the game time. As long as it relates to rugby as a reward, and you can deliver it when you say you can, then it is authentic.

True Gamification

Jane McGonigal, PhD game designer, says a true game has four defining traits:

• A goal or specific outcome that provides players with a sense of purpose.
• Rules that place limitations on how players can achieve the goal—these are unnecessary obstacles that players choose to tackle with their whole heart.
• A feedback system that tells players how close they are to achieving the goal—this lets players know that the goal is definitely achievable and provides motivation to keep playing.
• Voluntary participation. All players must know and willingly accept the goal, the rules, and the feedback—players should be able to enter or leave the game at will to ensure the experience is safe and pleasurable.

In a true game, the player isn’t only motivated by a future prize or reward. The player in a true game chooses to play out of genuine interest. If you stripped away the points and prizes, the game would still be attractive.

With well-constructed learning challenges, we can create experiences that help kids use the best of their brains. The benefits are massive: more focus, more enjoyment, and more empowerment. All it takes is stepping into the shoes of a game designer.

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ANA LORENA FABREGA, Miss Fab blog