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Strategic Gamification for STEM:
Transforming Projects into Interactive Learning Quests

1Caitlin Johnson, 2Mehdi Roopaei
1Bold-Bird Consulting, Inc., Charlotte, NC, USA, caitlin@bold-bird.com
2University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI,USA, roopaeim@uwplatt.edu

Game Player Motivations and Game Tactics

Killer: (Thrives on competition and being the best):
  • Strengths: Highly driven, enjoys challenges, and pushes for top performance. Brings energy and excitement to competitions.
  • Weaknesses: Can be overly competitive, sometimes prioritizing winning over learning or teamwork.
  • Slogan: "Rise to the challenge. Conquer the game."
 
Ways to engage a Killer:
  1. Gravity Race Challenges – Time-based challenges like “Who can design the slowest falling parachute?” or “Who can create the longest rolling marble track?”
  2. Leaderboard Lift-Off – Recognize top performers in different categories, like “Most Creative Gravity Experiment” or “Best Gravity Defying Trick”.
  3. Gravity Showdown – Host a friendly final challenge where teams present their gravity-powered invention and judges (teachers or peers) vote on categories like “Most Innovative” or “Most Effective Use of Gravity.”
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Achiever (Motivated by accomplishing goals and earning recognition):
  • Strengths: Hardworking, persistent, and focused on completing tasks. Thrives on setting and reaching goals. 
  • Weaknesses: Can become overly competitive or frustrated if progress isn’t recognized. May struggle with open-ended exploration. 
  • Slogan: "Set the goal. Reach the stars."
     
Ways to engage an Achiever: 
  1. Gravity Goals & Launch Rewards – Break the project into mini-goals (e.g., "Build a prototype of a gravity-powered machine") and reward progress with "Mission Patches" (stickers, digital badges, or small prizes).
  2. Lift-Off Recognition – Celebrate students who achieve milestones in real-time: “Shoutout to [Name] for completing the first design challenge!”
  3. Gravity Mastery Badges – Award digital or physical badges for key achievements like “Newton’s Apprentice” (understanding gravity concepts) or “Gravity Engineer” (successfully building a working model). 
     
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Explorer (Enjoys discovery, learning, and autonomy):
  • Strengths: Loves learning, experimenting, and asking "What if?" Often finds creative solutions and enjoys deep dives into topics. 
  • Weaknesses: May get sidetracked or lose interest if not given enough freedom. Can struggle with deadlines or structure. 
  • Slogan: "Curiosity fuels the journey."

Ways to engage and Explorer:
  1. STEM Side Quests – Offer optional activities like "What if Gravity Was Stronger?" or "How Do Astronauts Deal with Zero Gravity?" to spark curiosity.
  2. Interactive Gravity Map – Let students choose their learning paths, such as “Theoretical Gravity” (history & science), “Engineering Gravity” (building & testing), or “Creative Gravity” (art & storytelling).
  3. Hidden Forces Easter Eggs – Hide fun science facts, videos, or mini-experiments throughout the project (e.g., QR codes leading to gravity-related fun facts).
     
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Socializer (Values connection and collaboration):
  • Strengths: Team-oriented, great communicator, and thrives in group settings. Encourages teamwork and idea-sharing. 
  • Weaknesses: May struggle with individual tasks or become too focused on relationships instead of the project. 
  • Slogan: "Together, we rise."
     
Ways to engage a Socializer:
  1. Team Gravity Challenges – Pair students up to build and test different gravity-powered machines (e.g., paper roller coasters, egg drop challenges).
  2. Mission Control Chats – Use live discussions, polls, or shared digital boards where students post progress, ideas, or cool findings.
  3. Gravity Crew Partners – Assign each student an “astronaut buddy” to check in with and brainstorm solutions together.
     
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