SuperBetter
Reviewed by Maria Widmer
Details: SuperBetter LLC, Sep 16, 2015, iOS 8.0 or later
Cost: Free
Review: The SuperBetter app, based on Jane McGonigal’s book of the same name, helps users to increase their resilience and improve their mental health by “gamifying the self.” Players improve their resilience scores – mental, emotional, social, and physical – by identifying Epic Wins, creating Secret Identities, recruiting Allies, completing Quests, activating PowerUps, and battling Bad Guys.
Students can use the gamified approach to self-development offered by the SuperBetter app at home or in other informal contexts to develop character strengths that will support their success in formal learning settings.
“Noncognitive skills” like resilience, grit, and optimism have been identified as key predictors of academic success and retention, in particular due to the important role they play in helping learners to regulate stress levels (Tough, 2016). Succeeding in the 21st century requires an ability to navigate multiple, rapidly changing, and non-routine content fields. SuperBetter supports learners in developing the life skills and resilience they need to Adapt to Change, Be Flexible, Be Self-Directed Learners, Manage Projects, and Produce Results in professional climates of ambiguity and stress (Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills, 2009).
Sources:
Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills (Rep.). (2009). Institute of Museum and Library Services. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED507729)
Tough, P. (2016, June). How Kids Learn Resilience. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/how-kids-really-succeed/480744/
