Using gamification with purpose: a guide for teachers
1. Why gamification, why now?
At Mathspace, we’ve introduced gamification as a learning strategy not a gimmick Every feature is designed to support student progress, not distract from it. That means aligning with curriculum goals, reinforcing classroom practice, and motivating students in a meaningful way
Gamification works best when it builds on strong teaching. Used well, it can:
● Boost motivation and engagement
● Build student confidence and self-efficacy
● Improve knowledge retention through regular, rewarding practice
● Support student ownership of learning
These outcomes aren’t just anecdotal. Research has shown that gamification especially when layered over scaffolded instruction can increase participation, improve academic performance, and help students persist through challenges
When thoughtfully implemented, gamification can benefit students of all ability levels It helps turn effort into progress and makes learning feel more rewarding especially during revision or practice-heavy lessons.
2. Quick start: what teachers need to know
You don’t need to change your lesson plans or set anything up in advance Mathspace’s gamification features are built into the platform and ready to use.
Here are the essentials:
● No extra prep required
Gamification features are layered over existing practice tasks, so you can use them without creating anything new
● Customisable to suit your classroom
Many features can be turned on or off at the class level. For others, our Teacher Support team can help make adjustments to suit your needs If you’re unsure, just reach out we’re here to help.
● Designed for all year levels and abilities
Whether you’re teaching Year 3 or Year 10, the features can flex to support your students Many are particularly effective in mixed-ability classrooms, where progress looks different for every learner
�� Teacher tip: start small
If you’re new to gamification, try beginning with just one or two features. Features like Spin the Wheel or Personal Best are easy to introduce and can help build momentum before layering in whole-class games.
3. Feature deep dive: what to use and when
Every classroom is different That’s why Mathspace offers a flexible set of gamification tools designed to support a range of teaching goals from energising a review lesson to encouraging independent practice.
We’ve grouped the features into three broad categories, based on how teachers most often use them.
For classroom energy and collaboration
These tools are designed to bring focus, excitement and teamwork into the room perfect for revision, fluency, or moments where energy is low
Tug of War
A live, team-based game where students race to solve questions and move a virtual flag
�� When to use it: Revision sessions, Friday warm-ups, or spaced retrieval.
�� Why it works: Combines retrieval practice with peer motivation
�� Teacher tip: Keep games short (5–10 minutes) and balance teams to ensure everyone can contribute.
Class Expedition
A month-long class challenge where students earn points toward a shared goal.
�� When to use it: Unit-long practice, routine building, or celebrating collective progress
�� Why it works: Builds consistency, teamwork and long-term engagement
�� Teacher tip: Pair with Streaks or Daily Challenges to create short- and long-term goals.
Leaderboard
A weekly ranking of points earned, shown relative to peers.
�� When to use it: To highlight effort and keep students engaged across the week
�� Why it works: Encourages persistence and progress without high-stakes pressure
�� Teacher tip: Because rankings reset each week, every student gets a fresh start. Use it to spark friendly competition and celebrate participation
For independent motivation
These features help students set personal goals, stay focused, and build learning routines on their own
Question Streaks
Students earn more points the longer they stay on a roll
�� When to use it: During practice tasks or when encouraging on-task focus
�� Why it works: Reinforces consistency and productive habits.
�� Teacher tip: Remind students that retries don’t break their streak it’s about perseverance, not perfection
Personal Best
A dashboard tracker that challenges students to beat their own high score
�� When to use it: Any time students are working independently or setting personal goals.
�� Why it works: Supports self-driven progress and a growth mindset
�� Teacher tip: Encourage students to reflect on how they improved builds ownership and goal-setting skills.
Daily and Weekly Challenges
Quick, low-barrier activities that reward regular engagement.
�� When to use it: As part of daily routines or warm-up tasks
�� Why it works: Builds consistency and supports spaced practice
�� Teacher tip: Use weekly completions to trigger class rewards or celebrations.
For recognition and rewards
These features help students feel seen for their effort and progress, and build positive associations with learning.
