Updated Theory Behind the Skill Trees Project (markdown)

Theory-Behind-the-Skill-Trees-Project.md

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 I began the skill trees project as a way to make sure I can continue to grow my own skill set without stagnating.  I often help university students and researchers with their projects within my role as a Makerspace manager, and I want to make sure I can provide the best help I can.  I’m always giving tours to visitors who often say things like ‘Wow, this would be too hard for me’ and it motivates me to find ways to make learning simpler, easier and more fun.  You can see this theme in many of my other projects, including my electronics kits.  Often the learning process is too technical and not visual enough.  Self-directed learning is tough and it’s easy to have a failure and get discouraged.  The path ahead is not always easy to see and the steps we’ve already taken are not celebrated.  
 
-My heart has been full working on the Skill trees project, and I always love to learn about the new skill areas that are submitted.  I’m so grateful for all the contributors who have helped build up this repository to being such a comprehensive resource.  I look forward to continuing to refine and grow the project and range of skill tree books in future.
+My heart has been full working on the Skill trees project, and I always love to learn about the new skill areas that are submitted.  I’m so grateful for all the contributors who have helped build up this repository to being such a comprehensive resource.  I look forward to continuing to refine and grow the project and range of skill tree books in future.
+
+## Project Ethos & Dark Gamification
+
+The Skill Trees project is about using gamification to help you find your skill levels, identify skill gaps and to inspire you to try new things. Using aspects of gamification like points, badging, leader boards and progress bars can help you set goals and upskill. With a distraction free, on paper experience, the original intention of this project is to give users a chance to reflect and meditate on their current selves and their journey ahead.
+
+However, gamification can be used in ways that might incentivise short term growth but provide the wrong motivations for completion, negatively affecting growth journeys. Addictive mechanics and dark gamification have no place within the skill trees project, and I’ve outlined some examples how to avoid this below.
+Intrinsic motivation, not extrinsic motivation
+
+Instead of: “If you aren’t top 10 in the class leader board, you won’t make it onto the robotics team”
+
+Say something like: “I see that you’re x points ahead of where you were last year, great work!”
+
+Or:
+
+“I didn’t realise you’d done so much electronics, can we do a skill swap?”
+
+Instead of: “You must complete five tiles by the end of the week”
+
+Say something like:
+
+“Pick a skill and tile to start and work through at your own pace”
+
+Leader board mechanics should not be used to inspire toxic competition, but instead allow you to enjoy the social aspects of upskilling, including skill swaps and helping others grow their skills. Everyone works at their own pace, and it’s important in the learning process to not ‘skim the surface’ all the time but get a chance to ‘deep dive’ for topics and projects that truly resonate with us. Forcing time limits or offering large rewards on completion encourages abuse of the self grading system, and might encourage early completion of the failure related tiles, incentivising breaking parts or setting up machines to fail. The idea of ‘speed running’ real life skills is a funny concept but not to be encouraged or incentivised. Quality of work over quantity of work, and journey over destination.
+Choice of flexibility, not rigidity
+
+Instead of:
+
+_“You must build this specific object to complete this tile” _
+
+Say something like:
+
+“Choose a tile to work on and make something that you’re excited to create”
+
+Lack of choice and agency can kill motivation and make participants lose interest. Bringing your own creativity and ideas is a richer experience and allows more collective learning when working with others. Sometimes this is not possible in classroom settings, but it’s worth reviewing the activity and introducing more freedom where possible. Consider giving students a problem or challenge rather than directions to the solution. When it comes to grading time, consider using student portfolios rather than graded tests.
+Further Reading and Resources
+
+The Learning Game, by Ana Lorena Fabrega
+
+Collateral Damage: How High-Stakes Testing Corrupts America’s Schools, by Sharon L Nichols and David C Berliner
+
+A Mathematician’s Lament, by Paul Lockhart
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+A Pedagogy of Play: Supporting playful learning in classrooms and schools, by Ben Mardell, Jen Ryan, Mara Krechevsky, Megina Baker, Savannah Schulz and Yvonne Liu Constant
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+A Project of One’s Own - Paul Graham
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+Weird Ideas that Work - Robert Sutton
+
+The Puzzle of Motivation TED Talk - Dan Pink
+
+How Thinking Works TED Talk - Dr. Derek Cabrera