Gamification for Differentiation - How I Learned to Engage Every Student

I’ll never forget teaching during COVID, staring at rows of black Zoom screens, muted microphones, and students who looked like they had completely checked out. It felt impossible to engage them. I tried everything—more discussion, more breakout rooms, more participation incentives—but nothing worked.

Then, I tried a digital escape room.

Suddenly, students who had been completely unresponsive were typing in the chat, unmuting themselves, and—most shockingly—working together. Even students who normally avoided group work started collaborating, solving puzzles, and striving toward a collective goal. It wasn’t just about getting the right answer anymore—it was about beating the game.

This moment completely changed the way I viewed gamification. It wasn’t just a fun tool; it was a way to make learning accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all students.

Why Gamification Works (Especially for Neurodivergent Students)

I’ve seen firsthand how students with ADHD and autism thrive in gamified classrooms. Traditional learning can sometimes feel abstract and disconnected, but gamification provides:

✅ Clear social scripts – Many games have structured, predictable interactions, making it easier for students who struggle with social cues to engage.

✅ A collective goal – Instead of just "doing work," students work together to level up, defeat a challenge, or escape the room.

✅ Multiple entry points – Students can participate in different ways, whether answering questions, strategizing, or leading a team.

Research backs this up. Studies show that game-based learning improves motivation, retention, and engagement, especially for neurodivergent learners (Buckley & Doyle, 2016).

Gamification Saves You Time—Not the Other Way Around

A lot of teachers hesitate to use gamification because they think it’s "one more thing to do." My response? It’s actually a time-saver. Gamification is about making small changes that make learning feel fun, rewarding, and interactive.

Some easy ways to add low-prep gamification to any lesson:

My Go-To Gamified Lesson: The SMART Goals Escape Room

Every year, I run a SMART Goals escape room, and it never fails to get students excited about goal-setting. They work through a series of challenges, each tied to the components of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Why does it work?

✔ It transforms a potentially boring topic into something engaging and interactive.

✔ Students collaborate, problem-solve, and take ownership of their learning.

✔ They actually remember the material because they experienced it instead of just hearing about it.

I use this every year because it’s simple, effective, and always a hit.

Misconceptions About Gamification

Some people think gamification means playing video games in class—but that’s not true. You can gamify learning without technology at all.

Some no-tech gamification strategies:

🎲 Roll a Dice for Points – Students roll a die and earn points for answering questions.🏆 Tournament Style Competitions – Small teams compete in academic challenges.

🕵 Mystery Box Challenge – Students guess the topic from clues.

📜 Choose Your Own Adventure Assignments – Give students different “paths” based on their choices.

🎖 Badges & Level-Ups – Students earn printed badges for milestones.

Gamification is about engagement—not screens.

Where to Start? Just Pick One Thing.

If you’re overwhelmed by gamification, start small.

📍 Look at your lesson plan and find one place to add a game-like element.📍 Use the chart on my poster to see where gamification fits.📍 Try it once and see how your students respond.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be fun. 🚀