Spin the Wheel
A once-a-day bonus spin that rewards students with coins just for logging in.
�� When to use it: Anytime especially for building daily login habits
�� Why it works: Adds light fun and encourages regular engagement.
�� Teacher tip: Use it as a motivator for reluctant learners it’s low pressure and always rewarding.
Shop & Personalisation
Students can spend coins on avatars, accessories and backgrounds
�� When to use it: Continuously in the background.
�� Why it works: Gives students ownership and a personal connection to their workspace
�� Teacher tip: Encourage students to set a savings goal for an item makes effort visible.
Stickers and Outcome Ribbons
Visual rewards for effort and achievement
�� When to use it: To recognise moments of persistence, growth or mastery.
�� Why it works: Helps students feel acknowledged, especially when progress isn’t academic
�� Teacher tip: Send stickers to students who’ve been trying, not just succeeding it can be a powerful nudge.
4. Sample lesson flows
Gamification works best when it complements not replaces your teaching Below are three sample lesson flows that show how you can embed Mathspace’s features into your regular routines
�� Example 1: Year 7 revision using Tug of War
Goal: Reinforce learning after a unit on algebraic expressions
Lesson focus: Retrieval-based revision
1 Warm-up (5 mins)
Quick review of key concepts using adaptive questions
2. Guided revision (15 mins)
Students complete a practice task on algebraic expressions Encourage retries and use hints if needed
✅ Top tip: This revision can be online in Mathspace, or offline using your own materials whatever works best for your class
3. Gamified challenge (10 mins)
Launch Tug of War with the same task Streaks boost scoring, so encourage focus!
4 Reflection (5 mins)
Discuss strategies students used during the game. Prompt with: “What helped you stay on a streak?” or “What did your team do well?”
�� Why this works: Combines retrieval, peer motivation and visible progress Helps students feel confident before assessments
�� Example 2: Mixed-ability Year 5 fluency with Streaks and Personal Best
Goal: Build fluency in multiplication facts
Lesson focus: Independent motivation and personalised growth
1. Warm-up (5 mins)
Daily Challenge to get everyone logged in and focused
2 Practice (15–20 mins)
Students work independently on fluency tasks
Encourage them to track their streaks and try to beat last week’s Personal Best.
3 Wrap-up (5 mins)
Celebrate effort:
○ Who got a streak of 5 or more?
○ Who beat their Personal Best?
�� Why this works: Encourages self-driven effort across abilities Every student has a chance to succeed on their own terms.
⏳ Example 3: Building a weekly routine with Daily and Weekly Challenges
Goal: Support fluency and long-term retention during a unit on decimals
Lesson focus: Consistent practice and spaced retrieval
1 Monday – Kickoff
Introduce the week’s focus (e g multiplying decimals) Encourage students to complete the Daily Challenge as part of their warm-up. Remind them that completing three Daily Challenges earns a Weekly bonus
2 Mid-week – Practice and check-in
Set a related task on Mathspace. During the lesson, remind students how today’s practice links to Monday’s challenge Track participation as a class (e g on a mini whiteboard or chart).
3 Friday – Challenge wrap-up
Prompt students to complete or collect any missed Daily Challenges. Celebrate those who completed the Weekly Challenge this could be with a quick Spin the Wheel session, a sticker, or a class cheer
�� Why this works: Repeating content across the week supports spaced retrieval, while the gamified challenge structure encourages regular effort and engagement.
5. Making it stick: the three-step instructional model
Gamification is most effective when it builds on strong instruction and thoughtful practice One model we've seen work well in classrooms is a three-step approach that helps students move from first exposure to confident application while keeping engagement high along the way.
Step 1: Scaffolded exposure
Start with hints, videos and guided help This builds student confidence and ensures they understand key concepts before independent work begins.
�� Tip: Encourage retries and let students know it's okay to use help especially early in the learning cycle You can set an expectation that students aim for 100% accuracy with all supports available. The goal is understanding, not speed.
Step 2: Retrieval-based practice
Re-assign questions or tasks that revisit the same concept with fewer supports This strengthens recall and fluency.
