This is the continuing saga of my current iteration of a gamified course (#21).
In a previous post I said I would send out personal emails to all my students, telling them how they are doing and what they need to do to pass this course. Here’s how it went.
I currently have 47 students in my class.
Of those, 1/2 are doing fine. One already has an A.
13 of my students are failing. The mail I sent out told them what their score was and whether or not I though they were doing OK. Those who are failing were told they were seriously behind. I have heard from quite a few of them, promising to submit more quests, but we’ll see who actually does. Most seem quite appreciative that I reached out to them.
This kind of structure is very challenging for some. With no hard deadlines, many students tend to leave the work in this course in favor of other courses that do have deadlines. I do understand that, but I also think it is important for them to learn to get work done when there is no clear deadline.
I’ll let you know in a week or two how many students have ‘pulled up their socks’.
If you are interested in following my course journal, watch for the “Gamification 101” heading.
Also, for more information on gamification, check out my website here.