3D Game Lab

I thoroughly enjoyed working with 3D Game Lab. Prior to taking this class, I had never heard of the concept of gamifying education and certainly would never have thought of the concept on my own. I agree, though, that changes are necessary in the education system. 3D Game Lab seems to be a great start.

I enjoyed the verbiage within the system, although I could see less dorky classmates not agreeing that the Star Wars references were “cool”. I posted on Facebook as soon as I became a Jedi Knight and can’t wait to post when I reach Yoda. I also enjoyed getting to make my own decisions about what, if any, mastery quests to complete, and the possibility of earning badges by going above and beyond what was expected. One idea, though, would be to give examples for some of the badges, like the Ansel Adams. What do you consider a great use of images? Examples of student’s work when they earned those badges would be great. Being able to get feedback directly related to the quests submitted and in a timely manner was helpful as was having the opportunity to view other classmate’s work (by requiring us to post to our blogs). I thought the group “report-card” was a great idea. I found myself not just competing to get an A but also trying to stay at the front of the pack. I actually referred on occasion to classmates as competitors, which my boyfriend thought was hilarious.

As far as the technology side of things, there only seemed to be a few small glitches from time to time and those were all readily resolved. Normally, I would never choose to take an on-line class because I have found I don’t have the self discipline to stay on top of the assignments. But this blend of on-line and classroom really worked. I can’t say I’m thrilled about spending so much time in front of the computer; I’m actually a bit of a techno-phobe. But I think what I learned was invaluable in terms of staying on top of the latest fads and trends and I feel like I won’t be quite as clueless when I have kids of my own and this is a part of their daily lives.

I am a member of a local gaming group, through meetup.com and I have a working relationship with the owners of a local gaming store, Game On! I have found myself talking to the owners about 3D Game Lab and to other members of my group. Everyone I have mentioned it to hadn’t heard of the concept before but agreed it was a fantastic idea.