Examples of Gamification

Minecraft users can let the game randomly generate universes while integrating an interactive system focused on the exploitation and transformation of natural resources. It offers an opportunity to become self-taught in the fundamentals of geology and mineralogy, while offering the chance to learn more about fossils, the behaviour of wild and domestic animals, and plant species. The game immerses the user in fantasy worlds and dynamically created biomes, made up of cubic blocks representing different mineral materials such as iron, granite, gold, coal, obsidian, and sand, as well as earth, water, and even lava. Players quickly and intuitively manage to create various virtual structures like caves, mountains, temples, or houses. In the fantastic worlds created there are also animals such as sheep, cows, horses, donkeys, foxes, and llamas. You can even domesticate wolves so that they learn to behave like dogs, irrespective of whether the game is played in survival mode or creative mode. There are also monsters, zombies and skeletons. Players can change their created worlds at will by adding or removing blocks and trying to survive as long as possible, while allowing them to build constructions with great creative freedom.

A Minecraft Education Edition version is also available for playful education. This version further stimulates the development of creativity and encourages collaboration to solve problems in an immersive digital educational environment, where the only limit is the imagination of the users. In addition, this learning platform uses artificial intelligence functions to virtually solve global environmental challenges. Minecraft Education Edition allows teachers to plan courses based on educational projects where students acquire skills essential to the potential professions of the future, such as creative and collaborative problem-solving. It also helps to develop a web-etiquette promoting a responsible digital citizenship based on ethics.

In addition, a set of tutorials and features give teachers the chance to manage their classes and conduct formative assessment. Thanks to the mixed reality offered by Minecraft Education Edition, the possibilities for developing student creativity are endless. Users will develop their mathematical skills while expanding their knowledge of biology and geography, at the same time trying to solve concrete challenges relating to ecology and environmental conservation. In addition, thanks to its flexibility, this educational edition of Minecraft can be adapted to the needs of special educators. It can also be adapted to the different learning styles of students. Immersive reading and translation functions offer increased possibilities to promote reading and language development. The integrated reading tools are available at all times, while users are browsing the Minecraft Education Edition universe. There is even an automated reading feature, where a synthesised voice can read for students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

Moreover, there is a picture dictionary to help with learning and memorising words and concepts. It becomes a tool of exploration, discovery, storytelling, and digital learning that offers a holistic sustainable educational experience. Indeed, Minecraft Education Edition offers a set of ready-made lessons that can immerse students in fantastic worlds that will help them to develop socio-emotional skills. This is why we believe that this type of gamification is an excellent example of sustainable, integrative, and active pedagogy, because it allows educators to create more inclusive classrooms while providing a fun and safe learning environment that develops skills that go beyond those offered by traditional educational methods.

As future jobs are likely to require more and more social and emotional skills that promote teamwork, educators around the world are now placing increased priority on the psychological well-being of students and looking for ways to foster development of emotional intelligence in their classrooms, as well as in virtual environments created for distance education. The lesson plans offered by Minecraft Education Edition cover topics such as self-awareness, communication, and self-expression. In addition to being beneficial for the development of the students' competencies, this educational game offers special features for teachers, such as tools for managing classes and group activities.

There are also easy-to-understand tutorials, a plethora of sample lessons, and real-time technical support, as well as a global network of mentors with an impressive level of expertise. Finally, we can also observe that students who have acquired a level of expertise in Minecraft display an ease in understanding and applying three-dimensional concepts on other digital platforms such as Sketchup or similar CAD programs, where students can develop basic skills in architecture or design. Finally, it would be interesting to do further research on the development of fine motor skills and spatial conceptualisation in users of this educational game.

The educational purpose of the exercises is different according to the age groups, and their level of knowledge. Students play to solve equations, where the unknown is a dragon in a box, and the numbers are replaced by funny critters and strange creatures. The first levels are usually easy in order to build student confidence, but they evolve quickly. Indeed, the exercises get much more complicated as the users are progressing.

What makes this digital learning platform so interesting is that students learn to do complex equations without realising it. This application subtly helps them to realise mathematical reasoning, which is not necessarily obvious. The users manage to forget that they are doing mathematics even if they assimilate concepts and develop an increased analytical capacity. This game has been designed to help its users to progress as easily as possible. It gives confidence to individuals who feel that they are not very good at mathematics. Indeed, numbers and letters in mathematics can sometimes be intimidating or even anxiety-provoking for some people; this is why the developers of this game have replaced the numbers and letters with logos of small animals or various fictional creatures during the first levels of the game.

The main purpose of this game is not only to teach algebra, but to put an end to the fear or the curse of ‘x’ in mathematics. It offers a playful and imaginative approach that allows the player to conceptualise the methods even before having the opportunity to use numbers or letters. In this strange universe, the user receives very few instructions. Players observe representations of opposing numbers, as well as elements that become more and more abstract. It becomes a kind of evolving puzzle, and that is what makes this game a great tool for sustainable active learning. Moreover, as the players progress through the different chapters, fewer and fewer creatures are present, and the critter cards turn into dices or letters. In this way, the user learns to reason and assimilates formulas and mathematics progressively without noticing it. The great thing about DragonBox Algebra is that it eliminates one of the most boring and repetitive sides of learning mathematics.