Reply To: Module 4- Engaging Students

[alysa.herrerataylo1@bison.howard.edu]

I think gasification does have the ability to increase teaching and learning outcomes. I can remember as a student sometimes teachers would create Jeopardy games in order to prepare us for Quizzes. It was fun being on teams and essentially quizzing each other on the material. When students can talk about the content/information with ease then they truly know/understand what you have been teaching them, rather than just memorizing and forgetting facts for the exam. As an instructor it can definitely be challenging to turn a standard lecture into a game, especially if you are not familiar with how the layout should look, how to make it fun with transitions and sounds, etc. But, I think it can help you to understand what areas the students have grasped and maybe what needs more work. Learning is not fun for everyone, and engaging students is hard, especially during the pandemic. I think gamification is another tool instructors should take advantage of, assuming they have the time, and it doesn’t have to be as elaborate as a Jeopardy game with buzzers. When we had the presentation about the different technologies available to us, we were shown simple games like the quizzes and whoever answered the fates won, or the spinning wheel. There are many things available to us (that are free!) that can supplement a regular lecture and break up the monotony.