minecraft as a model for gamification in teacher training

Minecraft as a model for gamification in teacher trainingVance Stevens

Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College, Al Ain UAE

Higher Colleges of Technlogy / CERT

Presented at XVIIth CALL Research Conference

Tarragona, Spain, July 6, 2015

All my slides are open and online

No need to take notes, simply visit

http://slideshare.net/vances

Vance Stevens CALL Research Conference Tarragona 2015



What is this about?

This presentation presents a model for gamification of teacher professional development. As such it … Roots the model in the work of proponents of connectivism Places it as the latest in a series of connectivist projects

moderated and facilitated by the author Shows why Minecraft is an appropriate vehicle for

understanding gamification in teacher professional development; hence how to extend the concept to teaching

Explains how the project was conceived and implemented Presents some quantitative and qualitative data Previews how the project will be continued in 2016


Connectivism Cormier, D. (2008). Rhizomatic education: Community as curriculum.

Innovate, 4(5). Reprinted with permission of the publisher and retrieved from http://davecormier.com/edblog/2008/06/03/rhizomatic-education-community-as-curriculum/

Downes, S. (2012). Connectivism and connective knowledge: Essays on meaning and learning networks. Stephen's Web: My eBook. Retrieved from http://www.downes.ca/files/Connective_Knowledge-19May2012.pdf

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Elearningspace. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Stevens, V. (2014). Connectivist Learning: Reaching Students through Teacher Professional Development. in Son, J.-B. (Ed.). Computer-assisted language learning: Learners, teachers and tools. APACALL Book Series Volume 3. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 150-172. Late draft available here


http://davecormier.com/edblog/2008/06/03/rhizomatic-education-community-as-curriculum/



http://www.downes.ca/files/Connective_Knowledge-19May2012.pdf

http://www.downes.ca/files/Connective_Knowledge-19May2012.pdf

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

https://docs.google.com/document/d/134VghXCMmsX5Dqm7JB3NVKd5UH1d5QrXSUPNQU8BOCk/edit?usp=sharing

iPadagogy workshop at ISTE Connectivism at work

First part of workshop shared in Google+ Hangout on Air

http://learning2gether.net/2015/06/30/learning2gether-about-ipadagogy-live-from-iste-philadelphia/

Mary Kay Polly presented on her using of Minecraft with middle school as part of this workshop.








Mary Kay Polly - Minecraft Mary Kay Polly - students justified use of Minecraft in their class by

spelling out curriculum goals having them explain how their use of Minecraft met those goals.

Corroborates claim that it’s not whether it’s in the curriculum; rather the curriculum is in it.

http://iste2015ipadagogyabloominbetterwaytoteach.pbworks.com/w/page/92494272/Game-based%20Learning%20and%20Minecraft%20-%20Mary%20Kay%20Polly




Andrew Beestonhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/ants88/6664180307/

Photo credits: Katyahttp://teacherblog.gamestarmechanic.com/page/2/


Minecraft is extremely popular at ISTE. Hundreds are turned away from workshops.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ants88/6664180307/

http://teacherblog.gamestarmechanic.com/page/2/

Vance Stevens CALL Research Conference Tarragona 2015Openness

1998 – Created and taught Writing for Webheads

2002 – Facilitated EVO session Webheads in Action

2003 to present – Coordinator with Electronic village Online

2004 to 2010 – Moderated Multiliteracies and MultiMOOC EVO sessions

2005, 2007, 2009 - WiAOC: free, online, no funding required ‘convergences’

Ongoing efforts 2010 – Started

Learning2gether http://learning2gether.net/

2015 – Started EVO Minecraft MOOC

Currently, Webheads in Action, Learning2gether, Minecraft MOOC,and EVO involvement going strong!

Networks have long been critical to my personal learning, and they are critical to others I interact with. Open endeavors which I have facilitated include

http://sites.hsprofessional.com/vstevens/files/efi/webheads.htm




http://evosessions.pbworks.com/

http://evosessions.pbworks.com/

http://goodbyegutenberg.pbworks.com/




http://vancestevens.com/papers/evonline2002/convergence2005.htm

http://learning2gether.net/about



https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112993649763396826671

Modeling for Students

The problem is who will guide teachers and trainees in this kind of learning?

Guides must be themselves experienced in connecting through networks in uncontrolled and exposed spaces.

Fortunately our professional lives are tending in this direction Websites Webinars Tools and apps Concepts such as MOOCs Spaces like Second Life

Yet another model might be Minecraft How do you find a community? How do you acquire experience?


The Minecraft FlipWe focused on Minecraft as a way of Gamifying the language learning experience Students taking charge of their learning Students teaching teachers about what they are interested in Improving learning enjoyment Bolstering student self-esteem


http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume18/ej70/ej70int/

http://learning2gether.net/2014/06/29/hangout-with-filip-and-marijana-smolcec-on-the-eu-llp-comenius-project-and-learning-through-minecraft

/





http://learning2gether.net/2014/06/29/hangout-with-filip-and-marijana-smolcec-on-the-eu-llp-comenius-project-and-learning-through-minecraft/



Finding communities in MC

The challenge for adults interested in Minecraft is finding a community that can help you

Most communities for Minecraft are school children Teachers exclude people who might be predators

One solution Start your own community Invite educators to learn the game by being in the game Don’t let lack of expertise deter you Experts will emerge


