Classcraft transforms school lessons in a huge role play - with the shareware model Bashny.Net

Class Sean Young (Shawn Young) consists of warriors, magicians and healers. Warriors can have in the classroom, mages can teleport from lectures and doctors to ask whether the answer is correct on the exam. This is not fantasy in the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons. Right now, so learn to more than 7,000 children in 25 countries. Young high school physics teacher, three years developing and refining the school role play Classcraft, which, according to him, is able to help lagging students.

While Classcraft free, but in the fall it will be introduced shareware payment system, which resembles a plurality of mobile games and projects like League of Legends or Runescape. This should attract the attention of the educational system, accustomed to a strict budget and unread and payment of educational programs, especially when its employees are aware that students will buy armor and pets for their avatars Classcraft-in iTunes




Classcraft updated directly in the classroom, where students use their abilities i>

Playing in the classroom

If you are a player, then what is happening in the classroom physics Sean Young seem like a revelation. At the beginning of the lesson all pupils check their settings on the screen in the center of the room. After calling a random event occurs that may affect one or more players. This could be a disaster like the death of one of the characters or something strange, like someone starts to sing.

"It helps students focus" - said Young GamesBeat during a video call - "is in the class they already want to know what will happen this time».

During the lesson Young gives experience points for good work and helping others, or damage to the unit for those who can not concentrate or misbehaves. Increasing their level of ability, students receive depending on the class and can use them to help your friends (or yourself), activating the right part of the lesson.

The teacher can monitor everything that happens in Classcraft, and in the case of Yang kids can use laptops to communicate in real time. Since September, they will be able to use smart phones, as will an application for iOS, followed by Android-version.



Different classes are balanced so as to encourage teamwork i>

Cutting lessons and eating chocolate

Pupils Yang play by his rules, but they always have a chance to use them to their advantage. Some abilities have a very strong personal or collective effects and students can be very creative in their use.

"One of the possibilities - a teleport, allowing to leave the classroom for two minutes" - says Young - "They accumulate several pieces and leave for 10 minutes. It's annoying, but at the same time is part of the game ».

Some children use the ability of the warrior class in there that would bring lessons chocolate fondue.

Young recognizes that awards Classcraft often beyond the normal school rules, but says that this is what makes them so appealing. "It makes it feel cool - and very funny" - says Young - "And it works both ways. As a master of the game, I agree with that, but they agree with the unpleasant consequences of death ».

"For them, the real life comes to school. Classcraft so successful precisely because the reward and punishment are important to them ».

"Losing all units of life disciple dies and faces a punishment, which is determined randomly - it may be a requirement to stay after school or rewritten five pages of text.»

"Usually they nitrile reacts as follows:" You are bad, you try to leave me after class, "and by all means try to avoid it" - says Young - "Now they say" It's a game, it's cool, I'll come. " No need to even check whether they come or not. They just come. »

Usually students are not happy penalties. But now happy. This is a very nepriivychno.



The students will be able to buy things, to change your avatar i>

Changing lessons cooperation

Before you get busy mulling over the idea of ​​Young Classcraft few years.

Before its creation, he tried a variety of ways to get the cooperation of children in the classroom, as it believes it is extremely important in the XXI century, the impressive growth of joint activities and social networks.

"Before that, I organized other experiments, such as children worked in teams of four, and all received the worst evaluation team member" - says Young - "But it was too harsh. (Laughs) too rigidly associated with the assessment that it seemed unfair to them. »

Developing team spirit seems to Young crucial, he believes that the present system of education underestimate this aspect of learning. "All our ratings system is based on individual achievement" - he says - "and not very useful for them. The really useful to see the value of the victory of your team, as opposed to personal success, to work together to increase the overall level. »

Young notes that when someone dies in Classcraft whole team is punished by the loss of lives. "The game is very well balanced rewards and risks" - he says - "On the one hand there is the collective risk of death, on the other hand by all means to encourage cooperation. It completely transforms the lessons. "

History Teacher

Ricardo Higuera (Ricardo Higuera) teaches the history of seventh graders in a rural corner of Southern California called the Thermal (Thermal). Almost all the students in his high school get a free breakfast. Higuera uses Classcraft in the last 4 months and delighted with the way he encourages students to take care of their assessments.

In academic terms, I noticed the increase in assessments on the control and enthusiasm in the classroom & quot; - Told me Higuero email - "Previously some apathetic students without worrying botched control. Now it bothers them so much more because of their impact on the level of the character and position of their team. "

Classcraft just helped inspire the kids a lesson. "I am proud of the smooth, fascinating lesson and to Classcraft, but after the start of the game, I noticed a sharp rise in interest" - said Higuera - "Because we are short enough change, I always had some problems with delays - especially in some groups - but now the children hurry to class ».

Currently Higuera is the only teacher in the school using Classcraft. The rest is not very well understood his meaning, and are not sure that it should be used in the classroom. This is largely due to the need to be a master of the game.

"This game, like all education, is highly dependent on the teacher" - says Higuero. "Like a desktop role-playing games, game curled from the game master. He or she controls the ability to play and enliven it.

Higuera has already decided that it will use Classcraft in the coming years.

As I see it, Classcraft perfect for my age group and subject "- he said -" High school, medieval history ... imagine how cool to play World of Warcraft similarity studying samurai, knights and the Aztecs? I myself feel like a child again and again to play with friends in the Dungeons & Dragons.



Ricardo Higuery Pupils create their characters i>

Seeing the results

Do Yang as yet no quantitative results, but many use Classcraft teachers say about success. "We are told quite surprising statistics" - says Young - "Some teachers say that a few months after the introduction of Classcraft average scores increased by 20-25% & quot ;.

