Gamified MoreReads Because Learning Should be Fun

Avil Beckford // October 19

Introduction: Gamified MoreReads Because Learning Should be Fun

Would it not be amazing if learning was fun? I have hosted reading challenges for a few years now. And I have made many changes to make them better. The one common denominator is that they need an investment of time and dedication. MoreReads provides a process to learn the key skills needed to succeed in future jobs. And I have created a gamified MoreReads because learning should be fun.

Skills will always change, but once you know how to learn, you should not have a problem developing new skills. I must admit that it has been difficult to get people to take part in this challenge. It could be that thinking about reading 60 books in a year may sound overwhelming to them.

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However, I'll teach you how to digest the average nonfiction book in 30 to 60 minutes. Once you learn effective reading strategies, you realize that reading 60 books in a year is very doable. Another hack is to read a summary of the book first to know where to hang the content when you digest the book.

Reading a book summary is an excellent way to get the key concepts from business books. It’s also a great way to decide which books to buy to explore more deeply. Click the Readitforme link to join. Think of this subscription as your speed-reading superpower. You read the summary, therefore, you can digest and process the book faster.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by what I have to do, I break down the tasks into bite-sized pieces. Instead of thinking that you have to read 60 books, think about reading one book, every six days. Or you could challenge yourself to read for an hour every day. The outcome is the same. When you learn the strategies that I teach, you'll find yourself digesting more books in a week.

I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the process better. The easy thing to do would be to give up, but I refuse to give up on something that is so important to me. Within the next two years, I would like to get 1,000 professionals reading one book each week. I can meet that goal if I can make my process interesting – turn it into a movement for people who want to learn by reading books.

Continuous learning is a common trait among the most successful people. And that is often in the form of reading great books. Studies show that these high achievers read about 60 books every year. But it not just reading the books. They are devouring the important sections in books. To them, a book is a problem solving tool. They read books that make them think. They take note of the big ideas in the book and they act on them. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Maverick, is one such person.

Have you read?

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To get more people to participate in MoreReads, I have gamified the process, turning it into a fun game.

Game Master: Avil Beckford

Company: The Invisible Mentor

Game: MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World

Goals & Objectives of MoreReads (Story and the Mission)

Read books that allow you to learn and master key workplace skills needed for future jobs.
Read books written by authors from around the globe to learn skills that will help you to get along with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Use the newly acquired skills to solve existing workplace problems to give you more visibility and authority at work.

Format of the Gamified MoreReads

The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a GameMoreReads is designed as an individual player game, although peers can take part in the challenge together if they choose to. I call you to participate in MoreReads to learn key skills to thrive in the future. You can accept or reject my call. If you accept the call to go on the learning journey, you will face many challenges along the way. Challenges may include:

Difficulty finding time to read a book every six day.
Understanding difficult texts.
Getting the most from reading.
Applying what you learn.

You will have mentors to help you in the Read the World Facebook Group to help you overcome the challenges. Before starting MoreReads, have a conversation with you boss, or another influencer at work, to let her know what you plan to do. The intent of the career conversation is to secure a project to work on that will allow you to apply the skills once you learn them. The project should benefit you and the organization, so make sure that it will help you to move to your next position.

After you come to an agreement with your boss, develop a concept document outlining the project that you plan to work on. The project should last a year since it takes a year to complete MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World.

Fulfilling the requirement of MoreReads will take you virtually around the world when you read books written by authors from all the continents. You will also read books that teach you key skills, and when you combine the big ideas from the books you read, expect to go to places unknown.

When you complete the challenge, you are wiser, and you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to thrive in the future. You have been applying the news skills while working on the project, so you now feel like you have mastered them. Since skills are always changing, you can start the challenge again, reading books to teach you the new skills.

Rules of MoreReads (How to Score and What You Win)

Choose the books you plan to read for three months at a time, so you are not scrambling to find which books to read.
Every six days, read a book that is based on a specific reading challenge criterion.
Takes notes while reading books, especially a non-fiction book.
Review your notes after reading each book, then pick out the big ideas.
Write down where the authors were born, and their birth date, if it is easy to find. You can use age and culture as metrics to track how diversely you are reading.
At the end of the month, combine ideas from the five books, finding ways to elevate ideas into bigger more encompassing ones.
Teach what you learn to other people.
Implement your ideas by applying the information at work.

Feedback System of MoreReads (Points, Badges, Levels)

Did you read the five books based on the requirements for the month?
Could you explain to others what you learned?
Did you apply the new skills to your work and life?
Did you act on any of the great ideas you produced that month?

Grading Procedure: Gamified MoreReads

Gamified MoreReads Level One: 120 points

Complete the pre-reading, read a book by an African author, and books to learn problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and decision making. To get the most from reading the books, take notes while you are reading. In your notes, record your reaction to what you are reading. After reading each book for the month, pick out the big ideas. At the end of each month, start combining the ideas to make them into bigger more encompassing ideas.

Some people have mentioned to me that taking notes while reading interrupts the flow. But I think if you want to get a return on investment from your reading time, you have to take notes.