Review by Andrew Lobb, 2017
Quick Facts:
Goal: To track and use XP/HP for a Gamified Classroom
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Grade Level(s): 6-12
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Price: Offers a Free and Monthly Subscription of $12
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Device Accessibility: Online Web Browser, Apple App Store, and Google Play App.
Features: This section is a list of all of the features that are available in the Free Version of Classcraft.
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Unlimited Students and Classes
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Connection to Google Classroom
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Cooperative Learning through placing students in teams.
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Customized Rules for XP and HP for gamification of classroom.
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Customized Abilities for Team Member
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Boss Battles for Assessments
Usage:
This program is a great way to gamify the classroom. Classcraft is a way to track Experience Points (XP) in a gamified classroom. In the free version the teacher can award XP based off completed tasks and dock health points (HP) for incomplete tasks. Students have the ability to use character Ability Points (AP) for rewards and to help fellow team mates who may be low on HP. In the paid version, gamification tasks like quests (assignments) and boss battles (assessments) can be created for teams to work their way through. If you don’t want to use the paid version, XP options can be set up for common assignments and assessments and then given to teams/players when those are completed in class.
Design:
Student names and access can be imported and linked to Google Classroom. All the teacher has to do is set up the rewards for completed tasks (+XP), consequences for incomplete tasks (-HP), team member skills (which type of character has what powers), and post access to Google Classroom or have students sign-up with a class code. For students to register for Classcraft all they have to do is follow sign-up link of Google Classroom or create an account with a Gmail account and use the class code. They are already placed in teams and only have to choose which team roles that want to have.
Relation:
Classcraft, at least the paid version, is similar to Moodle in its ability to gamify the classroom and allow new content to be “released” when a task is completed. When using Classcraft it is easier to create gamified activities than Moodle, but in order to be able to create quests/activities with the site, you have to pay the monthly subscription. However the XP< HP< and AP awarding system is free. Moodle allows for a lot more flexibility in creating badge based content, but it requires a lot of time to set up a gamified classroom.
