When it comes to classroom gamification, EMC² Learning offers a dynamic, flexible, and teacher-driven approach that stands out from other platforms, including the now-discontinued Classcraft. Whether you’re familiar with Classcraft or exploring classroom gamification for the first time, EMC² Learning delivers a fresh take on making learning fun, engaging, and student-centered.
Here’s how EMC² Learning takes gamified instruction to the next level:
1. Fully Editable Resources
EMC² Learning provides a massive library of over 800 resources that are fully editable through your existing Google suite. Each resource offers a playful upgrade to a familiar teaching practice or routine, and is designed to work for any course, any content area, and any grade level from 3-12 and beyond. Unlike Classcraft, which offered a fixed gamification structure with limited customization, EMC² Learning gives teachers complete creative freedom to really make each resource their own and suit the unique needs of the learners that you serve. Adapt and personalize every game, activity, and lesson to fit your lesson plan—no coding or complex software required.
2. Playful, Purposeful Learning
While Classcraft focused on behavior management with a game-like experience, EMC² Learning offers playful, student-centered activities that align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) best practices. Our activities are designed to promote creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking—not just manage classroom behavior. With EMC² Learning, every resource is built to foster deeper student engagement and learning across any subject.
3. Low Prep, High Impact
Time is precious for teachers, and EMC² Learning understands that. Unlike Classcraft’s more elaborate systems of point- and behavior-tracking that demanded ongoing teacher oversight, EMC² Learning resources are completely modular, and can be configured into any existing lesson plan with minimal teacher prep required. Activities on the site are designed for “plug and play” functionality to allow teachers the ability to weave them into their ever expanding toolkit of teaching strategies, and each can be mastered in as little as 5 to 40 minutes, making it easy to integrate gamified learning without overloading your workload. Whether you’re prepping for a single class or an extended unit, our activities are designed to fit seamlessly into your busy schedule.
4. No Student Logins or Complex Software
Each learning adventure in Classcraft was powered by the appeal of a fully customizable collection of student avatars and upgrades. While the incentive to “level up” these virtual selves absolutely appealed to a younger demographic with a flair for fantasy roleplaying, it likewise required student accounts, logins, and a pretty significant learning curve to get started. At EMC² Learning, we’ve eliminated these barriers. Our resources are ready-to-use in Google Slides, meaning you can start playing and teaching immediately—no software downloads or student accounts required.
5. New Content and Ideas Arriving Weekly
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At EMC² Learning, we believe that fresh content keeps learning exciting and relevant. And for as curious as your students may have initially been to enter the world of Classcraft upon its initial rollout in a classroom, the truth is that the proverbial pixie dust had the tendency to wear off pretty quickly, and students and teachers alike soon recognized what was really no more than a brightly colored behavior management portal once the initial novelty of entering the fantasy world had worn off. Here at EMC² Learning, we recognize that innovation is crucial to maintaining student interest, and our team regularly releases new resources—from student-centered review games to creative end of unit alternative assessments—so teachers always have access to cutting-edge ideas for engaging students. With 100-200 new activities added annually (and a weekly members-only spotlight newsletter to showcase all the latest additions!), EMC² members benefit from a continuously growing library that adapts to current trends, student needs, and the latest in educational research.
6. Engaging for All Grades and Subject Areas
Classcraft catered primarily to middle and high school classrooms with its role-playing game format. EMC² Learning’s resources are flexible and adaptable, making them perfect for grades 3-12 and applicable to any content area—math, science, social studies, ELA, and beyond! Whether you’re leading a history class or diving into a STEM project, EMC² Learning has the perfect activity to spark curiosity and engagement. We are proud to stand behind the belief that playful pedagogy can truly be a universal language for every age, and our gamified resources are currently “in play” in classrooms all around the world — reaching learners all the way from elementary school right up through graduate programs in education.
It's @NSTeachersUnion Conference Day and I'm starting off my day with #EMC2Learning course on #UDL and the wonderfully entertaining @MeehanEDU love that @HarrietsfieldS let's me participate in self directed PD!!! pic.twitter.com/DI4lB3TzSj
— MrKehoe (@MrKehoeHES) October 25, 2024
7. Professional Development and Virtual Coaching
EMC² Learning doesn’t stop at providing top-tier resources. We’re also committed to supporting teachers with ongoing virtual coaching sessions, tutorials, and an active community of educators worldwide. Whether you’re new to gamification or a seasoned pro, our platform is designed to help you level up your teaching and feel confident using our tools. Binge learn with PD in your PJs as both Basic Builders and Engagement Engineers enjoy immediate access to our ever-expanding library of self-paced Skill Builder video courses.
The activities featured in this blog post are just a handful of the 800+ resources available and on their way to arrive shortly in the EMC² Learning library. This entire library is available to all members with an active Engagement Engineer or Engagement Engineer PLUS account, and is included with your annual site membership. We hope you’ll consider joining us as an Engagement Engineer to unlock a full year of site access. For complete details including our exclusive limited time offer for annual site membership, click here.
