Unwinding Student Engagement: Gamification in an 8th Grade Whole-

Class Novel Study

Shannon Camodeca, Iowa State University, United States

Abstract
I examine the findings of an action research study focusing on taking a whole class novel study, in an 8 th
grade literacy classroom, and combining it with gamification concepts. The purpose of this study was to
compare the student engagement results of the whole class novel study with added gamification
components to the classs previous whole-class novel study that was done in a traditional novel study
format: teacher or student reads, they take notes, and take a test at the end. I collected data around the
students level of engagement in the classroom, attendance rates, and behavior referral rates. The data
concluded that compared to traditional styles of whole-class novel studies, this novel study that
included gamification concepts increased student engagement, improved daily attendance, and decreased
negative behaviors.

Definitions
Gamification: Gamification (gamified) can be defined as the adding of game elements to non-game
contexts (Kut et al., 2006).

Student engagement: the extent to which students take part in educationally effective activities (Kut et al.,
2006).

Citation
Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2006, July). What matters to
student success: A review of the literature. In Commissioned report for the national symposium
on postsecondary student success: Spearheading a dialog on student success.

Introduction
Unwind Student Engagement

From the time children are born they are constantly experiencing, playing, and

experimenting in the world around them. From the teetering wobble of steps, to playing with

puzzles, to tasting a new food, they explore the world by being curious about things. A child will

be drawn to the heat of a fire, but once burned will learn to keep their distance. However, when

children reach school age, particularly middle school, we take it upon ourselves as educators to

take away the ability to explore and have fun. Students are to memorize terms and produce

accurate answers on standardized tests. However, many researchers and educators would argue

that children learn best from their mistakes. Take that child that is draw to the heat and burns

themselves; the mistake has taught them more about fire than any lecturer can (Sheldon, 2012).

The term gamification was first coined by Nick Pelling back in the 90s (Sanmugam,

Zaid, Mohamed, Abdullah, Aris, & Suhadi, 2015). In 2015, Sanmugam and fellow researchers

discovered that its roots can be traced back to the early communist thought and transgressed to

the soviet era; where it was used as a substitute for financial incentives to carry out any work.

Over the past several decades, gamification has expanded beyond Communist Russia and that of

the business world and has seeped into classrooms as a way to enhance a curriculum and make

school fun again. Gamification can be used to change behavior, to educate, or to motivate using

game elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards (Sanmugam et al., 2015).

With these definitions of gamification in mind, and unengaged students in classrooms I

decided to focus my study on the impact gamification has on student engagement. I did this by

studying the combination of gamification and a whole-class novel study within an 8th grade

literacy classroom. While observing this particular class I discovered that when students

combined their novel study with gamification class attendance rose and behavior referrals

decreased.

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I chose to follow Calhouns Action Research Cycle as my form of research pattern

(Mertler, 2012); see Figure 1. I chose this because of the flexibility within the cycle. First, I

selected an area of interest to research. In order to do this, I completed a journal every day after

school for five days. This

was to see what I am most

passionate about and what

I could have potentially

researched. I then began

collecting data, both

qualitative and

quantitative. After this I

Figure 1. Diagram of Calhouns Research Cycle (Mertler, 2012)
organized the data along

with analyzing and interpreting what I saw and then went back to collect more data. After

redoing these steps a total of four times, I moved to the final step of taking action. This meant

that I needed to work closer with and coach the teachers I was using in my observations in order

to increase the amount of student engagement through gamification.

In the coming paragraphs you will discover my specific area of focus, a comprehensive

literature review discussing previously conducted research, my personal research and the

findings that correspond, as well as future research that should be conducted.

Area of Focus Statement

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The purpose of this action research study is to identify areas that are of high need in my

building. This year my school has chosen to focus on increasing student achievement in 8th grade

literacy. This goal is part of our 2015-2016 SIP and is measured through the proctoring of Iowa

Assessments. Studies show students become more disengaged form school as they progress

from elementary to middle to high school (Klem & Connell, 2004). Many studies link high

levels of engagement with high levels of student academic success. I am using my action

research study as a progress monitoring tool, to help identify the level of engagement of twenty-

one 8th grade students in a co-taught classroom. This is a very high-needs school, with an

extremely racially, ethnically, and intellectually diverse population. In addition, I am conducting

this action research plan to help break up the monotony of a whole-class novel study, using

gamification and the novel Unwind, as set by most curriculums.

There are many variables to this research study. I am extremely interested and excited

about gamification, however, some of my colleagues are not. I think the intensity and enthusiasm

with which this is presented to students could dictate how engaged they become. In addition, the

classroom I am focusing on is a co-teaching classroom, so the fact that two teachers will be

presenting the material and game with different levels of enthusiasm and understanding could

impact different students and their levels of engagement. Finally, I have chosen a unique, modern

book to have students work with. The book is Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This book includes a

variety of controversial issues some of which students might disagree with, which could alter the

amount of engagement.

Research Questions

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The following research question is being examined for this research study:

1. What is the extent that student engagement is impacted when implementing gamification

into a whole-class novel study in an 8th grade literacy classroom?

Literature Review

There is limited literature around the area of gamification and its link to student

engagement. Most of the literary works are focused on gamification or game-based learning and

connecting that to student achievement. This literature review was conducted in hopes of

connecting both fun in the classroom through gamification with student engagement (See

Appendix A). Thus, this literature review examines the overarching themes found in a collection

of articles related to gamification and student engagement. One common theme found in

literature that will be discussed is the definition of gamification and how it is necessary to be

correctly implemented in classrooms. Second, the review outlines the ARCS model of teaching

and its aid in incorporating gamification to enhance student engagement. Finally, this review will

highlight the ability gamification has to affect student engagement, as judged by increased

attendance rates, decreased behavior issues, participation, and general student enthusiasm.

