Gameful Learning Techniques to Address Hybrid Classroom Challenges (2020 Faculty Showcase)

Courtney Dumont, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Gameful learning allows students to engage with course content and have choice in their assessment opportunities within the framework designed by the instructor. The overall goal is for students to accumulate points throughout the semester in the manner that suits their learning style and accessibility in a hybrid course format. This strategy puts students in control of their grade and allows them to plan their activities to achieve a particular grade through accumulation rather than feeling they lose points in the traditional grading models. Using a gameful learning lens, the Regenerative Medicine course offered through the Department of Biomedical Engineering has been re-imagined to address concerns with hybrid teaching and to allow students to explore areas within the field that are of interest to them. Senior undergraduate and early graduate students are the target audience, as foundational knowledge and self-accountability are required for student success. Clear assignment details, rubrics, point accumulation options, and both online and in-person discussion platforms are essential for this class. The primary pitfall of this course format is low student assessment submission rates, which can be addressed by more concrete deadlines identified in future offerings of the course.

Faculty Showcase Website