Classcraft: from gamification to ludicization of classroom management

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the concept of gamification, based on a literature review and preliminary feedback from teachers using Classcraft, a role-playing game supported by a digital platform and a mobile application that were developed to answer high school teachers’ classroom management needs. Our results come from two experiments in France and Quebec and also from an online survey that was made available on the Classcraft platform. These results promote a model of gamification that consists of considering the experience of the students, rather than the game itself, and they confirm that a game is consubstantial to its player. Therefore, we argue for the use of the term “ludicization” to emphasize that transforming a situation into a game does not consist of using elements that have a game-like aspect, but rather of a non-essentialistic vision of play, generating a metaphor around the situation to build a reflexive space where the nature and meaning of interactions are modified.