Definitions and Implementation of Gamification

According to Kuh et al. (2006) gamification (gamified) can be defined as the adding of

game elements to non-game contexts. Student engagement can be defined as the extent to which

students take part in educationally effective activities (p. 7). Lee Sheldon, professor and author,

has defined gamification as the application of game mechanics to non-game activities

(Sheldon, 2012, p. 75). Many researchers and academics would agree with this concise

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definition. Although the definition remains fluid as this new concept is more clearly defined one

thing remains clear, the only time gamification is effective is when it is implemented correctly.

According to Lawley (2012), a professor of interactive games and media at Rochester

Institute of Technology, done right, gamification can help enrich educational experiences in a

way that students will recognize and respond. As stated by Sanmugam et al. (2015), meaningful

gamification will only succeed if it puts the needs of the users first over the needs of an

organization. In order to incorporate gamification into a class so that students are engaged many

things must take place. First, when planning a learning activity, gamification should be done and

planned at the same stage because gamification cannot do much with the low quality or poorly

planned material and activities. Teachers need to identify the levels of student motivation. In

addition, teachers need to have the necessary knowledge about gamification. Without these

things, students will not be as engaged or enthusiastic about the game and their learning.

Gamification will collapse on itself and teaching will resume in the traditional lecture and rote

memorization as it was once. The next step in creating an engaging environment through

gamification is to plan using the ARCS teaching model.

ARCS Teaching Model

Keller (1999) reported that a lack of motivation is a major cause of student attrition;

however, effective educators have the ability to directly increase the level of motivation of

students. There are four components of the ARCS model in order to increase motivation:

Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (Hamzah, Ali, Saman, Yusoff, & Yacob,

2015). According to Keller (2008), attention is a measure of a persons curiosity. An instructor

can enhance attention by presenting material in a new or intriguing way or even by using

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unexpected events like noises, unexpected movements, or songs. Relevance can be demonstrated

by connecting the material to real-world experiences or to students interests. Keller (2008)

explains that confidence is a measure of a persons expectancy for success. When using

gamification, teachers can instill confidence in a student at a moments notice. They can award

them more experience points (XP), they can award them a new badge for a completion of a task,

or they tell them that their answer was correct. That instant feedback piece is essential when

trying to boost a students confidence. Finally, satisfaction is determined by many environmental

factors including teacher enthusiasm, quality of instruction, and clarity of expectations, all of

which may influence a students performance and their feelings about that performance (Keller,

2008).

When students are not motivated to learn the material they will not be engaged in the

lesson. The opposite of engagement is disaffection and disaffected children are passive, do not

try hard, and give up easily in the face of challenges (Skinner & Belmont, 1993). Although an

effective way of teaching, the ARCS model does not connect to gamification. Thus, Hamzah et

al. (2015) introduced the ARCS+G model (See Appendix B). This model brings to life an

effective teaching practice mixed with gamification to increase student engagement through their

motivation. The essential elements in the interaction of human desire and game play is taken into

the ARCS+G model. The gamification elements used and incorporated with the ARCS model are

based on the game dynamics such as reward, status, competition, achievement, self-expression,

and altruism. In this model, gamification elements added in the categories of confidence and

satisfaction based on the ARCS model (Hamzah et al., 2015). Specific descriptions for each

category of the ARCS+G model can be found in the diagram in Appendix B. Finally, to ensure

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engagement through gamification teachers must understand what gamification is and is not and

how this trick leads itself to fun and rigorous learning.

Connection between Gamification and Student Engagement

It is imperative that good teaching take place in order to engage students in their studies.

Research suggests that students who are motivated and actively engaged in the learning process

perform better in the classroom than those who are not (Rouse, 2013). Children who are

engaged show sustained behavioral involvement in learning activities accompanied by positive

emotional tone (Skinner & Belmont, 1993). In addition, they show generally positive emotions

during ongoing action, including enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and interest (Skinner &

Belmont, 1993). One way to keep students engages and generally positive might be through the

use of gamification.

Nearly all of todays adolescents (ages 12-17) are gamers who primarily play games

socially in households or online environments (Kinglsey & Grabner-Hagen, 2015). Research

indicates that the use of games has improved enjoyment, motivation, and long term retention

(Rouse, 2013). There is evidence that play within a learning context could help prepare students

for academic and vocational work. Walsh (2014) believe that with enough play, the brain works

better stating, In an unpredictable, changing world, what we learn from playing can be

transformed into other novel contexts (p. 41). The world surround students is evolving and play

can help them adapt to and prepare them for the future. Gamification can be that bridge that

allows students to play and unite new information and the learning environment to create a

culture of learning where learners are engaged in play to construct knowledge daily.

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Gamification is the incorporation of gaming elements like badging, leader boards, XP,

etc. in a non-gaming environment. Gamification allows students to interact, collaborate, and

share experiences in order to build knowledge and support a fostered sense of intellectual

growth. Vygotsky (1978) suggested that students have improved motivation when they interact

with others, have fun, and experience small successes. This is precisely what gamification sets

out to do. According to Small (2000), educational games provide interest, variety, and novelty to

encourage attention. They increase confidence by establishing clear objectives and providing

feedback as the students proceed, which will ultimately build confidence. Finally, the

recognition, the successful completion of games, and the feeling of fair treatment, through the

implementation of class rules that are offered by game play contribute to the feeling of

satisfaction in students (Small, 2000). Consequently, gamification is becoming a new way to

increase student engagement.

