Gamification and Game Learning
Gamification is the application of game elements—such as points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards—to non-game environments, like education or workplaces, to increase motivation and engagement. In learning, gamification encourages participation and persistence by making tasks more enjoyable and competitive, without necessarily turning the content itself into a game.
Game-based learning involves using actual games—digital or physical—that are designed with educational objectives in mind. Learners acquire knowledge or skills by actively participating in structured game experiences that require problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. The game itself is the primary vehicle for learning.
While both gamification and game-based learning use game principles to enhance engagement, gamification adds game-like features to existing activities, whereas game-based learning uses games as the main mode of instruction.
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Blooket is a visually fun and engaging quiz-style platform that's designed to engage students with game-based learning. Lots of quiz options are available on the site, which allows teachers to set work quickly and easily. This also allows for use in class as a group, and as individuals, as well as options for quiz-based learning and assessment outside of the classroom on personal devices. Although there are many quiz learning platforms out there, this one stands out as it offers more classic-style gaming, which is earned after progressing through questions and answers. That should equate to maximum learning and fun all in one package.
Kahoot is an educational platform focused on competitive quizzes, with elements of gamification, microlearning and social learning. Teachers and students can create and share quizzes, and access a library of millions of “Kahoots” made by other users, as well as educational, commercial or pop culture corporate allies.
Quizlet is a web tool and a mobile app that boosts students learning through several study tools that include flashcards and game-based quizzes. You can either design your own study sets from scratch or search for pre-made sets to customize and use in your teaching. Quizlet takes information and converts it into flashcards, quizzes, and games, so that users can study the same information in a variety of forms.
Poll Everywhere is a web-based audience response system that lets speakers embed live activities directly into their presentations. Using a variety of activity types, you can turn a series of slides into an effective, interactive experience. Get to know participants, gauge their knowledge of a specific topic, and capture their valuable feedback at scale. During a presentation, hearing from everyone can be challenging. Even if you open the floor to audience members, you might only be inviting the loudest voices. Poll Everywhere is designed to break those barriers and create more inclusive conversations. Present your first activity Get started in three steps: Sign up for an account: Use Poll Everywhere for free or explore advanced features with a paid plan. Create an activity: Choose from a range of activity types, like Multiple choice, Clickable image, Word cloud, and Competition. Present your activity: Enter fullscreen mode directly from your browser or embed activities into your slide deck. Then, watch your screen update with audience responses in real time. Not meeting live? You can also share a response link or share an activity in Slack or Microsoft Teams to collect feedback anytime. Poll Everywhere in action With Poll Everywhere, you have the option to choose where and how to gather responses. For example: Start off a session with an icebreaker activity inserted directly into your PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides deck. Incorporate pulse checks throughout the rest of your deck to keep attendees engaged and focused. Take some time to discuss the results of your activities. If you notice trends, provide additional information to make sure everyone is on the same page. End your presentation with a feedback Survey. You can share it live or send the response link after attendees leave the session. Analyze the results you collected with detailed Reports. Uncover patterns and insights you can use to inform decision-making and content planning. Pricing: Poll everywhere has a free Intro plan. It includes an unlimited number of activities and up to 25 responses per activity. The free plan includes a robust set of features, like integrations with PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides, web responses, widgets, downloadable results, and more. If you need advanced features or have an audience larger than 25 members, our premium plans can offer a better fit.