The project wants to maximise learners’ motivation, engagement and learning through gamification. The aim is to engage students in learning and, at the same time, facilitate learners’ participation, their self-development while mastering transversal skills, deep thinking and creative expression.
The system design includes game-like elements to inspire game-like reactions and engagement among students. MAXIMUS gathers seven full partners and one associated partner (Microregion 11+) from four different EU countries: Slovakia, Spain, Greece and Portugal
The Maximus First Outcome
The MAXIMUS digital motivation system design is set up and currently under testing phase with schools in 4 different countries (GR, SK, SP, PT)
What is the MAXIMUS motivation system:
The motivation system is an online multisite where teachers and students interact pleasantly and effectively through gamification. The process is as follows: teachers upload educational tasks/activities (within or outside their curriculum) and match them with school rewards of choice. If students successfully complete the task/activity, they earn reward points, which they can redeem and earn school rewards set by the teacher or school.
More specifically, the motivation system provides the following functions:
1. Create users
The first step is for both students and teachers to register on the platform so that they can interact with the system. Teachers or school principals can register students if they wish.
2. Create classes
After students and teachers enter the system, they need to be allocated to classes – The classes should correspond to the real structure, giving teachers the role to assign, grade and reward.
3. Add Tasks and Activities
Tasks and activities are two ways in which students can earn reward points in the system.
Tasks: Students choose what they want to do and actively work on it (e.g. write a poem, read a book and write a paper on it, create a project, etc.) After they finish, they send it to the designated teacher. By completing the task, students earn award points.
Activities: Activities are more abstract tasks, and it is hard to be measured (e.g., helping others, being active in class, having perfect attendance, etc.). In this case, the teachers themselves can award points to students
4. Add rewards
Rewards can be redeemed in both the Shop collections and the School collections.
Shop: Here are rewards for individual students (e.g. help during tests, ability to use the phone during breaks, etc.)
School collections: Rewards that require a large amount of currency but are for the whole class/school ( many students can add currency to fill the “system bank”) (e.g. school trip/class trip, free lesson, etc.)
5. Add avatars
Avatars are special kinds of rewards; Each student can create their own unique avatar. To receive the collectable accessories, students can play the MAXIMUS digital card game and earn themed items for their avatar, which they can combine as they wish, creating a profile that will make them stand out in the system.
Find more information about MAXIMUS Project on its official website or check the MAXIMUS System.