Frequently asked questions : Chessity for teachers and coaches
How does Chessity motivate my students?
To learn and improve in chess, it is important that children practice regularly. That works best if practicing is fun and children enjoy it. That's why Chessity makes use of game-based learning.
Motivating reward systems
Chessity motivates through an effective reward system. The brain is very sensitive to rewards. Rewards encourage people (of all ages!) to learn and be open to change. If after a well-made task a reward follows - if only the sound of a tinkling cash register or a cheering Chessto, as in the lessons at the Pawn Level - this teaches the brain that something has worked and you have to tackle such a problem in the same way the next time .
Reward incentives in Chessity
Chessity is full of audiovisual and other reward stimuli for the brain. Tinkling coins, mini-games in which frogs and rockets win a race for you, stars you earn, lessons you unlock, and real chess games and online tournaments in which winning the game thanks to your skills is your reward.
On the way to an exam, the student sees 'reward stickers'. These stickers represent the skill areas that a student must master before they can take an exam:
If a student has mastered a skill sufficiently, the sticker is shown in color on his home page. Experts in online learning state that virtual rewards as these work even better for many people than rewards in physical form.
Compact levels, fast progression to exams
The levels in Chessity are composed of compact lesson series of 40 lessons each. This allows students to obtain their chess certificates (diplomas) in a relatively short time. This is a powerful incentive to proceed to the next level. In addition, it motivates the other children in the group or class to strive to earn their diplomas as well.
Because students quickly level up from Pawn to Knight to Bishop Level etc., they learn in a state of flow and are very engaged learners.
Mastery status in avatar
Avatars in Chessity show the highest level a user has successfully completed with a diploma. If you have passed the Pawn exam, a pawn is shown next to your profile picture. Passed the Bishop exam? Then there is a little bishop next to the picture. This visual proof of mastery is a virtual status symbol and has a super-motivating effect.
