Using gamification in teacher professional development - MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

If you asked a room of teacher if they would rather work, play, or participate in professional development, professional development would likely come in last. And while these tried-and-true methods for professional development aren’t going anywhere, there are methods for increasing engagement amongst the teachers in attendance. Gamification involves bringing elements traditionally associated with video games into the learning environment. Often, this involves concepts like points accrual, leveling, competition, and rewards being integrated into lessons that previously used another format. Additionally, most video games provide a safe space for failure, as players can respawn or open a previous save and try again. The purpose of gamification is to increase engagement by making the tasks both challenging and entertaining, but also giving participants a chance to try again if they don’t immediately succeed. http://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-gamification-in-teacher-professional-development/