Summary

After reviewing previous research conducted by scholars, it was apparent that three major

themes can be found in most articles. First, it is necessary to be able to define gamification and

the proper way to implement it in classrooms in order to achieve the desired effect from students.

In addition, good teaching practices following the ARCS or ARCS+G model would be beneficial

to motivate and engage students. Finally, it was apparent that although there were not results

reported that focused specifically on gamification and the enhancement of student achievement,

there was significant data supporting gamification for improving student engagement.

With so many games infiltrating our world, students are exposed to material presented in

competitive manners. For example, competitions on who can walk the most steps motivate co-

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workers to exercise and be healthier in order to win. These inconsequential competitions work

exactly like gamification should. It should motivate those playing to achieve the goallearning

the material. In Marzanos Instructional Framework (See Appendix C) these would fall under

Design Question 5, which is all around how to engage students in the classroom. The game

intrigues students, makes them competitive, and motivates them to be more engaged in class to

beat their peers. This in-turn provides a more participatory class, with higher attendance, and less

behavior concerns. You will see evidence of this in the coming paragraphs where I discuss the

findings to my research. In the next section, you will find details about the interventions that

were taken during the research process, as well as future innovations.

Intervention

The researchers job as an instructional coach is to work with teachers to improve

classroom instruction. In this instance, I worked with two first-year teachers who needed support

in student engagement. With engagement being shown through participation and enthusiasm,

severely low and potentially impairing student achievement, I taught both teachers about

gamification and helped co-plan a whole-class novel study unit. I chose to observe their attempt

at spinning their typical novel study, usually conducted as a whole class novel, into a gamified

unit. The competitive nature of the game was conducted in order to increase engagement.

Halfway through the teachers attempt at gamifying the whole-class novel, they decided

to change the rules of the game to keep students on their toes. They went from having students

compete as teams to competing individually. In addition, the removed the fear aspect, of being

kicked out of their group, and added a peer pressure component, where students had to pledge

their weekly points to one of five classmates. Once pledged, they could not change their points

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until the next week. If their chosen classmate did well that week their points could double, if

their chosen classmate struggled with behavior and academics those pledged points would be cut

in half. The spin mimicked what was happening within the book and was a great change.

However, this called previously collected data into question in the form of validity when

comparing to data taken after the switch.

In addition to the aforementioned interventions, the two co-teachers have planned an

innovative step for next year. Both teachers have committed to building this into an online unit

that could be used in a blended learning environment. They want to incorporate online badging

and a virtual leaderboard that could be displayed online for students to check at their

convenience. In the next section, the researcher displays the negotiations taken in order to

conduct the survey.

Negotiations to be Taken

As part of my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instructional Technology degree

through Iowa State University, I have completed the IRB Human Subjects training in order to be

prepared and properly trained on using people in my study.

In addition, I communicated with my school principal to notify parents that student data

would be taken anonymously and not published beyond that of my classroom. Since the students

involved were older than the age of 12, which according to the HHS committees whose

regulations are followed within IRB reviews, the subjects were allowed to state for themselves if

they wished to be considered. All students who participated in the study were read the same

waiver of participation and understood the findings were solely for academic purposes.

According to the IRB, Section 45 CFR 46.402(b), ...affirmative agreement to participate in

research. Mere failure to object should not, absent affirmative agreement, be construed as
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assent. No students or parents objected to being included in the study. In order to better

understand the study, a breakdown of the school and classroom descriptions have been laid out

by the researcher.

Membership of Action Research Group

Setting Description

School dem ographics

Hispanic
African American
Caucasian
Asian
Multi-Racial
Native American & Pacific Islander

6%1%
12%
33%

22%

26%

This research was

conducted in a large, metropolitan, public middle school in Iowa. This school has a wide range of

diversity. There are 786 students in this 6-8 grade middle school; 33% are Hispanic, 26% are

African American, 22% Caucasian, 12% Asian, 6% identify as multi-racial, and the remaining

1% is made up of Native American and Pacific Islander; See Figure 2. In addition to their racial

diversity, the school has a 100% Free and Reduced Lunch rate. Also, the students range from

severally disabled to talented/gifted and everything in between. This school is one of the top 5

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schools in the district that is considered at risk, and is the second leading school, in the 60-school

district, for behavioral referrals.

Participant Description

One 8th grade literacy classroom was specifically focused on for this research. This class

was chosen based on the teachers feelings of the students severe lack of engagement in this

particular block. This class is the students fourth core (math, science, social studies, literacy)

class of the day and takes places right after lunch. In this literacy class, there is a general

education teacher and a special education teacher, Figure 2. 2015-2016 School

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CLASSROOM DEMOGRAPHICS
African American Hispanic Asian Caucasian

14%

14%
43%

29%

both of whom are in their first year of teaching. There are 11 boys and 10 girls; 43% African

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American, 29% Hispanic, 14% Asian, and 14% Caucasian; See Figure 3. Within this group of 21

students, four were pulled two times throughout a 6 week span to do engagement study

interviews. They were interviewed two weeks in after students were introduced and experienced

the gamification of the novel study, and four weeks in, after the rules and path of the game

changed. This group had two girls and two boys of various races, religious backgrounds, and

ability levels reflecting that of the entire classroom setting.

