Games as Study Aids
This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on July 27, 2020. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Studies show that many students do a poor job of
This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on July 27, 2020. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Studies show that many students do a poor job of
This article is featured in the resource guide, Effective Online Teaching Strategies. Dr_Tom 🎲 Dungeon Master (DM): Not every DM plays the villain. That’s not
This article is featured in the resource guide, Effective Online Teaching Strategies. Today, faculty are being asked to abruptly expand their teaching practices in ways
This article is featured in the resource guide, Effective Online Teaching Strategies. The transition to online teaching has been partially, if not completely, challenging for
Online instructors have known for some time that the primary work of creating an online course consists of “curation,” which is usually understood to be
What began as a routine summer workshop on incorporating games and game-like elements into instruction, turned into a surprise for summer; two weeks of fun
There’s a growing body of evidence that indicates the educational benefits of game-based learning. Although some courses are likely to be more conducive to a game-based approach, it’s helpful to consider how game elements might enhance the learning experience.
What began as a routine summer workshop on incorporating games and game-like elements into instruction turned into the surprise of the summer; two weeks of fun and intense online game play by an engaged and committed cadre of faculty and staff who were working to apply the principles of gaming to their courses and student activities. I had planned to end the workshop with a two-week follow-up online game for participants, but I didn’t seriously think anyone would do it.
When I speak with other professors who work extensively in the classroom, we often find that we share many of the same challenges. Students’ lack of classroom participation in discussion and test anxiety are two of the most common. Many professors try to mitigate these issues through two time-honored pedagogical tactics: a participation grade and extra credit questions on tests. While both tactics can be effective, by applying concepts from gamification research I found a way to both enhance classroom participation and reduce test anxiety with one simple technique.
One of the strengths of gamification is that it provides visible milestones of the student’s mastery of content in real time (when it is well designed). Too often in an instructional setting, the learner doesn’t know whether or not he or she really understands or can apply the knowledge they are learning. There is often no visible sign of mastery of the content or application of the content.
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