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Gamification options

Gamification options

Kurzinformation

Gamification increases learning motivation and engagement by showing visible progress, offering rewards and recognition and encouraging the achievement of goals. These playful elements make the learning process more interactive and engaging. A number of different gamification tools are available in RWTHmoodle:

  • Checklist: To-do list of tasks or goals for learners. Students can check off the tasks they have completed and see which ones are still open.
  • Activity Completion: Teachers set criteria that must be met for an activity to be considered complete. This can help to track learning progress and give students feedback on their progress.
  • Badges: Learning badges that can be awarded to learners for their achievements or progress in a course room. They serve as a reward and motivation for learners and can symbolize specific skills or achievements.
  • Level Up!: Learners collect experience points by completing various activities or reaching certain goals. The more points they collect, the higher they rise in the levels.
  • Stash: Collecting and exchanging objects in the course room to increase motivation and integrate narrative elements.
 

Note

Every two months, the CLS offers a training course on gamification and game-based learning, which explains the various gamification tools available in RWTHmoodle and their configuration options in more detail. Further information on the training and registration can be found in the Staff Development Events Database.
 
In addition, a MoodleCafé on Gamification Best Practices took place in the winter semester 2024/25, in which two RWTH lecturers presented successful implementations of gamification from their teaching practice. The recording of this session, as well as all other MoodleCafé recordings, is available in the MoodleCafé course room. You can enroll in this course room at any time and watch the recordings there afterwards

Detailinformation

  1. What tools are available in RWTHmoodle that are used for gamification?
  2. Gamification tools in comparison
 

1. What tools are available in RWTHmoodle that are used for gamification?

1.1. Checklist

  • Activity Checklist
    • With the Checklist activity, lecturers can create a “to-do” list that students can work through. The Checklist provides a simple visual representation of what has been achieved so far.
    • Elements of the Checklist can be activities of the course room as well as independent elements that are not based on a specific activity in the course room and can be added manually by lecturers and/or students.
    • The elements of the Checklist can be checked off by the students and/or automatically as soon as an activity has been successfully completed.
    • Instructions for configuring and using the Checklist
 
  • Add-on for the Checklist - Block Checklist
    • In addition to the Checklist, you can integrate a visual progress indicator in the right-hand block bar. This informs students about the current progress status of the underlying Checklist.
    • This makes it easy for students to see to what extent the elements of the Checklists have already been completed.
    • The individual elements of the selected Checklist and their processing status can be called up by clicking on the progress bar.

      Screenshot of a progress list overview with progress indicators for 3 individual progress lists. The progress indicators provide information on the current processing status. The progress indicator of one of the 3 progress lists is clicked on. The second screenshot opposite shows the individual elements of the progress list clicked on, including the processing status.
       
    • Instructions for configuring and using the Block Checklist
 

1.2. Activity Completion tracking

  • Activity Completions
    • Activity Completions can be defined individually for each activity. You can choose between three options:
      • Completion is not displayed - The activity completion for the activity is not activated and is therefore not displayed to students.
      • Completion is marked manually - The completion of the activity is marked manually by the students, regardless of the actual processing status. This setting is the default in RWTHmoodle for newly added activities.
      • Completion when all conditions are met - Conditions can be configured to mark the automatic completion of the activity as soon as the conditions are met, e.g. receiving a grade or reaching a passing grade.
    • Instructions for configuring and using Activity Completion
 
 

1.3. Badges

  • Badges are digital learning badges that demonstrate the possession of certain knowledge and skills.
  • In RWTHmoodle, for example, badges can be awarded after the successful completion of one or more activities.
  • In addition to a graphic symbol, a badge also contains a range of information in the form of metadata that provides information about what the recipient has learned.
  • From a gamification perspective, badges serve to increase the motivation and commitment of learners.

    Illustration of different options for badge acquisition. For example, a badge can be awarded for any completed activity in the learning room. However, several activities can also be selected at the same time, the successful completion of which is required for the badge to be awarded. By linking several activities, topic-specific badges can be created, e.g. all forums can be bundled into a “communication badge”.
     
  • Instructions for configuring Badges
 

1.4. Level up!

  • The gamification tool LevelUp! offers the possibility to integrate experience points, levels and anonymous ranking lists
  • By completing certain activities (e.g. clicking on a video, submitting a solution, having a quiz attempt being graded), students collect experience points.
  • As the number of experience points increases, students gradually reach higher levels. The levels are visualized by badges and a progress bar.
  • When the student moves up a level, new learning content or sections in the course room can optionally be unlocked.
  • Levels are a playful element to increase student motivation.
     

Screenshots of the “LevelUp!” block. Among other things, this provides information about the current level and the number of experience points earned. By performing an action, such as displaying a task, submitting a submission or awarding an assessment, students receive new experience points. In the screenshot shown, this means that further experience points have been acquired and a higher level has been reached.

 

Note

The “Level Up!” plugin is currently in pilot operation and can be activated in any course room by the RWTHmoodle administrator if required. If you are interested in using Level Up!, please contact the IT-ServiceDesk. Please state the title and course number of the desired course.
 

1.5. Stash

  • Create and hide items: Lecturers can create different items and place them in specific locations in the course room to encourage student motivation.
  • Collecting items by students: Students can find these hidden items and collect them in their personal inventory, the “stash”.
  • Trade mechanisms: The plugin makes it possible to set rules for the exchange of collected items, allowing students to trade items for other resources.
  • By collecting and exchanging items step by step, students can be involved in a coherent story. This creates an immersive learning experience
  • Access restrictions based on collected items: Lecturers can use access restrictions to make access to certain course room content dependent on whether students have collected certain items.
  • Depending on the structure and design, this promotes motivation as well as an understanding of the components of the overall product created.

Abbildung von Screenshots zum Block "LevelUp!". Dieser informiert u.a. über das aktuelle Level und die Anzahl an erworbenen Erfahrungspunkten. Durch eine Aktion, wie z.B. die Anzeige einer Aufgabe, das Einreichen einer Abgabe oder die Vergabe einer Bewertung erhalten die Studierenden neue Erfahrungspunkte. Dies führt im abgebildeten Screenshot dazu, dass weitere Erfahrungspunkte erworben wurden und dadurch ein höheres Level erreicht wurde.

 
 

Note

The “Stash” plugin is currently in pilot operation and can be activated in any course room by the RWTHmoodle administrator if required. If you are interested in using Stash, please contact the IT-ServiceDesk. Please state the title and course number of the desired course.
 

2. Gamification tools in comparison

 

Feature

ChecklistActivity completionBadgesLevel Up!Stash
Can be retrofitted to existing learning content at any timeerfüllterfüllterfüllterfülltnicht erfüllt
Can be used immediately in all course roomserfüllterfüllterfülltnicht erfülltnicht erfüllt
Possible to create a narrative story spanning the coursenicht erfülltnicht erfülltnicht erfülltnicht erfüllterfüllt
Dynamic access restrictions to course room content based on (game) progress possiblenicht erfülltnicht erfülltnicht erfüllterfüllterfüllt
Provisioning and configuration effortmittlere Komplexitätniedrigere Komplexitätmittlere Komplexitätmittlere Komplexitäthohe Komplexität
 

  Zusatzinformation

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last changed on 02/13/2025

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