Timeline

This research project was a short-term study conducted over six weeks in an 8th grade literacy

classroom. The steps, which included the phases of

Figure 3. 2015-2016 Classroom
development for this project were: selecting an area Demographics

of focus, collecting data, organizing the found data, analyzing and interpreting the data, taking

action (which included presenting the finding and planning next steps). Further details about

each step of the action research process are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Timeline of Action Research Plan

Began reading Mertler & Mills to understand what Action

Research entailed
Introduced to Literature Review
Phase 1 January 2016
Kept Journal for 5 days to find passion areas
Identified Area of Focus
Developed initial Draft of Research Questions
Redrafted Research Question
Began reading literature on research topic
Wrote Literature Review
February 1-
Phase 2 Developed a better understanding of what has already been
March 28, 2016
researched and how my topic is involved
Redrafted Research Question and Area of Focus statement
Outlined AR Plan
Phase 3 March 3- Collected Pre-Survey information regarding student

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engagement
Worked with teachers to begin implementation of
gamification
Collected Qualitative Data through: student surveys,
April 30, 2016 interviews, and observations
Collected Quantitative Data through: student surveys,
interviews, observations, attendance and behavior reports
Analyzed & Interpreted data collected
Worked on sections of AR Plan
Collected Post-Survey data from students
April 18- Conducted Exit Interview with teachers
Phase 4 Analyzed and Interpreted Data collected
May 1, 2016 Finished Writing Action Research Plan
Presented Research Findings to Colleagues

In the next section, the researcher discusses how the data listed within the timeline was

collected.

Data Collection

Data for this study were gathered throughout the six-week time frame from multiple

sources: researcher observations of classroom activities during different stages of the unit,

students written self-reflections, informal conversations with the teachers and students,

comparative attendance records and behavior referrals, and the results from an at-task student

observation form.

Students were informally interviewed about their initial thoughts on the whole-class

novel and the implementation of gaming elements. At the end of the students were interviewed

again about the gamification of the novel, the rule changes, and their level of engagement

through a self-reflection form.

Data were also gathered from students through classroom observations and an at-task

student observation form completed by the researcher. The student participants were each

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assigned a number to represent their responses from the data collected. Students data used in the

data analysis and interpretation section are coded with each students assigned number and the

following abbreviations:

AD= Attendance Data

BR= Behavior Referrals

Data were also collected from the teachers. The teachers had informal and formal

conversations during this process. The informal conversations were held during those teachers

PLCs, professional learning communities, when meeting with their team teachers. The formal

conversations were held during individual meetings set up with the Instructional Coach, per their

learning cycle requirements. They were also interviewed at the end of the unit about their

experience with gamification and whole-class novel studies. Data collected from the teachers

were also coded. Since there were two teachers in the classroom, a general education teacher and

a special education teacher, they were labelled in the data collection. The following abbreviations

are used:

TM= Team Teachers PLC Meetings

T1- General Education Teacher

T2- Special Education Teacher

The data collected through theses means and tools has been analyzed and

interpreted. All findings are discussed and elaborated on within the Data Analysis and

Interpretation section of this research plan.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

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Much of the data the researcher collected was through classroom observations and an at-

task observation form. This data allowed the researcher to get a feel for the enthusiasm and

engagement levels of multiple students at one time. On day one of the teachers implementing the

game into their whole-class novel study several students had their heads down on the desk when

the researcher entered.

STUDENT 13: Ugh, what is she doing here?

T2: Shes here to help us play our game. She made it last year and knows how to help it
be more fun?

STUDENT 13: Were playing a game?

T2: Yes, thats what all these directions were explaining are for.

STUDENT 13: (now smiling and clapping) Oh, Ive so got this. You all are going down.
Ok, tell me how to play.
As soon as students realized the researcher was there to help the game and watch the

initial stages, rather than pull students from the classroom for a consequence, students seemed

more interested in what was going on. Their heads lifted off the desks and there was more small

chatter about who was going to pick whom for their group mates. Skinner and Belmont (1993)

suggest that engagement is shown generally through positive emotions during ongoing action,

including enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and interest.

Likert Scale Pre- & Post Test Results

According to a brief pre-test survey of students most lacked general motivation to

accomplish anything in class; see Appendix E. They seemed apathetic and disaffected by the

teachers in the room. Keller (1999) reported that a lack of motivation is a major cause of student

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attrition; however, effective educators have the ability to directly increase the level of motivation

of students. Some of the student perceptions of class before gamification was implemented were

overtly negative sounding.

I hate this class. Its so boring.

All we do is read.

I wish we did more activities.

She doesnt care if were on our phones. Its not like we do anything anyways.

It doesnt matter. Im going to pass anyways.

Its just 8th grade literacy. Its not even important.

According to the pre-test data, presented in the form of a Likert scale, the below

information was discovered about the 8th grade literacy course as it has been traditionally

taught all year; See Table 2. In this case, this literacy class was a combination of rote

memorization, worksheets, and the occasional project to show understanding or mastery.

Table 2. Pre-Test Likert Results

Pre-Test Likert Scale Results (15 Eighth Grade Students Surveyed)
% of Students who
Question Median Score
Agree or Strongly Agree

The instructors know how to make us feel

enthusiastic about the subject matter of this 3.06 73%
course.

In this class, I try to set and achieve high

3.13 67%
standards of excellence.

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The students actively participate in this class. 2.87 53%

I want to come to class every day. 2.8 60%

I participate and am engaged 100% of the time

3.13 60%
every day.

I enjoy playing games and/or video games. 4.2 93%

I know that T1 and T2 care about me personally. 4.13 93%

I would be more engaged in class, and

participate more, if I got to work with my peers 4.4 100%
regularly.

