Gamification for student engagement

Gamification, defined as "the use of (video) game elements in non-game contexts"¹, is a key part of the NoobLab environment.

Each practical exercise can be configured so that the student is awarded a "medal" or a "ribbon". The intention is that medals are used for summative exercises, ribbons for formative.

This use of virtual awards parallels conventions of modern computer games where it is commonplace for the completion of in-game tasks to be marked with an "achievement" being recorded against the player's profile. This convention encourages players to continue playing the game to unlock these achievements. Similar behaviour occurs when programming exercises are gamified. Students undertaking programming activities in NoobLab react much more positively and push themselves harder to win the virtual medals medals - harder than perhaps they would have had their progress been presented as a percentage or letter-based grade.

The students' medal standings are displayed on a cohort-wide high score table. The competition between peers that this generates is another way of promoting engagement.

"(The medal system) was a big plus point... there is an engagement factor in earning the medals... I've also noticed students who maybe aren't so adept in other modules really focusing on earning medals"

"As a highly competitve person it was the incentive I needed to sit down and actually complete the work"

Assists and peer learning

Another method of stimulating engagement is the concept of an "assist". Upon completion of an exercise, a student may choose to award a portion of the medal points to a peer. This encourages students to engage in peer learning and also provides a mechanism to maintain the engagement of proficient students. Such individuals often complete the early exercises very quickly and disengage until more challenging material is available. The assist system gives them a reason to continue to engage with the course by introducing an opportunity to earn additional medal points. Teaching less talented students is also an excellent way in which proficient students can improve their own skills. The assist system channels students' natural tendency to want to help their friends out into a productive (and non-plagiarisng) form.