I felt this way as I read a recent article, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, about integrating "gaming" into the online classroom. And yet, as I read, I also thought of the series of articles that CJ Bracken has been writing about the Millennial generation and their expectations of heightened and more interactive relationships within their online classes.
I am curious: are any instructors at JSRCC using gaming technologies or gaming psychologies in classes? If you are, why not share your expertise and knowledge at one of our Spring Synergy events.
--Ghazala Hashmi
QEP Coordinator
2 comments:
I am not sure when a simulation morphs into a game. I imagine "fun" and "challenge" are important to the gamist (new word?). Whereas I no longer teach HRI 270 - Strategic Lodging Management, it involves a sustained classroom competition between student team members, as their virtual lodging properties compete for market share and business success. The simulation software contains heuristic algorithms that create business consequences for student investment decisions and strategic resource commitments. The competition takes place across the entire semester. The ultimate (virtual) business results within the competitive construct are used to calculate a portion of their final grades, so there is motivation to "play hard and win." At the end-of-semester debrief, students compose an Executive Summary that explains their strategic planning and decision-making throughout the semester (How and why did you do what you did?). In addition to their narrative discussion, the reports contain copies of their Business Planning Worksheet and all periodic strategic revisions.
Just as in other competitive games, each student hones their skills as the clock ticks on. By the end of the simulation there is a mix of elation, deflation, and "I want a rematch!"
David, I think that your simulation activity is very much in line with the "gamification" of student learning. The simulation you describe sounds wonderfully engaging and challenging. It takes the concepts of business, management, and finance out of the abstract realm; the real-world application of the textbook material helps the students, I'm sure, learn and retain the information. I think that the competitive edge really makes the process even more engaging and exciting for the students.
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