Based on what I have done this year in literacy,

2.4 53%
I would recommend this class to future students.

Based on these results, it was conclusive to the researcher that most students felt like this

was an okay literacy class, however were more verbally negative about it. 60% of students

rated themselves as attending regularly, and participating on daily basis. In addition, it gave the

teachers and researcher an insight to how students felt about working in groups. This reiterated to

the teachers that they were making the correct decision to allow students to work together in the

first half of the gamified novel study. However, the last question asked to students showed

teachers and the researcher that students did not love the class because only 53% agreed or

strongly agreed with recommending this literacy class to future students. This motivated the

teachers to strongly implement the gamification techniques in order to win back students and

help them love reading again (T2, TM).

Several of these questions were essential to finding out the students levels of

engagement. For example, I know that T1 and T2 care about me personally. According to

Klem and Connell (2004), Middle school students were almost three times more likely to report

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engagement if they experienced highly supportive teachers, (p.270). With 93% of students in

this study saying they knew their teachers cared about them gave students the reassurance of

supportive teachers and encouraged them to be more engaged in class. Due to conflicting

anecdotal data and quantitative data, the researcher spent a lot of her time asking students

questions like:

Did this activity engage you? How so? Why not?

I saw you slept through 20 minutes of class. What would make you participate more in

class?

Having this formative data-led PLC discussion, and getting the opportunity to plan with

teachers during their PLC time, gave the teachers direction and allowed them to be responsive to

students needs and desires; which came in handy several times.

Unfortunately, one time the formative data pushed the teachers too far and inspired them

to change the format of the game. Originally, students were placed in teams of 3-5 students.

These students worked together on a daily basis for 4 weeks in order to earn points. These

students read together, collaborated on daily comprehension questions, and completed a group

quiz twice a week. At the end of each week, the group with the highest points earned a small

reward and bragging rights for a week. After the 4-week marker, teachers felt, based on the

feedback from the researcher and using Marzanos Element 33: Demonstrating Withitness that

students were getting bored with the game; therefore they changed the rules. Instead of

competing as a group, the teachers chose 5 leaders or Goldens for the class. Each week

students competed individually for points. They would pledge their points weekly to one of the

Goldens. If the Golden was rated positive by teachers, everyone who pledged to that Golden had

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their points doubled. If the Golden as rated not positive, everyone who bet on that Golden had

their points cut in half. This significantly changed the game and the attitudes of students.

At first, students seemed confused and lost at the rule change. Many phrases, such as the

following, could be heard throughout the 45-minute class period when the teachers were trying

to explain the rule change:

Why are we doing this?

This is dumb.

I thought I got to work with whoever I wanted.

You all are fraud.

This shit is petty.

However, once the students were placed in their new groups and the Goldens were

identified, these Goldens being the high flyers of the room, the attitudes changed. The Goldens

were on board, attentive, participating, and engaged in class. Seeing the change in high-status

students encouraged those who pledged to them to follow their lead. For the next three days,

using the At-Task Observation Form (see Appendix F), every 3-5 minutes the room was scanned

for on task or off task behavior as demonstrated by all students. Each student being randomly

assigned a number had their actions recorded. The researcher found that student attentiveness,

participation, and engagement was at an all-time high. According to Kuh et al. (2006), student

engagement can be defined as the extent to which students take part in educationally effective

activities (p. 7). On average, 89% of students were on-task at all times.

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At the end of the 6-week study, summative data was collected from multiple sources: the

students, teachers, and classroom attendance and behavior data. The student data was again in the

form of an eight-question Likert scale post-survey, as well as a five question self-reflection of the

gamified unit (See Appendix G). The responses from the Likert Post-survey scale and self-

reflections are stated below; See Table 3.

Table 3. Post-Test Likert Survey Results

Post-Test Likert Scale Results (16 Eighth Grade Students Surveyed)
% of Students who
Question Median Score Agree or Strongly
Agree
The instructors know how to make us feel
3.38 94%
enthusiastic about the subject matter of this course.
In this class, I try to set and achieve high standards of
3.06 63%
excellence.
The students actively participate in this class. 3.13 94%
I want to come to class every day. 3.2 75%
I participate and am engaged 100% of the time every
2.94 82%
day.
I enjoy playing games and/or video games. 3.56 69%
I know that T1 and T2 care about me personally. 3.2 63%
I would be more engaged in class, and participate
2.88 69%
more, if I got to work with my peers regularly.
Based on what I have done this year in literacy, I
would recommend this class to future students. 3.38 81%
(Guided around Gamification)

Comparatively, after gamification, students scored many of the questions with a higher

Likert score. Moreover, a higher percentage of students said they felt like their teachers knew

how to make students feel enthusiastic about the content. Additionally, 81% of students said they

would recommend this course to their peers compared to a measly 53% of students before

gamification was implemented into their whole-class novel study. See Figure 4 for comparative

pre- and post-test data.

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Unwind Student Engagement

Figure 4. Comparative Likert

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Figure 4. Likert Comparative Data

As stated by the data analyzed above, there are significant increases on the scale for many

questions. Unfortunately, the researcher found that the Likert scores dropped for questions 6-8 on

the post test. On the other hand, the researcher and teachers were excited to see that students

wanted to attend class more and that their teachers made them more enthusiastic about the

content. Based on, Kuh et al. (2006) statement that, student engagement can be defined as the

extent to which students take part in educationally effective activities (p. 7). This data, based

attendance, enthusiasm, and participation, shows an increase in student engagement.