He attributes this to the increasing involvement caused by three factors: the important awards, continuous feedback and encouragement of cooperation in the classroom & quot ;.

"The first time I started the game in the middle of the school year" - says Young - "I had two guys who do not work, they are seriously lagging behind. Once the lessons began Classcraft they began to work like crazy. Very much - abnormally much - because they wanted to pump. This was surprising, because their assessment did not care, as opposed to progress in the game ».

Despite the terrible start, these children have successfully completed the school year.

"Some kids have never talked to each other, and now help each other after school." - Says Young, highlighting the teamwork that encourages Classcraft - «The game encourages exactly what makes you a good student. Active participation in lessons, performing tasks, cooperation. She truly rewards for it. Just so you are pumped into the game. »

Classcraft covers all aspects of school life pupils Yang. They gain experience for sporting success and help each other after school. They even clean class to pump faster. "They are just obsessed with learning" - says Young - "Just do not notice it."



Classcraft improved assessment and attitudes to learning in many schools i>

Carrot on a string

Not everyone is convinced that Classcraft worth using for motivation to learn. I spoke with Frank Nochezom (Frank Noschese), a physics teacher of the senior classes of Cross River, NY (Cross River, NY), who else is looking at igraizatsiyu (gamifying) lessons.

"I do not think competition is a useful element of lessons" - told me Nochez via Skype. At least not when the children try to get rewards in the game. "Do you work not for the sake of learning, and to advance in the game" - he says - "It sends the wrong message that the game is more important than learning.»

This is a very bihevioristichno (behaviourist) - teach children to do something for the sake of reward. & Quot;

About children who are not interested in good grades Nochez says that "there is something else. And I do not think the superimposition of the game over the lesson really fix it. "

"There are children who simply can not all day is in the building, six hours sitting at a desk in nine different classes. They just need to be taught differently. »

Nochez believes that teachers can make lessons "much more fun" without turning them into a game. He says that his subject, physics, "cool in itself" and describes the use of video sports stars, jump through the pool with snakes , as the beginning laboratory work, in which students try to answer the question - "This is a real video or fake?".

Despite all his misgivings about Classcraft Nochez not want to condemn Yang for attempting to try something new: "Any teacher who tries to try something new and improve your skills - big fellow.»

Shareware Model

"Now, our team draws thousands of items of equipment" - says Young, outlining the shareware model, which will be one of three payment options play in the fall. "Boots, magic shields, potions." As pumping students will receive gold coins as part of the awards. They will be able to use them to change the appearance of your character.

What is even more interesting, they will be able to buy these coins through the iOS app or iTunes.

Young is aware that this is a very bold decision to educational product. "It's very, very innovative course" - he says - "I do not know of any product that implements this model in the educational environment».

I asked Yang whether any restriction on spending students. "They can not spend a lot" - he says - "It makes little sense to spend more than 5 or 6 dollars.»

But the idea that children will pay for their education, causes some surprise. "Some teachers it poses an ethical dilemma: whether to use the lessons of the product that stimulates the children to spend the money?" - Young admits.

So for those who disagree with such an approach teachers and schools Classcraft offer a paid version, which will cost $ 4 per year for each student. In this case, students will also have access to customized features, but the distribution of gold will manage teacher.

Save and completely free version Classcraft, but it will not be available many opportunities - will not be customizable avatars, pets, applications for iOS and interactive forums for each class. But the game is fully retain its basic functionality.

Shareware model - a challenge to the traditional model of school funding. According Young, it makes Classcraft accessible to all.

"I have been a teacher for seven years," - he says - "and most of all annoying bureaucratic constraints on innovation in the spirit of" Yes, of course, we will lay it in next year's budget, "even if you can implement your great idea right now."

"For me it is extremely important that teachers can join the game at any time, It is because of these considerations was born shareware model. We have a teacher [playing Classcraft] in China, India and Namibia, and the majority of paid educational products are only available in the US and Canada. It is important that we have available for these poor countries. Someone wanted to participate teacher could do it. »

Shareware reality

For Higuery shareware or completely free model - this is the only way to continue to use Classcraft.

"I would be happy to say that my director will buy the paid version" - he told us - "but he will not do it. Too few of our teachers will use it to make a purchase expedient. And I doubt that I have enough money that would pay for it out of pocket. »

Higuera sure that his disciples will love the ability to customize their avatars, but I doubt that many actually will deal with this. "Some, but not all" - he told me - "And I'm afraid that a lot of wishing will not make it because of the harsh economic reality of poverty."

"But Classcraft still cool" - said Higuera - "and I hope to continue using it in the next year and beyond. As long as I do not have, we can afford it. »

Big September



This autumn is very important for Yang and Classcraft. Game launched in February - not the best time to launch new education initiatives.

Coming out in September, iOS app will allow the entire system to run on the iPad and the teacher will give students the opportunity to work more closely with the game. German and Spanish translations will add global appeal system that Yang from the beginning wanted to see international.

The game is already involved students from 8 to 20 years, with the improvement of their number will only increase. Shareware model will join the game any teacher from any country, regardless of the school budget.

And although the game does not offer a comprehensive solution to all problems in the hobby kids learning, it provides an innovative and unique way to capture those children that otherwise would have just ignored the school.

"In a very short time, computer games have become a well-known cultural phenomenon" - says Young - "All play games, everyone loves the game».

I think Classcraft can change a lot for those students who get bad grades because of lack of interest or enthusiasm. & Quot;

Classcraft makes the classroom a giant role-playing game - with freemium pricing

Classcraft - official site
Classcraft - sharacter classes and powers

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/225463/