�� Why it matters: Retrieval is one of the most effective ways to improve long-term retention Regular, low-stakes practice is more impactful than cramming
Step 3: Gamified challenge
Use features like Tug of War or Personal Best to consolidate learning in a motivating way This final layer turns revision into something students look forward to.
�� Teacher insight: Many classes see better recall and higher participation when they end the week with a short game or personal goal.
�� Weekly routine example
Here’s how this model might look across a typical week:
Day Instructional focus Example activity
Monday Scaffolded exposure Use guided help or a worked example in Mathspace
Tuesday Retrieval practice
Re-assign a fluency task with minimal supports
Wednesday Continued practice Encourage Streaks or target Personal Bests
Thursday Optional review
Use retries or peer explanation for tricky questions
Friday Gamified challenge End with Tug of War or celebrate improvement
�� Why this works:
This rhythm mirrors the principles of spaced repetition a research-backed approach that can improve retention by over 200% when combined with gamified incentives
6. Planning and reflection tools
You don’t need to overhaul your teaching to bring gamification into your classroom. A few small decisions made in advance can help you align features with your goals, differentiate for your students, and track what’s working.
This section offers simple tools to help you do just that
��
Weekly planning template
Use this to map out your week with curriculum goals in mind Start with your learning intentions, then decide where gamified features might add motivation, fluency, or focus
● What concept are students practising this week?
● Where might they benefit from retrieval or extra encouragement?
● Is there time for a gamified challenge at the end of the week?
✅ Pick your features: planning checklist
Match features to your classroom goals:
If your goal is...
Building energy for revision
Encouraging consistency
Supporting mixed abilities
Boosting motivation mid-unit
Recognising effort
Try using...
Tug of War, Leaderboard
Daily Challenges, Streaks
Personal Best, Stickers
Class Expedition, Shop
Outcome Ribbons, Stickers
�� Note: Some features work best as weekly habits (Streaks), while others are most effective as a Friday event (Tug of War). Try combining short- and long-term motivators to maintain momentum
�� Reflection prompts
Use these questions to reflect on the impact of gamification over time You could complete them weekly or once per unit.
● How did students respond this week?
● Who seemed more engaged than usual?
● What evidence of recall or fluency did I see?
● Who made the most progress academic or behavioural?
● What will I keep, change, or remove for next week?
�� Differentiation support
Gamification can be a helpful tool for inclusion when used intentionally Try the following adjustments to ensure every student can succeed:
● Use Personal Best instead of Leaderboard in mixed-ability settings
● Group students strategically in Tug of War to support peer learning
● Offer Stickers or Shop goals for effort even if a student struggles with accuracy
● Keep challenge instructions visual and simple for younger students
● Make space for calm, low-pressure participation (e g quiet retries)
7. FAQs
“Will this distract from learning?”
No All gamification features in Mathspace are layered on top of curriculum-aligned practice They’re designed to support engagement and retention not replace core content
“Can
I customise what students see?”
Yes many features can be toggled on or off at the class level For anything else, our Teacher Support team is happy to help adjust settings to suit your needs
“What if my class is mixed ability?”
Gamification is especially helpful in mixed-ability classrooms. Features like Personal Best focus on individual growth, not comparison You can also group students strategically in class-wide games like Tug of War to keep things inclusive. Remember that students who finish tasks early can be directed to independent work by starting their own adaptive tasks in the Mathspace workbook
“How do I know it’s working?”
Use your regular check-ins class observations, student reflections, and Mathspace’s built-in reports to track shifts in effort, participation, and recall You’ll likely notice small wins first: more consistent practice, better focus, or increased confidence in hesitant learners.
8. Want more support?
We’re here to help you use gamification in a way that suits your classroom
● �� Watch the webinar
Learn more about the three-step instructional model in our Spaced Practice webinar
● �� Contact our Teacher Support team
Have questions about a feature or need help adjusting settings? We’re just a message away
● �� Request a free PD session
Want to dive deeper? We offer free professional learning sessions to help your team use gamification with purpose.