Student Self-Reflection Data

In addition to Likert scales, summative data was collected in the form of student self-

reflection. Some of the common themes and trends found in the qualitative data collected

through a self-reflection form are stated below. Students were to reflect on:

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Unwind Student Engagement

1. Do you feel like you were more engaged during class while reading Unwind

compared to the other novels you have read in class?

I love this book. Im almost done reading it and the class is only of the way done.

This class is so much more fun than when we read the other books.

Im more engaged during class while reading Unwind compared to the other novels.

I was way more engaged in Unwind because its interesting and the finale is amazing! It
hooks you in!

Yes, I feel engaged [in class] because I feel like the book Unwind is interesting and it
gets me anxious to see what is going to happen next!

2. What are your thoughts on gamifying this book? Did you like that it was a game?
I like the game but can we play Kahoot more?

I like the competitiveness of the game and the book.

It makes us want to be part of the book more.

I like that the whole book is a game.

Its fun and keeps us on track.

3. Did you like that like that rules/groups changed in the middle of the game?
Yes, its all very cool!

Yes, it made it more difficult but better.

No because I liked working with my friends in the beginning.

Yes, cus games are fun and I didnt end up being unwound.

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Unwind Student Engagement

Yes because it related to the book and what we were reading. I liked getting to work in
groups with friends but I didnt like working in groups with people who werent my
friends.

It was nice to see how other kids are with teamwork and how they learn and listen to

what the teachers say.

Other anecdotal comments were collected throughout classroom observations. Some comments

that were stated by students and overhead by the researcher are as follows:

We are so gunna win. We have almost 100 points more than everyone else.

Can we go hunt the Unwinds to get bonus points?

This is so much better than just readin the book an answerin questions.

Ms. E is my favorite teacher.

The majority of the student-reflection data collected showed positive trends that

supported a changed perception of the class. The gamified whole-class novel study impressed

that there was more participation, a higher level of enthusiasm, and more engagement.

In conjunction with a mass amount of student data collected from in class, the researcher

used the teachers Infinite Campus data on their students attendance and behavior referrals (BR)

for this class; See Figure 5. Attendance data (AD) focused on class absenteeism and behavior

referrals focused on disruptive behaviors and student tardiness to class.

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Unwind Student Engagement

The charts show a decline in student referrals as compared to the teachers whole-class

novel studies that did not include gamification tactics, as presented in the beginning of the year.

According to Skinner and Belmont (1993), children who are engaged show more sustained

behavioral involvement in learning activities accompanied by positive emotional tone.

In addition, the attendance chart captures the decline of absent students throughout the

novel studies. It is obvious that there were fewer absences and a higher decline rate in referrals

while reading Unwind and combining it with gamification. One way to judge engagement is

through participation. Students have to

be in class in order to participate. With

the graph showing a higher number of

students in attendance, this is one

indicator that the class was more

engaging and captivating for students.

Summary

After reviewing the data, the

researcher concludes that there was

significant improvement in student

engagement in this eighth grade

literacy class. Overall, student Figure 5. Comparative Behavior Referrals & Attendance Data

perceptions of the class were more positive, there was a decrease in both student absenteeism and

behavior referrals, and comparative medians of Likert items increased in several areas.

Action Planning

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The conclusions drawn from this study, as well as in previous research,

present the gamification environment as a positive and effective pathway for

increasing student engagement at the secondary level. The outcomes from

this action research study produced positive results, in which gamification

can bolster the level of engagement in a classroom; therefore, it is essential

to move into the next cycle of this action research plan.

Reporting findings

To complete the next steps of the action research process, reporting

the findings to stakeholders will be the first vital component in order to

further this research. Internal stakeholders, such as the principal, leadership

team, and Professional Learning Community teams, will be informed of the

results found in this action research project to support that notion that

gamification can be used effectively in multiple content and grade level

areas in a middle school.

The researcher will share the results with the eighth grade literacy PLC

team, before the end of the school year, as they were looking for ways to

improve engagement of eighth grade students. By sharing these findings

with the eighth grade literacy team will gain a deeper understanding of

gamification and how it can increase engagement in the classroom. From

this sharing, a plan can be developed and implemented on how to infuse

gamification into the eighth grade literacy curriculum year-round, with or

without a whole-class novel study in place. The researcher is an Instructional

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Unwind Student Engagement

Coach at this school, rather than being a classroom teacher, so the

researcher will set up the gamification environment for the eighth grade

teachers, as well as implement and co-teach the first unit with the eighth

grade teachers next year.

In addition, the researcher will also share the results with the other

content PLC teams, to see if they are willing to participate in further

exploration of gamification. This will enable the researcher to discover how

gamification impacts student engagement in other content areas and/or

grade levels. If they are willing to participate, the researcher will work with

the team action-plan approach to set up a gamified environment,

cooperatively teach a unit in writing, and help evaluate student engagement

next year.

Next steps of the research process

Based upon this investigation and after considering the implications of

this research, there are a few additional steps that need to be explored.

These ideas were used to develop the next cycle of the action research plan.

First, with the unit not quite completed, there will be incoming data to analyze that could

further affect current findings. This data could reflect a longitudinal study, through the course of

a 6-week unit. This data would include a further comparison of attendance and referral data. In

addition, it would include more in-depth interviews with students and teachers to help identify

areas that make and keep them engaged in the unit.

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Unwind Student Engagement

Also, there is a lot of planning that changed the layout of the game. In the future, I will

need to work with teachers more closely to help plan out the unit in one chunk, so there are no

surprises and the teachers can take into account the changes they want to make and how it could

affect student engagement. In particular, switching the rules in future games, like they did this

cycle, might throw off student routines which could cause behavior issues. If there is an increase

in negative behaviors from students the level of engagement would drop, due to distractions.

