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Lesson Study Cycle 2
As a lesson study group, we wanted to dive into exploring the idea of gamification. Gamification is not about incorporating games into a classroom but on gamifying the learning process through specific classroom structure and teaching strategies. Our investigation on gamification of classroom structure was based on grades and class frame. Gamification allows for specific learning outcomes based on incentivisation, student motivation, and the ability for students to learn from each other. We decided to focus on an active lesson where students would take risks and show an increase in their confidence. We learned that gamification can be effective when implemented intentionally with a clear end goal through active learning and a shift in student behavior and or attitude.
Teaching Partners:
Karinne C. - Humanities - 7th grade
Margot S. - Humanities - 9th grade
Goals
Part 1: Planning
Equity Goal:
Every student will take risks and show an increase in their confidence. By using gamification strategies we encourage academic risk and help students feel confident to trust their own thinking.
Content Goal:
Students will practice individualized skills, selected for their particular growth areas. Every student will be practicing using their notes and classroom resources.
Individual skills are as follows:
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Reading out loud.
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Identifying information within a text that answers a question.
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Completing a crossword puzzle based on notes and past learning.
Research Base
Throughout our lesson study planning phase, we did research on: culturally responsive pedagogy, how to create a lesson focusing on instruction through gamifying classroom structures, and how to increase risk taking and confidence within our students.
In order to incorporate our research we began by incorporating a reward (badge) system for classroom participation. We wanted to understand how providing gamification scaffolds would increase student risk taking. A prediction we had was that our data would not provide a good read of whether a reward system is effective or not. We understood that this strategy would rely on consistency and on repetition to observe a clear result.
For example, in my research as a math learning facilitator, we had students complete a participation quiz rubric and earn rewards based on the following participation categories: share-outs, asking questions, and connections. The lesson was for a group station review on linear equations. Check out the following participation roles, quiz rubric results, as well as student participation:
PDSA Cycle: Participation Quiz and Reward System
Review Station Problems
Linear Equations
Review Station Problems
Linear Equations
Participation Quiz Rubric Example 2
Review Station Problems
Linear Equations
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You can read more about how the research informed my thinking in my Literature Synthesis and Annotated Bibliography.
Focal Student's Assets and Needs
Focal Student #1
Focus student 1 is a talented DJ and Drummer. When he is drumming, he is less anxious and more at peace than he is most times. He enjoys playing video games. He has recently found an interest in reading through The Maze Runner series.
This student is growing in the areas of social emotional learning (SEL) and behavior due to ongoing home life situations as well as unique learning needs due to an IEP.
Selecting this student will help us differentiate and support him. His reading and writing levels are currently improving and we hope that the gamification strategies will help him grow.
Focal Student #2
Focus student 2 describes herself as "cautious and curious," and said her friends would describe her as adventurous, clumsy, and funny. She spent most of her life in Japan before moving to the US for 6th grade last year. She is self reflective and recognizes that school is difficult because of her level of understanding of English. While in Japan, she took 3-4 years of English. First language is Japanese, but she is starting to lose it.
She is funny, fairly reserved in class but open with her friends, and tends to let others take the lead. We are interested in how gamification will help grow her vocabulary and help her take academic risks.
Part 2: The Focus Study
Content Goal:
Students will practice individualized skills, selected for their particular growth areas. Every student will be practicing using their notes and classroom resources.
Individual skills are as follows:
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Reading out loud.
-
Identifying information within a text that answers a question.
-
Completing a crossword puzzle based on notes and past learning.
Equity Goal:
Every student will take risks and show an increase in their confidence.
Lesson Hypothesis:
If we employ use of escape room clues and puzzles while students are using notes from the unit and review knowledge of social studies information acquired through the unit to complete the puzzles/clues, then students will be more likely to take risks sharing verbally and finding information as evidenced by their individual contributions and engagement in solving the escape room puzzles.
Our lesson focused on an escape room and a timed opinion writing response where students shared their opinion on what the worst part of the Medieval Ages would have been and counted their uses of logos and the number of meaningful sentences.
Lesson Flow:
1. On entering, student completed a quick questionnaire rating their confidence from 1 to 5 with reading out loud, identifying information in a text, and using notes.
2. Students were given directions and rules of the escape room.
3. Students were given directions for how to pick their groups. Students had been assigned a number 1,2, or 3 before the lesson based on the risk taking task we wanted them to engage in.
4. Once students picked their groups, they checked in with me, where they received their first task. Students who chose to work with people they didn't usually work with received the first clue for free. This was a risk taking assessment.
5. The 60 minute timer begins once everyone has received their first task. The first two teams to finish receive a prize (hidden behind the last lock). If there is still time, remaining students are given the option to finish.
6. After finishing, students complete the confidence questionnaire again. On the back, they answer the exit ticket questions (see slides).
7. After completing the exit ticket and a quick conversational debrief students will complete a 10 minute timed writing response. We will count for meaningful sentences and logos. In this response, students will share what would have been the worst part of the Middle Ages to live through. This connects to our continuous badge practice.
Click here to see a more detailed lesson plan!
Check out our lesson slide deck below:
Overall, the results showed that FS1 showed a decrease in confidence related to finding information during the escape room. Based on his behavior during the lesson, he noted himself that the experience was difficult and he experienced a decrease in confidence. We noticed that both FS1 and other students with behavior and SEL needs did not engage or stay on task for the majority of the escape room. The lesson could have also increased levels of anxiety among these students making it difficult for them to succeed in the lesson. FS2 responses did not change. Few students in the class as a whole chose to take the first risk of working with new people in exchange for a clue to the first lock. None of the focus students took on the risk.
Reflection
Overall, this lesson created engagement and increased overall time on task. However, both PDSA cycle 1 on game creation and the escape room had some challenges. One wondering would be that if this lesson was focused on the practice of certain skills such as in math or science if that would have made a difference on student engagement. Particularly for our focal students who struggle with SEL and anxiety. Nevertheless, we did see a level of growth and motivation when we began using the badge (reward) system. The badges allowed my students to make connections with their learning, share out, and ask more specific questions.
I learned a lot about the lesson study process throughout this cycle. Gamification is a process that requires consistency and due to the quick turn around with our lessons and timeframe we did face several challenges. We also realized that although we did find some research on gamification it is still a fairly new idea and has limited research available. We actually got more out of the conversations we had with our veteran teachers as they provided specific examples on gamification.
A big takeaway for me is that I hope to continue to conduct more teaching practices that uplift student participation and active engagement such as the participation quiz and badge system. The more I practice different teaching strategies the more I will be able to determine what works well and what doesn't. By doing so I hope to understand my students better and improve on my classroom structure.
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