Question



Has anyone ever had students feel it is childish and unnecessary. I'm using the free version and students feel that they are punished for no reason (aka random event). I understand their concern, but I don't think they realize that scenario is similar to someone who wakes up and goes for a jog, this person is in great health, and they are killed in a drive by. It's random to one degree and certainly that person would feel they didn't deserve it. Beside that point and them saying it is childish they said it adds stress. I don't use the premium version, but wanted ideas to help win some back to classcraft as I lost 7 students from one class which total class number is 25. 

Suggestions and tips appreciated. 


Hi John,

It will depend on your group of students and the way you approach this with them. I have friends that use Classcraft as students and they do maybe find the visuals to be a little childish, but if you tailor the powers to things they would find interesting, then you'll find that buy-in you're looking for. 

I would say try out the premium version to see if there are features there that would be interesting for you or your students. You might discover that they really appreciate some parts of the app more than other and get good results that way. 

I hope that was helpful! Try it and let us know! 

Hi John,

I use Classcraft with Community College students.  They range in age from high school to senior citizens.  And yes, some of them think it is silly or unnecessary.  This is especially true of older women working on degrees in the health professions.  All they want to do is pass my class so that they can get into the Nursing program.  Anything beyond a list of required assignments is a distraction.... 

One thing I do to overcome this is to make the powers very important to their success.  They want an extension on a paper (most do at some point)?  Well, the only extensions are through the game.  Period.  No exceptions.  Want to rewrite a paper?  Same deal.  Want to earn the ability to use notes on an exam? Better play the game!

But the other thing I do is relate the game to something they understand.  Most of them have grocery store discount cards like this:

I explain that the "game" is really the exact same thing.  With the card, they shop like normal and get coupons and gasoline points, etc.  With the game, they study hard and participate regularly like normal, and get XP they can use for extensions, revisions, exam hints, notes, etc.   Most of them "get" the game when it's explained this way.  For younger students, you could come up with a similar analogy.  Maybe your school has pep rallies or other events they hold when students have been good.  You could say the game is like that.  

I do agree that some of the random events can seem like punishments for no reason.  I tend to reduce the amount of Health or other losses that come from those.  I've retooled most of my random events so that they give students a chance to earn XP if they go above and beyond - post practice IDs on the class study blog, for example.  So the events are carrots more than sticks!  If they don't participate, they lose out on that XP, but they aren't punished much more than that. 

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