When I Grow Up, I want to be a Level 70 Accountant.

Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast about how videogaming will influence the workplace. One of the panelist talked about how a group of 40 people from around the globe come together in a virtual environment to kill big bad meanies in World of Warcraft. He talked about how this can build leadership skills, and how cool it would be to bring the Role Playing Game concept of experience points concept to real life. Which got me thinking...

What if a K-12 education was structure like an online game? Instead of grade levels, kids would reach experience levels; levels determine by earning experience points; experience points earned by completing individual and team quests. These could be accomplished both in the physical and virtual realm. Kids could earn points by showing proficiency of certain skills like math or reading as well as softer skills like leadership or research. Kids could earn points by collaborating with other kids in their school as well as other global students in India or China. And what if you don't stop earning points at graduation but continuing to earn points until you die... And then someday you'd could become a level 70 accountant just like your dad.

#k12education #gamer #business #bigidea #innovation