In the second round of research, the teachers and researcher would like to implement

more of a game-based unit or delve deeper into gamification. For example, they would like to put

the leaderboard online, include virtual badging, and change the grading system to reflect that

more of a game where students receive experience points (XP) and that helps identify their

grade.

In the future, I believe that there needs to be further longitudinal students surrounding

gamification and the connection with student engagement. Much research has been conducted

around gamification and student achievement; however, there are conflicting views on the

effectiveness as it pertains to student scores and improvement. Further research is recommended

in these two areas need to in order to judge the merit and validity of adding gamification to

classrooms, as is the need to address the discrepancies between previously collected data.

Challenges

One challenge the researcher faced while identifying data points was

having the majority of the data out of her control. Since the classroom

belonged to two other teachers, the researcher did not have access to

attendance and referral data. Therefore, the attendance clerk had to retrieve

all of the information. The researcher was at the mercy of data clerk and her

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Unwind Student Engagement

timeline and availability to create the necessary ad hocs in the Infinite

Campus program to collect that data.

Another challenge the researcher faced during the study was having

the teachers change the rules of the game. The gaming components moved

from rules based on students working in groups to students working

individually. This changed the concept of how students behaved, the level of

engagement, and motivation for completing tasks.

One challenge with making the future steps of this action research plan

come to life is the technological resources available for the students in this

school. There is not a computer lab that students can use on a regular basis,

merely computer carts and iPad carts that teachers have to reserve on a first

come first serve basis. This reservation can only be made for one day at a

time since there is such a high demand on their supply. To alleviate this

challenge, teachers will have to work more closely with the building tech

specialist and create a way for more computers to become available for

student use for a longer period of time or on a more frequent basis. The

district has plans to increase the number of technological resources in the

near future to include iPad, computers, or tablets.

Reflections

The purpose of this action research study was to discover how

gamification impacted student engagement in an 8th grade literacy

classroom. Through this study, the researcher explored an effective way

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Unwind Student Engagement

increase engagement in a traditional classroom. The researcher intends to

continue learning and discovering new ways that gamification and game-

based-learning can be integrated into curricular areas in the middle school

setting.

After working closely with the 8th grade PLC team, for more than 6-weeks in an intensive

learning cycle, on implementing gamification techniques the researcher learned that teachers

need more professional learning around the difference and the how-tos of gamification and

game-based-learning. In addition, it was obvious to the researcher that those teachers who were

more interested in incorporating games into the learning environment have seen better

engagement, attendance, a decrease in negative student behavior, and a higher student motivation

for learning. After reviewing this information, it is necessary to share this information with

others in the school and district so they can see the positive impact gamification has on student

engagement and how it can be positively incorporated into multiple content and grade levels.

Conclusion

According to Guthrie and Davies (2003), a substantial amount of research on engagement

shows the emphasis on meaningful materials are essential to motivation. According to their

Engagement Model of Instruction there are six instructional practices to incorporate for

engagement; See Appendix H. The gamified unit of Unwind hit five of the six components:

Knowledge goals, Real-World Interactions, Interesting Texts, Strategy Instruction, and

Collaboration Support. Incorporating five of the six components shows the lessons are more

engaging and cognitively complex for students to participate in, building meaningful materials

essential to motivation

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Unwind Student Engagement

After capturing common themes of the student self-reflections, reviewing the quantitative

data, and reflecting on the overall student perceptions towards the class, it is evident that the

students were more engaged and enthusiastic during the whole-class novel that was gamified

than compared to the novel studies conducted at the beginning of the year that did not encompass

gamified characteristics.

34
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Unwind Student Engagement

Appendix BARCS+G Model

APPENDIX C- Marzano Instructional Framework

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APPENDIX D- Student & Parent Consent Form

Parents,

My name is Shannon Camodeca and I am one of the Instructional Coaches at

Harding Middle School. I am currently enrolled at Iowa State University as a
Masters in Education student. This semester for one of my classes I am to
complete an action research project on a topic I am passionate about, within my
school. Therefore, I will be conducting research around increased student
engagement using gamification properties in 8th grade literacy classrooms.

I will be in your son/daughters literacy classrooms taking quantitative and

anecdotal data. This data will be recorded and used to write a research paper for
Iowa State Universitys Master in Education: Curriculum and Instructional
Technology program. All student anonymity, academic information, and data
collected will be shared between only my teacher and myself, purely for
educational purposes. It will not be released publicly.

However, if you wish to not have your child anonymously appear in data
collection for this research study please let me know. Should you have any
questions and/or concerns, or would like to learn more about my study, please
feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Shannon Camodeca
TLC Instructional Coach
Shannon.camodeca@dmschools.org
(515) 242-8445

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APPENDIX E- Pre-Survey Likert Scale

Course Interest Survey
Shannon Camodeca
Iowa State University
Adapted from: John M. Keller
Florida State University

Directions: Please fill out this survey to the best of your ability.
1 = Not true 2 = Slightly true 3 = Moderately true 4 = Mostly true 5
= Very true

1. The instructor knows how to make us feel enthusiastic about the

1 2 3 4 5
subject matter of this course.

