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In the ever-evolving landscape of education, innovative teaching methods are crucial to engage and inspire students. One such approach gaining traction is gamified pedagogy. This method integrates game elements into the learning environment, transforming traditional classrooms into dynamic, interactive spaces. As a practitioner of a games-based learning approach, I have successfully used games and gamified curricula in all of my courses since 2002. By Dr. Keziah Tinkle-Williams  What is Gamified Pedagogy?
Gamified pedagogy involves incorporating game mechanics—such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges—into educational activities. The goal is to motivate students, foster collaboration, and make learning more enjoyable. By turning lessons into games, educators can create a sense of excitement and competition, encouraging students to engage more deeply with the material. I have found a team-based approach, rather than the traditional individualized approach to gamification, revolutionary in establishing a highly-engaged classroom community. Canvas recently introduced an enhancement that streamlines assignment management—the "Assign To" feature. This feature allows instructors to customize assignments, quizzes, and discussions for specific students, sections, or groups easily. Whether it's for differentiated instruction, offering accommodations, or managing makeup work, the "Assign To" feature offers the flexibility to set unique due dates, availability windows, or even different tasks altogether for select individuals or groups.  One of the key benefits of this feature is its convenience. Instead of having to enter the assignment editor for small adjustments, instructors can quickly update due dates and assignments using a slide-out menu. This slide-out isn’t just available in the assignment editor but can also be accessed via the three-dot context menu next to assignments or activities in the assignment index and modules. It’s a practical update that simplifies course management and enhances efficiency. We’ve heard about Genially, the platform allowing users to create visually engaging and interactive presentations, infographics, quizzes, etc. Genially is supremely user-friendly, enabling educators from all backgrounds to create professional-looking content without needing advanced design or coding skills. Whether a novice or a seasoned user, here is a great opportunity to bring Genially to your online classroom:  Having mechanisms for assessing students in a low stress and interactive manner can help students retain and apply key course concepts, as well as, provide instructors with instant feedback on how well students are grasping key course material. On this edition of Tech Tuesday I am spotlighting Kahoot!, a gamified quiz software that has features that can be used beyond the standard quiz game. 
I am here to share my favorite ways that I use Google for teaching. In this post, I will reveal my favorite 3 Google hacks that make teaching easier, smoother, and some fun! By Dr. Alisa Beyer, Psychology Faculty  First, I enjoy finding systematic ways to share information with students. I get emails with different events and there is general information to always share (advising, FOI Canvas, mental health resources, student tools on cgc.edu, etc). I channel all that chaos into one beautiful, shared Google Slides deck that my faculty colleagues can add to as well. It’s my one-stop shop for sharing what students need to know—minus the inbox clutter! I share it at the start of class and post it in my announcements in Canvas. Here is an example of the PSY student slides.
 Coming to you from Marie Huntsinger, Sociology Faculty
Canva is an easy-to-use, free design tool that helps you create visually appealing infographics to engage students. Infographics simplify complex topics, making information digestible and memorable. They are perfect for summarizing content, creating study guides, or presenting research data in a way that enhances student learning and retention.
Click to learn more... Packback This online discussion and writing platform uses AI to create a more engaging, student-centered learning environment. Packback’s platform helps instructors spend more of their time connecting with students through meaningful interactions, and less time on corrective feedback. Packback can be used with your Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) plan of instructor-initiated interactions and responsiveness to student requests and questions. Click to learn more... Faculty at a recent discipline workshop discussed the challenges of encouraging engagement in online, asynchronous courses. Increasing interaction between faculty and students and students themselves can help students feel more connected and invested in the course. A recent study identified five key elements of engagement: social, cognitive, behavioral, collaborative, and emotional. While many of these resources are focused on increasing connections in the online environment, the same strategies provide improved engagement in hybrid and in-person environments too! Click to learn more... This Tech Tuesday is brought to you by the letters, A, O, D, E, I, P, and R and an OEReo (perhaps from Cookie Monster)! O is for Open. Open includes Open Education, Open Access, Open Science, Open Data, Open Source, and maybe even Open Government. As part of Open Education, there has been a focus on OER - Open Education Resources. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) defines OERs as “learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under the copyright that has been released under an open license, that permits no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others” (UNESCO, 2022). Examples of OER include teaching materials, readings, music, images, and research. Click to learn more... To ensure our students' success, it is crucial to enhance the accessibility of our courses. Making adjustments to text, color, and headings is instrumental in ensuring that all students can access your content effectively. Below, you will find a list of essential principles for accessible design. Most of these adjustments can be made without compromising the overall visual appeal of your documents, presentation slides, and Canvas pages. Click to learn more... |
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