Gamifying our classrooms

In different ways and degrees, we all use games in our lessons. Tic-tac-toe, Simon says, etc. etc. etc. are games we often play with our students, and these are probably games we have played as students, too. These days, some of us may even play computer or ipad games in our classrooms. Here's a picture of one I've used with students of mine, WORDSHAKE: 

Now, while this may be fun to some of our students, we still have to ask ourselves: is this a game they would play at home, for pleasure? Probably not. 

Graham Stanley, a teacher since 1995, has specialized in digital play applied to ELT. He states that games can be easily adapted for teaching and that they can be used to practise ALL language skills. Thus, why not gamifying our classrooms? After all, games make learning fun and learners LOVE talking about games. I must say that, in my personal experience, this is true. I work in a school with fifth formers and most of my students LOVE playing Minecraft. I had no idea what this game was, all I knew is my students were begging for a reading comprehension on minecraft! So I started “Googling” about it and found out that this game is being used in many schools because, apparently, students can learn in many different ways by playing it. Check this out:  

After watching Graham's webinar, investigating his blog and having the pleasure of “videoconferencing” with him, I became very interested in “Escape the Room” games. In this genre of online games, players have to use their logic to escape a room and, in the process, they have to find hidden objects, solve puzzles, etc.  

And how could this help our students learn the language? By using the WALKTHROUGH, a step by step, written solution. 

I tried one escape the room game called Plush Room (I must admit that I had to read the walkthrough to win it!!!). You can play it on this website: http://www.dozengames.com/Room-Escape/23049/Plush-Room-Escape.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/hmdo+(Dozengames) and here's part of the walkthrough: 

Click on the red book twice to get closer and again to turn the pages.

Pick the fuse from the book, zoom out

Click the orange fruits to zoom and get the knife, zoom out

Click on table on the right side to zoom.

Click on the Night lamp to move it and get the fuse.

Click on the flower Vase and take the key, zoom out.

Click the cupboard on the left to zoom, click again to open it

This is a picture of the game:

Finally, here's a video on how to play it: 

Of course, these instructions can be adapted to our students' level. This game is also very rich in vocabulary; if you place your mouse on an item, it tells you the name.
I'm thinking that, if the walkthrough is adapted, this could be a good game to practise vocabulary, prepositions of place, existence (there is/ there are), etc. I could read out the walkthrough while students play the game, thus making it a listening comprehension activity. Students could then tell each other what they did in order to win the game, what the most difficult or the easiest part was, etc., thus turning it into a speaking activity. Eventually, students could write their own walkthroughs, a writing activity in which they would have to use the language they have been working on.