Glennda McKeithan: Gamification Made Simple, Gebunden

Blurb

Gamification Made Simple: A Guide for Higher Education Professionals is designed to be a practical, approachable, and experience-driven resource for instructors who may be new to the concept of gamification or already experimenting with game based learning. Each of the chapters is designed to meet their readers "where they are" in the process. Written by educators from different disciplines-special education and speech-language pathology-the book includes the perspectives of game designers, game players and game masters. What began as a basic role-playing activity in a graduate course evolved into an instructional framework that transformed student engagement by enabling them to apply what they were learning in a safe, real world setting. The book is grounded in real experiences rather than theory or technology (but those concepts are included as well). The goal is to provide readers with a step-by-step guide for planning, designing and implementing simple game based learning experiences through role-playing games (RPGs). What makes this book unique is the numerous potential examples for readers to review as they determine if, when and how they might plan and implement a game into their own classes. In addition, while the authors have researched the topic at length, they have real experience (positive and negative) as student / player, game designers and game masters. Peer feedback shaped the book's organization and tone. Chapter headings are presented as questions to invite curiosity and support reader navigation. Recognizing that some readers might feel overwhelmed by game terminology, the authors also included a glossary and worked intentionally to simplify language and provide easy-to-visualize examples. To support different levels of experience, each chapter features clearly labeled sections based on game design expertise. "Level I: Novice" sections offer readers with little or no experience a basic understanding of the game and how to plan, develop and implement a new game. concepts and basic implementation strategies, while "Level II: Intermediate / Experienced" content provides deeper dives for those ready to expand and refine their games. Each chapter begins with a Game Master's Prologue-a conversational reflection to help readers connect with the content-and ends with a Game Log, a brief summary and preview to help them prepare for what's next. While the discussion about complex game elements may be challenging for new gamers, Gamification Made Simple is more than a how-to book; it's a conversation with colleagues who've been there and want to share what works to motivate readers to rediscover joy in teaching and learning-one game at a time.