epicTeaching Academy

Surry County Schools

What is it?

Professional Development for District Teachers:

Online, blended, and face-to-face PD for educators.

Choice-Driven

Mastery/Evidence-Based

Granular, Expandable, Portable

Engaging

EPIC Teaching Academy is a gamified approach to professional development for educators. It’s primarily online PD, however, it can be expanded into face-to-face experiences, too. The design of the program is built on the premise that educators are extremely busy professionals who deserve bite-sized opportunities for professional growth that they elect to explore. Among the program’s many game-like elements, the primary goal is the earning of badges. Badges earned in this program are tied to demonstrated mastery of tools and concepts. Once earned by a player, they are owned. They can be shared through a variety of badging platforms like Mozilla’s Backpack.

Why?Frankly, because too often, PD is boring. Though often necessary, too much PD is dictated to us. EPIC offers educators the option to explore topics that interest them at a pace of their choosing, to earn official badges that have more meaning than arbitrary CEU’s. (Though, they’ll earn CEU’s as part of this process!)

Feedback on typical PD from classroom teachers:

“The PD is dictated to me...”

“It’s boring...”

“I don’t have time...”

“I can read PowerPoint slides, myself...”

“I’m too tired at the end of a day of teaching for a workshop...”

“It doesn’t address my needs...”

“There’s no follow-up...”

“When will I use this again?”

In a discussion at EdCamp Raleigh a couple of years ago, these were some of the common comments about typical PD.

The group at EdCamp Raleigh discussed PD that “sux” and why it does.

What teachers really want in their PD:

Opportunities for networking and collaboration...

Differentiation!

CHOICE!!

Variety in format.

Motivation and inspiration.

Connectedness - relational and technological.

True accountability.

Fun.

In the same conversation, the group at EdCamp Raleigh discussed what they value and truly wanted in PD.

Here’s our “Happy PD” board.

Play/Fun

Game Elements, Online Platform

Professional Development: Ideas, Needs, and Issues

So, the question became, “How do we move from ‘sux’ to ‘happy?’” EPIC Teaching Academy attempts to address that through a playful, gamified approach to professional development for educators.

“Fun is the emotional response to learning.”

-Chris Crawford

Is it possible that learning could actually be fun?

epic

ngaginglayfulnnovativeonnected

Of course, EPIC is an acronym that addresses the values of the program.

How Does It Work?

So, how does it work?

Much of this program is made possible because of the awesome online platform, 3DGameLab by GoGo Labs. This gamified LMS adds the game-layer to learning by facilitating an approach known as quest-based learning.

Customizable Avatar

Ranks Indicating Your Overall

Progress

Bars That Fill to Show Progress to Your Goal

In 3DGL, players have game-like elements that show their progress toward their learning goals while allowing customization of personalized avatars and player tags (user names).

When logged into the system, players have a choice of learning quests to explore. Completing a quest unlocks new ones!

Everyone Starts Here

Choices!

As players progress through learning quests, their options expand!

Increasing Investment in An Idea

Badge/Recognition

for Completing A Quest Chain

A Sample Quest Chain

Quests are organized into “Quest Chains.” These series of quests address a particular topic in increasing depth as a player chooses to explore that path. If a player successfully pursues a quest chain to its final, concluding quest, they unlock an official badge!

Big Ideas (Super Quests)

Super-Badge

Sometimes, quest chains are part of a series that, should a player complete each, unlock a super badge.

Players can preview quests and choose whether or not to accept it.

Quests in EPIC encourage educators to explore relevant topics, completing hands-on tasks, and then sharing their work with their colleagues, often encouraging discussion and collaboration.

Haiku Integration

EPIC is linked back to what we refer to as the Guild Site. This is a place where players share their experiences, thoughts, and work as they progress through learning quests.

Haiku Integration

All evidences are housed in the community page in Haiku

Social elements such as discussion boards grow community and

connectedness.

Badges and Achievements

The more players invest, the more experience points, ranks, and of course, badges they’ll unlock! Some of these are simply designed for fun and bragging rights, however, for those who persevere through a series of challenging quests, official district badges are unlocked. These digital badges can then be displayed to the world via the educator’s website and through badging curation tools like the Mozilla Backpack.

But, What About CEUs?

100XP = 0.1 CEUs1000XP = 1.0 CEUs

100XP = 1 hour’s worth of PD50XP = 30 min.25XP = 15 min.

“Cash them in at regular intervals (1000XP?)”

CEU’s are still available, too! As players successfully complete learning quests, they earn experience points (XP) that accumulate in their player window, filling a bar as they progress to new ranks or levels within the program. Once a player has accumulated 1000 XP, they can cash those in for 1 CEU.

Embedded Alignment to ISTE NETS-S

All learning quests are aligned to ISTE standards.

Embedded evaluation

YouTube-like ratings

More Detailed Metrics on Individual Quests

3DGL also includes a number of analytical tools that can show players’ data, data on specific learning quests, and more.

Detailed Data On Participating Teachers

Other Goals/Extensions

Foster community among users.

Add elements of novelty and failure.

Build an embedded puzzle game within with the system, with elements hidden within quests.

Host synchronous events.

Create blended experiences.

Model, model, model...

As the program grows and develops, there are other goals. One is the fostering of a sense of community among participants. Adding novelty and additional game-like elements, perhaps even hidden within the experience, will enhance the fun and learning. Team elements and competitive events are also being considered!

Questions?

If you have any questions, contact me! - Lucas Gillispie