Gamifying ubbu, an immersive tech-for-good experience

When I took the challenge of becoming the Product and Design Diretor at ubbu I knew I wanted to work on the mission, to inspire the next generation of innovators by teaching programming while raising awareness about sustainable development and global challenges. ubbu’s content is and already was on point with ubbu world, this narrative came to life. There’s a level where our main 5 characters need to find water in the desert, so why not make students feel that they are in the desert? I prioritized this change and we took the mission to new heights by creating a gamified, immersive learning experience. Let me share why it was so important to gamify this content and how it enhances the learning experience for our young users.

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The Importance of Gamifying Learning Content

1. Enhancing Engagement

Children naturally gravitate towards games and interactive experiences. By gamifying the content, we transform learning into an exciting adventure, hoping it significantly boosts engagement. When students are actively involved and having fun, they are more likely to absorb and retain information. Gamification encourages active participation rather than passive consumption and that’s what’s we’re about Code to Create - A tag line I’ve created and committed to this year with the team. In ubbu World, children don't just learn coding—they apply it to solve problems, complete quests, and navigate challenges. This hands-on approach fosters a deeper understanding of programming concepts and their real-world applications.

2. Creating a Cohesive Learning Experience

A gamified platform allows us to create a unified and immersive learning environment. The map of ubbu World provides a visual and interactive way to navigate lessons, making the learning journey more cohesive. This integration helps children connect different topics and see the bigger picture, enhancing their overall comprehension and retention.

3. Fostering Creativity and Exploration

ubbu World encourages students to think creatively and explore beyond the structured curriculum. By presenting a world full of diverse themes and challenges, we motivate children to experiment, innovate, and develop their own projects, in the tab Projects (using Block Coding). This freedom to explore and create is essential for fostering a growth mindset and a love for learning.

4. Building Social and Emotional Skills

The characters in ubbu World are designed to reflect diverse traits and sensibilities but also each represents a STEAM subject. By interacting with these characters and tackling challenges together, children develop important social and emotional skills such as empathy, teamwork, and resilience. These skills are crucial for their overall development and future success.

5. Connecting Learning to Real-World Issues

Each lesson in ubbu World is linked to real-world issues through the lens of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By embedding these global challenges into the storyline, we help children understand the impact of their learning on the world around them. They learn to code while also developing a sense of responsibility and awareness about issues like poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and justice. This contextual learning ensures that they see the relevance of their skills and knowledge in addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

6. Integrating STEAM Education

ubbu World seamlessly integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) into its narrative and gameplay. Each character represents a different aspect of STEAM, and their stories and challenges reflect this diversity. By exposing children to a wide range of disciplines in an interconnected manner, we encourage them to explore various fields and discover their passions. This interdisciplinary approach mirrors real-world scenarios where knowledge from different fields often overlaps and complements each other.

7. Preparing for the Future

In ubbu World, children encounter technologies and scenarios that are on the horizon of today's advancements. By familiarizing them with concepts such as AI, biotech, and food printing in a fictional yet plausible setting, we prepare them for the future. This foresight helps them understand potential developments and equips them with the skills and mindset needed to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Conclusion

By gamifying the content in ubbu World, we create an educational experience that is engaging, interactive, and deeply meaningful. This approach not only enhances the way children learn to code but also prepares them to be thoughtful, creative, and proactive citizens of the world. As we continue to innovate and expand Ubbu World, our commitment remains the same: to inspire and empower the next generation to make a positive impact on their world.


Want to explore ubbu further?
Here are a couple of Landing Pages we’ve designed to make you feel like a ubbu-geek in no time:
ubbu world
five ubbu friends