Publication Rough Draft

Coordinating Cross-Class Quests: An Educator's Guide to Gamified Lessons

Introduction 

As a high school Game Design teacher, I am passionate about utilizing game design principles to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students. This next year, I will have the opportunity to spearhead an exciting interdisciplinary project involving my Game Design classes collaborating with Science and English classes. Our goal is to design a gamified blended curriculum focused on growth mindset concepts and neuroplasticity. 

In this article, I will share my experiences and recommendations for educators interested in implementing similar cross-curricular gamified projects. I will discuss the benefits and challenges of coordinating a multi-class initiative, strategies for gamifying content across subjects, and tips for assessing collaborative work. My hope is that this provides insights into how to blend online and in-person instruction effectively while empowering students to integrate advanced creative tools.

The Value of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

Bringing multiple classes and subjects together for this project will allow for more creativity, diverse perspectives, and deeper learning compared to developing content in silos. Students will be able to make connections across disciplines, integrating their expertise in game design, biology, and creative writing to build cohesive interactive narratives. From a teaching perspective, collaborating with colleagues across departments will push me to reconsider my own assumptions and practices. 

Structuring regular joint planning periods will be essential for aligning on learning objectives, project timelines, assignments, and rubrics. While scheduling something this complex with everyone involved is a logistical challenge, the shared ownership over the curriculum will make the collaboration meaningful rather than simply exchanging lesson plans. I am sure that flexibility and communication are key when coordinating any multi-class initiative.

Designing a Gamified Curriculum 

Gamifying curriculum requires balancing engaging gameplay mechanics like storytelling, challenges, and rewards with the core learning goals. For this project, we will focus our narrative and quests around growth mindset concepts, neuroplasticity, and unlocking one’s own potential. The game sequences will be designed to teach students and the players of their games these principles implicitly through experience. 

For example, we will create a simulated lab environment where players can strengthen neural connections and “level up” certain skills through repeated practice. To progress, players need to leverage strategies like seeking feedback, taking risks, and viewing failures as opportunities to grow. These mechanics aim to help students internalize a growth mindset.

We will also involve students directly in building interactive dialog trees and coding gameplay systems using game engine tools like Unity. By giving them ownership over creating content, students will be invested in integrating their knowledge across subjects into the lessons. I would encourage other educators to provide creative freedom within a structured framework when gamifying curriculum.

Assessing Interdisciplinary Work   

Evaluating collaborative work across different subjects requires establishing shared rubrics, standards, and milestones. During the planning phase of our project, my colleagues and I will co-develop assessment criteria that recognize contributions from each discipline. For example, Game Design students will be assessed on the playability and overall design of the game sequences. Science students will be evaluated on how well they applied concepts about neuroplasticity, and English students will be judged on the clarity of their writing, as well as the narrative strength of their dialogue in the playable games.

In addition to individual grades, we will develop schoolwide criteria focused on collaboration, communication, and project management skills. Setting these expectations early will clarify how interdisciplinary work would be judged. I also recommend building in regular peer feedback and playtesting of game builds to improve the quality of projects. Maintaining an open channel for students on a platform they are more comfortable with, such as discord to give input on each others games will make the development process more iterative.

Insights on Blended Learning

This initiative will provide an opportunity to implement blended learning by pairing gameplay with in-person code workshops and playtesting labs. Using digital platforms like CANVAS will bring learning beyond the classroom and in addition still providing structure via in-person check-ins. 

For educators new to blending online and offline instruction, I suggest starting small and focusing on learning activities that are enhanced digitally, like simulations, interactive fiction, and creative development. Build up technological and troubleshooting skills gradually among both teachers and students. Embrace iteration by piloting lessons and refining them based on feedback. 

Most importantly, view technology as a tool for meeting learning goals rather than an end itself. The human connections and collaboration should still be central even in a blended environment. Hybrid models can expand student access to advanced learning experiences if implemented thoughtfully using principles of pedagogy. 

Lessons Learned as an Innovator

 While rewarding, spearheading a new initiative also poses challenges. From managing skeptics of non-traditional approaches to handling technical problems, I have already learned several important lessons about attempting a large scale project like this in a public high schools. First, build a team of allies passionate about the vision to help troubleshoot issues along the way. Second, start small with pilot activities to gather feedback and data to make the case for larger-scale implementation. 

Finally, view roadblocks as an opportunity for growth. With a growth mindset approach, setbacks are a natural part of the innovation process rather than failures. Maintaining persistence, flexibility, and a solutions-focused attitude enables educators to evolve their practices meaningfully over time. By sharing lessons learned, my hope is to encourage others to embark on their own innovative journeys that engage students through creativity and play.

Conclusion

Designing gamified blended curriculum demands rethinking many standard educational practices—from isolating content by class periods to evaluating individuals rather than teams. I know this will be challenging at times, but this collaborative cross-disciplinary project will provide enriching real-world learning experiences that transform how students approach growth and learning. My advice for fellow educators is to start small but think big when pioneering approaches focused on student passion, agency, and the application of emerging tools. By incrementally evolving teaching practices, we can reshape education to empower the innovators of tomorrow.