Gamification 101[18]: End of Week Three

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis is Part 18 in my continuing saga of my current iteration of a gamified course. Most of my students are well on their way. We have spent a lot of time talking about the way the course is organized … Continue reading

Worth Sharing: Digital badges hit the big time in higher ed

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt’s not the badges that are meaningful – it’s what they represent. If the the thing they represent is meaningful then the badge is meaningful. It also helps if the badge is recognized as a form of credential. Interesting that this … Continue reading

Worth Sharing: Doing Educational Gaming Right

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteA few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of playing Upper One Games’ Never Alone, or Kisima Injitchuna. It was a relatively simple puzzle-platformer game that on the merits of gameplay doesn’t do anything too drastic from the norm. However, … Continue reading

What Could Be Gained If Every Course at Your School Were Gamified?

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat if all instructors could access the students’ badges (or other credentials). This could ultimately have far-reaching implications for how students earn credit, what kind of work they are required to do in their classes, and more. I once designed an inquiry-based … Continue reading

Gamification 101[17]: What Does a Gamified Grading Application Need to Have?

Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesThis is Part 17 in my continuing saga of my current iteration of a gamified course. As I’ve said before, current course management systems don’t have the flexibility required to accommodate a gamified design such as mine (here and here). … Continue reading

Worth Sharing: Why Schools Are Increasingly Neglecting Introverts

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesFor many students, quiet time is key for the learning process. The way in which certain instructional trends—education buzzwords like “collaborative learning” and “project-based learning” and “flipped classrooms”—are applied often neglect the needs of introverts. In fact, these trends could … Continue reading

Magician or Wizard: When it Come to Tech, Which One are You?

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteForget about “Digital Natives” when it comes to technology. What really counts is whether you are a magician or merely a wizard? You see, when it comes to tech, being a wizard is not what one might hope. Don’t get … Continue reading

BeckerBlog Clip Show, 1st Edition: Who Teaches Teachers?

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the last few months the readership of this blog has increased significantly, which is really great, and it has occurred to me that there have been some pretty good posts in the past that are worth bringing up again. … Continue reading