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Gamifying Hybrid Classes for Student Engagement

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Summary

In this article, Alain de Sales discusses the importance of student engagement in hybrid classes and the use of gamification as a tool to improve the quality of the hybrid learning experience. He draws from his teaching practice of a postgraduate course in wise leadership and explains the three elements he employed to improve student engagement and learning: (1) gamification via an online learning tool; (2) increased student engagement through discussion; and (3) continual improvement of the lectures using Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) as a specific feedback mechanism. Ultimately, based on the feedback he received from students, he concluded that gamification of hybrid classes increased student engagement and improved the quality of the learning experience.

Q&As

What challenges are present when teaching hybrid classes?
Teaching hybrid classes is more challenging when compared to either fully online (virtual) or face-to-face classrooms.

How can gamification be used to improve student engagement in hybrid classes?
Gamification can be used to create engagement in the first class and in specific lectures throughout the semester, create ice-breaker opportunities, create parity with regard to synchronous participation between the different types of cohorts, and provide pre-testing to promote better cognition and retention of complex concepts.

What methods were employed in the postgraduate course in wise leadership to improve student engagement?
Three elements were employed to improve student engagement and learning: (1) Gamification via an online learning tool; (2) Increased student engagement through discussion; and (3) Continual improvement of the lectures using Brookfield’s (2015) Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) as a specific feedback mechanism.

What impact did gamification have on student engagement in the hybrid classes?
Gamification had a positive impact on student engagement, with over 80% of the students in the class saying that the Kahoot quizzes increased their engagement, and over 95% of students associating a positive sentiment with the Kahoot gamification.

How did students respond to the use of gamification in the hybrid classes?
Students responded positively to the use of gamification, with multiple students emphasising the Kahoot quizzes as their most engaged moment.

AI Comments

👍 This article is incredibly comprehensive and offers a great insight into the challenges of teaching and learning in hybrid classes, as well as a unique approach to gamifying hybrid classes to increase student engagement.

👎 While the article offers a comprehensive discussion on the challenges of hybrid classes, there is a lack of empirical evidence to back up the author's claims about the effectiveness of gamifying hybrid classes.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how gamification can improve student engagement in hybrid classes. It discusses a professor's experience with using an online learning tool called Kahoot as a way to gamify the course and how it improved student engagement.

Friend: That's really interesting. I wonder if this approach could be used in other types of classes as well.

Me: Yes, I think it could be. The article discusses how it was effective in a large hybrid class, so it's possible that it could be used in other courses, too. It's important to note that gamification isn't a one-size-fits-all solution and that it needs to be tailored to the specific course and type of student engagement. The article also mentions the use of feedback from students to refine the gamification approach. This is important to ensure that it's actually engaging students and helping them learn.

Action items

Research existing literature on gamification in hybrid classes to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of such approaches.
Experiment with different gamification techniques in hybrid classes to determine which ones are most effective in increasing student engagement.
Utilize feedback mechanisms such as Critical Incident Questionnaires to continually refine gamification techniques and ensure that they are meeting the needs of the students.

Technical terms

Praxis: Refers to the practical application of knowledge or skills.
SoTL: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
HREC: Human Research Ethics Committee.
Kahoot: An online learning tool that uses gamification to engage students.
Flipped Classroom: A teaching method that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instruction online outside of class and moving “homework” into the classroom.
CIQ: Critical Incident Questionnaire.
Brookfield: Stephen Brookfield, an educational theorist.
James & Storm: James and Storm, authors of a 2019 research paper on pre-testing.