Motivating Learning Beyond Grades

Education in the United States is in dark times. Although we are one of the richest nations in the world, based upon international testing, our 9th graders are 28th in math, 22nd in science, and 18th in reading. Of course standardized testing as a measurement receives its fare share of criticism, but an even more insidious culprit in America’s…

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The Science and Psychology of Gamification

Michael Wu, PhD, principal scientific analyst for Lithium,  has started a mini-series of blog posts at their Lithosphere blog that delve into the science behind gamification. His first entry broke down the basics, explaining what is gamification, and the distinction between game mechanics versus game dynamics. “[Game mechanics] are principles, rules, and/or mechanisms (much like…

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