Gamified Lesson Plan: Light in the Darkness

For this assignment, I reimagined my earlier game Light in the Darkness as a classroom-friendly gamified learning experience.  While the original game focused on navigating moral choices through branching narratives, this lesson reframes those same ideas using game elements like XP, quests, badges and narrative framing. The goal is not to turn the lesson into a full game, but to boost engagement and motivation through purposeful gamification.

Lesson Title & Context

Lesson Title: Light in the Darkness: Making Meaningful Choices
Context: This lesson uses narrative-based decisionmaking scenarios adapted from my original game. Students advance through a story world where each choice becomes a structured quest, encouraging reflection, ethical reasoning and understanding consequences.

Target Audience

High school students or early undergraduate learners exploring concepts in ethics, leadership, personal development or social emotional learning.

Learning Objective (Mager Format)

By the end of this lesson, given a narrative scenario with multiple decision points, the learner will select an appropriate response and justify their reasoning with at least two supporting details, demonstrating an understanding of ethical consequences.

Problem Definition

Students often struggle to see how choices influence outcomes, especially when decisions involve empathy, values or long term consequences. In my original game, players learned this through branching story paths. In the classroom version, the same problem is addressed through structured decision-making quests that guide students to articulate their reasoning and reflect on their choices.

Gamified Elements Selected

Drawing from the WSSG Gamification Design Toolkit, I chose elements that align well with ethical reasoning:

• Quests/Challenges: Each decision point becomes a mission with a clear purpose.

• XP (Experience Points): Awarded for thoughtful reasoning, collaboration, and effort.

• Badges: Recognize strengths such as empathy, logic, or insight (“Empathy Expert,” “Critical Thinker”).

• Narrative Framing: Maintains immersion by presenting the lesson as a journey through a story world.

• Progress Bar / Levels: Students can visually track their advancement through the lesson levels.

• Optional Collaboration Mechanics: Encourages peer discussion without requiring competition.

These elements support engagement while keeping the focus on reflection and ethical thinking.

Instructional Flow

Level 1: Entering the Story World

The lesson opens with a short narrative introduction that invites students into the ethical scenario. Students receive a quest sheet with a progress bar and a brief explanation of how XP and badges work. The purpose is to establish immersion and set expectations for how the “game like” structure supports their learning.

Level 2: The Path of Choices

Students progress through three interconnected quests:

Quest 1 – The First Choice

• Students read the opening scenario and select from two possible actions.

• XP is awarded for clarity and depth of reasoning.

Quest 2 – Ripple Effects

• In pairs, students compare the consequences of their choices.

• Collaboration XP is awarded, and badges become available for specific insights.

Quest 3 – The Turning Point

• Students individually analyze a more complex moral dilemma.

• Completing this quest unlocks the “Lightkeeper Level,” symbolizing narrative advancement.

Level 3: Resolution

Students revisit their decisions and reflect on how their choices shaped the story.  They update their progress bars, note their badges and respond to a brief debrief prompt about what they learned through the decision making process.

Materials & Resources

• Printed or digital quest sheets

• Adapted narrative scenarios from Light in the Darkness

• XP tracking sheet or digital form

• Badge icons or stickers

• Reflection worksheet

Assessment & Evidence of Learning

• XP earned for thoughtful reasoning and participation

• Badges marking specific strengths or mastery

• Final reflection demonstrating understanding of ethical consequences

• Teacher observation during pair discussions

Assessment emphasizes thoughtfulness and justification, not “right answers.”

Motivation & Engagement Strategy

Gamification is used intentionally to increase buy-in and support student engagement:

• XP reinforces consistent effort

• Badges celebrate strengths beyond correctness

• Quests break learning into clear, manageable steps

• Narrative framing maintains immersion

• Progress bars help students visually track growth

These mechanics mirror the tone of the original game while fitting comfortably into a classroom setting.

Accessibility & Inclusivity Considerations

To ensure all learners can fully participate:

• There are no timers or competitive leaderboards.

• XP is based on effort, not speed.

• Badges reward different strengths to give every learner an entry point.

• Narrative text is provided with accessible formatting and optional read aloud support.

• Collaborative work is encouraged but not required.

Reflection & Debrief

Students complete a short exit reflection addressing:

1. What influenced their decisions most strongly

2. How the consequences changed their thinking

3. Which badge they earned and what it represents

The lesson closes by connecting ethical choices from the narrative to real-life decision-making.