2. In this class, I try to set and achieve high standards of excellence. 1 2 3 4 5

3. The students actively participate in this class. 1 2 3 4 5

4. I want to come to class every day. 1 2 3 4 5

5. I participate and am engaged 100% of the time every day. 1 2 3 4 5

6. I enjoy playing games and/or video games. 1 2 3 4 5

7. I know that Ms. Edelman and/or Ms. Bottjen care about me personally. 1 2 3 4 5
8. I would be more engaged in class, and participate more, if I got to work
1 2 3 4 5
with my peers regularly.

9. Based on what I have done this year in literacy, I would recommend 1 2 3 4 5

this class to future students.

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APPENDIX F- At-Task Observation Form

On-Task Observation Form
(Adapted from G. Lyn Morgan, Liberty University)

This technique provides data on individual students engagement levels. Each square is a student. Scan
the classroom every 3 to 5 minutes ("sweep:). Record the time of the sweep and a brief notation as to the
activity taking place. Focus once on each student briefly during each sweep. For each student, record an
at-task (+) or off-task notation. The following questions could be asked in reviewing the data: What was
the predominant off-task behavior? During which activity did most off-task behaviors occur? During which
sweeps were most students off-task? Which students were off-task most often? Possible
reasons/recommendations?

Teacher __________________________ School _______________________

Start Time _________________ End Time ______________________ Date ____________________

+ = At- Task Off-Task Codes

A Turned around N making noises/faces
C Schoolwork other than assignment S Stalling
O Out of seat P- Phone Out
H Head down T Talking
Students
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8
1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5 1 5
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 8

Sweeps: Every 3-5 minutes record the time of the sweep and a brief notation of
activity taking place at that time:

Sweep 1: Sweep 2: Sweep 3: Sweep 4: Sweep 5:

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Sweep 6: Sweep 7: Sweep 8: Sweep 9: Sweep 10:

APPENDIX G- Post Survey Liker Scale & Student Self-Reflection Questions

Course Interest Survey

Shannon Camodeca
Iowa State University
Adapted from: John M. Keller
Florida State University

Directions: Please fill out this survey to the best of your ability.
1 = Not true 2 = Slightly true 3 = Moderately true 4 = Mostly true 5
= Very true

1. The instructor knows how to make us feel enthusiastic about the

1 2 3 4 5
subject matter of this course.

2. In this class, I try to set and achieve high standards of excellence. 1 2 3 4 5

3. The students actively participate in this class. 1 2 3 4 5

4. I want to come to class every day. 1 2 3 4 5

5. I participate and am engaged 100% of the time every day. 1 2 3 4 5

6. I enjoy playing games and/or video games. 1 2 3 4 5

7. I know that Ms. Edelman and/or Ms. Bottjen care about me personally. 1 2 3 4 5
8. I would be more engaged in class, and participate more, if I got to work
1 2 3 4 5
with my peers regularly.

9. Based on what I have done this year in literacy, I would recommend 1 2 3 4 5

this class to future students.

1. What about this class excites you? (i.e. Unwind, game, classmates,
etc.) Explain your answers.

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2. Do you feel like you are more engaged during class while reading
Unwind compared to the other novels you have read in class?
Explain why your answer.
3. What keeps you engaged during class (i.e. different ways to read,
projects, student choice)? Why?
4. What would you like to do more of in class?
5. What are your thoughts on gamifying this book? Did you like that it
was a game? Did you like that the rules/groups changed in the
middle?

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APPENDIX H- Engagement Model of Instruction for Middle School Reading

References

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Guthrie, J.T., & Davies, M.H. (2003). Motivating Struggling Readers in Middle School through
an Engagement Model of Classroom Practice. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19(1), 59-
85. doi: 10.1080/10573560308203

Hamzah, W. M., Ali, N. H., Saman, M., Mohd, Y., Yusoff, M. H., & Yacob, A. (2015). Influence
of Gamification on Students' Motivation in using E-Learning Applications Based on the
Motivational Design Model. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning,
10(2).

Keller, J. (1999). Motivation in cyber learning environments. International Journal of Education

Technology, I(1), 7-30

Keller, J. (2008). An integrative theory of motivation, volition, and performance. Technical

Instruction Cognition and Learning, 6, 79-104.

Kingsley, T.L. & Grabner-Hagen, M.M. (2015). Gamification. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 59(1), 5161. doi: 10.1002/jaal.426

Klem, A.M., & Connell, J.P. (2004). Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support to Student
Engagement and Achievement. Journal of School Health, 74 (7), 262.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2006, July). What matters
to student success: A review of the literature. In Commissioned report for the national
symposium on postsecondary student success: Spearheading a dialog on student success.

Lawley, E. (2012). Games as an alternate lens for design. Interactions, 19(4), 16-17.

Mertler, C. A. (2014). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (4th ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Rouse, K. E. (2013). Gamification in science education: The relationship of educational games

to motivation and achievement (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).

Sanmugam, M., Zaid, N. M., Mohamed, H., Abdullah, Z., Aris, B., & Suhadi, S. M. (2015).
Gamification as an Educational Technology Tool in Engaging and Motivating Students;
an Analyses.

Sheldon, Lee. (2012). The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing coursework as a game. Boston,
MA: Cengage Learning.

Skinner, E.A., & Belmont, M.J. (1993). Motivation in the Classroom: Reciprocal effects of
teacher behavior and student engagement across the school yea. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 83(4), 571-581.

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Small, R. (2000). Motivation in instructional design. Teacher Librarian, 27(5).

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. Mind and Society. (79-91).
Camobridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Walsh, A. (2014). The potential for using gamification in academic libraries in order to increase
student engagement and achievement. Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher
Education, 6(1), 39-51. Retrieved February 21, 2016.

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