EVO Minecraft MOOC If we are going to gamify our classrooms, don’t we have to

experience that by gamifying our own professional development? I proposed to moderate an EVO session to allow teachers to learn

the game as they would expect students to do I created

A proposal A syllabus A Google+ Community

Pictured: Selfie of

Vance Stevens

and Jeff Kuhn at

TESOL 2015 Toronto


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M0D6AWD5Inx8kiioRgjEqw85B5L3_HByzk8vb6xj-4I/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M0D6AWD5Inx8kiioRgjEqw85B5L3_HByzk8vb6xj-4I/edit?usp=sharing

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112993649763396826671

Vance Stevens CALL Research Conference Tarragona 2015Engaging a community

We attracted others teaching / learning languages with MC Two co-authors

of an article jointly written with Filip and Marijana Smolčec

Two whom we cited in the article: David Dodgson and Jeff Kuhn

Jeff set us up a Minecraft server!Filip could have done this otherwise






Gamification and BadgesElements of gamification Our syllabus –

pitched at teachers who would Gravitate to a learning experience

where we would define our own outcomes which could not be guaranteed in advance

We applied the Cormier notion of Community as Curriculum The collective would steer the syllabus,

as in games We promised badges for accomplishing

specified goals


Community as Curriculum Dave Cormier argues

that his university students Will be expected to

interact with peers in open spaces; e.g. blogs conferences webinars where they

Must expose themselves to scrutiny and challenge by large interconnected networks,

Should therefore experience working openly while they are students.





https://youtu.be/CKZStp3-30g

Syllabus LogisticsIn our online syllabus We put some materials

online Linked to Mojang and

YouTube videos Gave out the IP address of

our server Encouraged tagging and

aggravated at Tagboard We used scheduling

software to arrange meetings in Minecraft Used Skype to talk each

other through our learning in the game space


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yRbAzdndRFncpckurKLf5s2b95Z1-Tksclmw1A8Jq7Y/edit?usp=sharing

Gamification of LearningWe proved the concept by creating a gamified learning environment where we learned about the game by being in the game


Jeff was Batman

Jeff, whose character is Batman, created a huge Batman statue and set up a castle for us to explore

He created train sets for us to play on. One rendition encircled the castle.


Teachers as makers in Creative Mode In creative mode

unlimited inventories unlimited time

(non threatening -no sudden death )


Kelly shared how her kids taught her about Minecraft


Educators interact socially When professionals meet in any space for the purpose of PD

we learn from one another Online maximizes the number of spaces we have for meeting in

Minecraft and Skype Second Life Webinars Hangouts on Air


Teachers learn from kids Filip (age 11) built a McDonald’s Carlos from Spain (age 12) created a tower with an elevator Ian (teenager) built us a hotel shell


Filip’s rabbits

Filip populated our spaces with herds of rabbits He showed us how to make bows and arrows and shoot

them for food


Image from inside Jeff’s castle

Horsing around We rode horses We played with lighting We coped with rabbits

and zombies and spiders


Jeff and Aaron’s explosive trap

Don’t Push Button


Survival ModeThen it all turned sinister

Jeff and Filip set the server on survival mode

Now a challenge to avoid the spiders and zombies at night

The greatest lesson - the power of collaboration Jeff had created some shelters with doors

with signs outside inviting us in for the night. These were in mountainsides, so at night we

could dig our mines and look for resources like iron for our pickaxes.

In the daytime we would go outside and chop trees so we could make crafting tables

and on those, other tools and weapons for getting food from the animals with whom we shared our world.


Image credit: Caleb Roenigk, https://www.flickr.com/photos/crdot/6303551977

https://www.flickr.com/photos/crdot/6303551977

https://www.flickr.com/photos/crdot/6303551977

End Game Vance Stevens CALL Research Conference Tarragona 2015

Statistics

Quantitative

61 participants expressed interest

Estimated about 20 visited server or passed through out spaces in some form or other

10 took active step of creating entries in Google form

6 earned badges

Qualitative

Many joined us for various aspects of the course, did not persist, but contributed significantly

E.g. one teen from UAE, built a hotel structure which I lightened up with lamps zombies would gather there at

night (but they are not dangerous in creative mode).


Missions accomplished

View openly: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bIrwrRqYdTjFTXbX7ZUrjQhwi6GZgJvYCMmzsbm7DJ8/edit?usp=sharing


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bIrwrRqYdTjFTXbX7ZUrjQhwi6GZgJvYCMmzsbm7DJ8/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bIrwrRqYdTjFTXbX7ZUrjQhwi6GZgJvYCMmzsbm7DJ8/edit?usp=sharing

Next time around

We have already formed a team for the next round of EVO sessions Jan-Feb 2016. Now that we know the concept works, we’d like to set some more data points and see if we can quantify or qualify how it works and why.

This is Tamas Lorincz

who will join our

moderating team

next year

Vance took the picture

at TESOL Arabia 2015

In Dubai


Additional References

Smolčec, M., Smolčec, F. and Stevens, V. (2014). Using Minecraft for Learning English. TESL-EJ, 18(2),1-15. Retrieved from http://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej70/int.pdf.

Kuhn, J. (2015). Meaningful Play – Making Professional Development Fun. TESL-EJ, 15(4),1-8. Retrieved from http://tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej72/int.pdf.

This project was presented as part of a panel discussion at TESOL 2015 Toronto http://tinyurl.com/vance2015pd


The session was recorded and archived here

http://learning2gether.net/2015/07/06/learning2gether-with-vance-stevens-about-minecraft-as-a-model-for-gamification-in-teacher-professional-development/

http://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej70/int.pdf

http://tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej72/int.pdf

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1piVdhJ2U9bnj0gBOAl4WS_UsECLok-en2BJqKl29DUY/edit?usp=sharing






minecraft as a model for gamification in teacher training

Education