On Learning Through Playful Experiences

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This is a podcast interview I did recently.

https://www.universityxp.com/podcast/160

In this episode of Experience Points, serious games expert Katrin Becker explores why “good enough” may be more powerful than perfection in gamified learning. She argues that focusing on defined criteria rather than comparison increases student agency and supports a wider range of learners; not just top performers.

Katrin highlights safety and trust as essential to joyful learning, emphasizing that mistakes must be recoverable. By allowing resubmissions and designing flexible systems, educators encourage reflection, risk-taking, and persistence. She also introduces “benign transgression,” explaining that students will test boundaries—so instructors should build thoughtful guardrails and iterate their designs without breaking trust.

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A New Book in the Works…..

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor anyone interested, I am working on a new book.

It’s Stewart McLean meets James Harriot in this collection of short stories about a tech savvy city girl who moves to a small acreage in the rural foothills and tries to build an ethical farm life for herself and her children, only to find that the proverbial simple life is not simple at all.

The plan is for it to be published sometime next summer (2026).

Stay tuned for updates!

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Time for an Update….

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteBig things have been happening in my personal life.

For now, I thought a simple update would be a good place to start.

At 65 years old, I learned that I’m Autistic.
That explains a LOT.
This has prompted lots and lots of looking back and thinking “OH, that’s why!”

I’m getting a divorce (after 43 years of marriage).
I finally realized that Mr. Hyde was the real one, and Dr. Jekyll was the act.
More on that in future posts.

I got a new puppy – a Golden Retriever.
My soon-to-be ex thought it was a replacement for him (of course he would).
I have no need to replace him.
The puppy is a replacement for my aging Rottie, Gadget.
More on that later too.

I’m working on a new book about my farm experiences. The working title is 10,000 Eggs.
It is a book of short tales, all true, but sometimes with names and identities changed (to protect the innocent).
For a taste of what it will be like, you can check out these posts:

On Grief And Farming (A.K.A. Me and My Arrow) Pt. 1

On Farming….. and Phishing

Another End of an Era … Ray the Duck

For now, I have started to write in several new places.
Feel free to check them out.
I will also cross-post.

Substack: Don’t Ask a Fish

Substack: 10,000 Eggs

and on Medium

If you enjoy the stories or have something you want to comment on, please let me know!

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My Book is Finally OUT!!!!

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteEight years in the making…..

It is the first volume of three, meant to be a super easy introduction to the whys and hows of meaningful gamification in an educational setting – both formal and corporate.

It is a relatively short book, ~250 pages, and it includes a veritable treasure trove of strategies you can implement in any class. These strategies have been tested in multiple classes both big and small under a variety of conditions. And just in case you worry that these strategies are yet another bandwagon to jump on that won’t actually work in your own classroom, you will see that they are grounded in solid educational theory that has withstood the test of time.

This book does not try to fill in all of the theoretical underpinnings of these ideas, but it does break new ground in giving you new ways to look at teaching that can dislodge some of the old traditions that have been holding us back.

Find it on Amazon, and other places.

Gamification 101: How to Bring Joy Back to Learning By Making Your Classroom Gameful


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Renos of the Mind…

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteSo, I’ve been going through a LOT of emotional stuff in the last few years.

Personal, relational, professional, you name it.

Curious: I tend to write in a private journal when I’m going through stuff, and I write here only when I’m feeling strong, and sociable.

I think maybe I want to try mixing the two a little more.
So, here’s a start…

I recently realized that I’m Autistic.
It has been deliciously freeing.
More on that in future posts.

For now I’ll say it has involved some super major shifts in my thinking.

Emotional stuff and mental shifts use a lot of energy.
Like, a really lot.

A huge amount of our energy goes to keeping our nervous system functioning (brain included, but not only) – just as a baseline.

It takes extra energy to build new pathways, and no surprise – the best time to do that is when we aren’t doing something else. So it makes total sense that the body would want you you rest more when making changes.

Renos usually go better when unimpeded.

Perhaps sleep is like putting tarps on things to be protected while other changes are being made. Rest is good too – it doesn’t always have to be sleep. I suspect the tarps are different, but rest still has some.

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Looking Ahead at Gamification of Education (a.k.a. Gameful Learning)

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis brief segment is from an interview that was recorded for the The Game-Based Learning Virtual Summit, held on Nov. 1-3, 2023 hosted by Dr. Patrick Felicia

I was asked: Looking ahead, what innovations and trends do you anticipate in the intersection of games, gamification, and simulations? How can these developments prepare the workforce for emerging challenges in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics?

My Field is: Applying game design principles to teaching and learning (= Gameful Learning)

This segment is part of an introduction to a book series I am working on. This series shows educators of all sorts how to make learning and instruction more gameful, and in the process increase engagement, enjoyment, satisfaction, and retention for BOTH the learners and the educators. For more on these books, go to: https://gameful-learning.com

There 3 books planned in the series. The order is independent. Each one addresses a different aspect of gameful learning.

  1. How to Bring Joy back to Learning By Making Your Classroom Gameful (Book 1)
  2. Death to Deadlines: Gamification and Other Subversive Thoughts on Formal Education (Book 2)
  3. The Complete Guide to Gameful Learning (Book 3)

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Accessibility and Inclusivity in Education Using Gamification (a.k.a. Gameful Learning)

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis brief segment is from an interview that was recorded for the The Game-Based Learning Virtual Summit, held on Nov. 1-3, 2023 hosted by Dr. Patrick Felicia

I was asked: What strategies can be employed to ensure that games, gamification, and simulation approaches are accessible to a diverse range of learners and professionals in STEM, promoting inclusivity and diversity in these fields?

My Field is: Applying game design principles to teaching and learning (= Gameful Learning)

This segment is part of an introduction to a book series I am working on. This series shows educators of all sorts how to make learning and instruction more gameful, and in the process increase engagement, enjoyment, satisfaction, and retention for BOTH the learners and the educators. For more on these books, go to: https://gameful-learning.com

There 3 books planned in the series. The order is independent. Each one addresses a different aspect of gameful learning.

  1. How to Bring Joy back to Learning By Making Your Classroom Gameful (Book 1)
  2. Death to Deadlines: Gamification and Other Subversive Thoughts on Formal Education (Book 2)
  3. The Complete Guide to Gameful Learning (Book 3)

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Tackling Real-World Problems in Education Using Gamification (a.k.a. Gameful Learning)

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Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis brief segment is from an interview that was recorded for the The Game-Based Learning Virtual Summit, held on Nov. 1-3, 2023 hosted by Dr. Patrick Felicia

I was asked: How can games, gamification and simulations be designed to tackle complex, real-world challenges and encourage problem-solving skills among learners, both in educational settings and in professional practice?

My Field is: Applying game design principles to teaching and learning (= Gameful Learning)

This segment is part of an introduction to a book series I am working on. This series shows educators of all sorts how to make learning and instruction more gameful, and in the process increase engagement, enjoyment, satisfaction, and retention for BOTH the learners and the educators. For more on these books, go to: https://gameful-learning.com

There 3 books planned in the series. The order is independent. Each one addresses a different aspect of gameful learning.

  1. How to Bring Joy back to Learning By Making Your Classroom Gameful (Book 1)
  2. Death to Deadlines: Gamification and Other Subversive Thoughts on Formal Education (Book 2)
  3. The Complete Guide to Gameful Learning (Book 3)

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