Gamification and student motivation
Find out what really motivates secondary school students, and what makes them give up. Then design and test a fair reward system for the platform together with teachers and students, one that students choose to join.
- Location
- Amsterdam, at schools and partly remote
- Language
- Dutch or English
- Hours
- To be agreed
- Period
- To be agreed
- Type
- Bachelor/Master
What it is about
Points and leaderboards look like an easy way to get students practising. But what spurs on a strong student can discourage a weaker one. You find out which game elements really help, for whom, and when they backfire. And you do not stop at advice: you design something and test it in the classroom.
Why now
Students already practise in the platform every day, with tests, flashcards and practice sessions. So there is a real place to try out an idea, and real teachers and students to talk to. Nothing about rewards has been decided yet, so what you find out shapes how it will work.
What you will do
- Find out what motivates students to practise, and what demotivates them, through literature, conversations and observation
- Compare game elements such as points, rewards, progress and leaderboards, and work out when they help and when they harm
- Design a fair, opt-in reward system together with teachers and students
- Test a prototype in the classroom and measure whether it changes anything
- Pay attention to students who give up quickly, for example weak readers or students with dyslexia
What you learn, and what you deliver
Learning goals
- Turn a research question about motivation into a design you can test
- Judge game elements critically on fairness and on their effect on different students
- Do research with minors, carefully and with consent arranged through the school
- Show with data whether a design works, and be honest when it does not
End product
A report or thesis, a design for a reward system that has been tested in the classroom, and advice on what we should and should not build into the platform.
What you work with
The exchange
What we ask of you
- You are in a bachelor's or master's programme at a university or university of applied sciences, in HCI, psychology, educational science, game design, computer science or something similar
- You are curious about why people do or do not do something
- You can set up a study and write down honestly what you find
- You handle students and their data with care
A plus, not a requirement
- Experience with game design or gamification
- Experience doing research with children or young people
- You can build a prototype in code yourself
What we offer in return
- A good learning path, with guidance from people who know the craft
- Several hours a week with one of the founders, not a group intake
- Equipment and your own desk if you need them
- Travel expenses covered if you do not have a student public transport pass
- Real barista coffee, made with the best beans in all of Amsterdam
- A reference afterwards, and a chance of a job with us
What happens next
You send your message
Your motivation in your own words plus your CV. No standard cover letter needed; just write why this appeals to you.
A reply within five working days
Even if it is a no. You will always hear from us.
An hour to get to know each other
At our office in Amsterdam or online. We show you the platform and you tell us what you want to get good at.
Join us for half a day
You work on something real and see how we work. After that, we both know.
Making arrangements
An internship agreement with your school or university, a start date, and what you will deliver.
Apply now
You do not need to write a perfect letter. Tell us in a few sentences why this appeals to you and what you want to learn. That tells us more.