Book Image

Gamification with Moodle

By : Natalie Denmeade
Book Image

Gamification with Moodle

By: Natalie Denmeade

Overview of this book

This book describes how teachers can use Gamification design within the Moodle Learning Management System. Game elements can be included in course design by using, badges, rubrics, custom grading scales, forums, and conditional activities. Moodle courses do not have to be solo-learning experiences that replicate Distance Education models. The Gamification design process starts by profiling players and creating levels of achievement towards meeting learning outcomes. Each task is defined, valued, and sequenced. Motivation loops are devised to keep the momentum going. In a gaming studio, this approach would require a team of specialists with a large budget and time frames. Preparing for a class rarely has these optimal conditions. The approach used in this book is to introduce game elements into the course design gradually. First, apply gamification to just one lesson and then build up to gamifying a series of lessons over a term. Each example will indicate the difficulty level and time investment. Try it out to see what is most effective with your learners and choose wisely in your use of technology. By the end of this book, you will be able to create Moodle courses that incorporate choice, communication, challenge, and creativity.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Gamification with Moodle
Credits
Foreword
About the Author
Acknowledgement
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
6
Mastery Achieved (Badges and Motivation)
8
Completing the Quest (Reporting Activities)
Index

Setting up a test environment


A free online Moodle sandpit is available for you to try out the suggestions at http://school.demo.moodle.net/. Log in with the Teacher username and the Moodle password. The Mount Orange Demo site is reset every 60 minutes and will always use the latest release of Moodle software that will be similar to the older versions but has extended features.

Alternatively, you could download a free copy of Moodle to test on your own computer from https://download.moodle.org/releases/latest/. You should be able to follow most of the steps in this guide with any version of Moodle 2.x (2.1, 2.2, and so on).

Register for your own free fully functional Moodle Site at www.Moodle.com/cloud

For advanced users, extensions to the Moodle core package can be installed directly or downloaded from https://moodle.org/plugins/. Bitnami offers free cloud hosting for a test Moodle site and local install packages for download at https://bitnami.com/stack/moodle.

Recommended plug-ins for Gamification are included in this book at the end of each chapter.

You are guided how to create your own Moodle course throughout this book. A finished version is available for download at www.OpenEducationBadges.com.

Further training in Gamification is provided on this site, and you are invited to join the learning community to find support and inspiration as you get started.