Using Serious Gaming Techniques for Long-Form Writing: A Thought Experiment

In my last post, I enumerated several advantages for serious gaming in the classroom.  I like the ways that serious gaming taps into the social and competitive instincts of students, and I‘m excited about the rich data that can be mined from a well-designed serious game.

I get stuck, however, when I try to think about how to capitalize on these benefits as a writing teacher.  Here is my best idea (so far) for how to set up an online game that would maintain the standards I expect in my students’ writing, but take advantage of the perks of serious gaming.  WARNING:  This does not cut down on teacher grading, but that is not the point.

THE GAME: 

Students are in charge of a real online blog, and choose the topics they would like to cover.  Every student chooses a professional handle to protect anonymity.  Each news cycle, students are grouped into three or four groups, and given a writing assignment aligned to their ability levels.  Two students in each group are assigned as editors.

Students write a piece, using a clear rubric to guide them.  Tasks maybe informative, argumentative, investigative or creative.  Then, after a mini-lesson on a particular writing skill, they edit their piece.  While they are writing, editors should be learning proof-reading skills and practicing on sample texts.   Again, these lessons are geared toward a certain targeted skill. After students finish, the editors need to submit their edits, which are graded.  Students then have a second chance to revise their pieces.  The editors choose one piece to run “above the fold.”

At this point, the teacher grades the pieces and assesses the editors’ edits.  Any piece receiving above a certain grade is published, although the editor’s picks get special attention.  Students who fail to reach this grade must revise, and if they meet the grade subsequently, their piece is also published.  An important aspect of gaming is the ability to immediately address failure.

The cycle begins again.

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT:  At certain points throughout the year, after students are familiar with this process, the students should use the process for even more authentic assignments.  For example, a local non-profit might ask for a piece to be published on their page, or the school may use the students’ writing in a brochure for parents.

TROUBLESHOOTING:  Of course, a kid may drop to the bottom of the proverbial pond here, and wallow in the weeds.  In that case, I would give that student an individual assignment that needed to go to press and could not go until he or she had got it to a certain standard.  Repeat until the student is properly engaged.

Any programmers out there want to design this?  Does it already exist?  Beyond a blog, I need an interface where students see their progress and receive immediate feedback.