#learning technology

[maxlearnmicrolearningplatform]

Integrating Gamification in Microlearning: The Four Pillars of Schell's Model

Incorporating gamification into microlearning assets can transform the learning experience, making it more engaging and effective. However, it’s crucial to understand how to integrate the motivational and psychological aspects of games into your microlearning design. Ensuring that the learning objective is aligned with the gamification design is essential to maximizing its impact on learner behavior. This is where Jesse Schell’s Four Pillars of Gamification—story, dynamics, mechanics, and technology—come into play.

Understanding Gamification in Microlearning

Gamification involves using game-like elements in non-game contexts to motivate and engage learners. In microlearning, this means incorporating elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges into bite-sized learning modules. The goal is to create an interactive and immersive learning environment that enhances motivation and improves retention.

The Four Pillars of Gamification

Jesse Schell, a renowned game designer and author, proposed a comprehensive model for gamification that includes four essential pillars: story, dynamics, mechanics, and technology. Each pillar plays a critical role in creating a cohesive and impactful gamified learning experience.

1. Story

Storytelling is a powerful tool in gamification. It provides context and meaning to the learning activities, making them more relatable and engaging. A well-crafted story can captivate learners' attention, foster emotional connections, and enhance their overall learning experience.

Creating a Compelling Narrative

When integrating story into your microlearning design, consider the following:

Define Clear Objectives: The story should align with the learning objectives and guide learners towards achieving them. For example, if the objective is to teach problem-solving skills, the story could revolve around a character facing various challenges that require creative solutions.

Develop Characters: Characters can make the story more relatable and engaging. Learners can see themselves in the characters, which helps them connect emotionally with the learning material.

Build a Plot: A well-structured plot with a beginning, middle, and end keeps learners engaged. The plot should include conflicts and resolutions that align with the learning objectives.

2. Dynamics

Dynamics refer to the big-picture aspects of gamification that drive the learner’s behavior. They are the underlying forces that motivate learners to engage with the learning material. Key dynamics in gamification include rewards, competition, collaboration, and progression.

Implementing Effective Dynamics

To effectively integrate dynamics into your microlearning design, consider the following:

Incentivize Learning: Use rewards such as points, badges, and certificates to recognize achievements and motivate learners. Ensure that the rewards are meaningful and align with the learning objectives.

Foster Competition and Collaboration: Incorporate elements such as leaderboards to create healthy competition, and collaborative challenges to encourage teamwork. Both competition and collaboration can drive engagement and enhance learning outcomes.

Ensure Progressive Challenges: Design learning activities that gradually increase in difficulty. This progression keeps learners challenged and motivated to continue learning.

3. Mechanics

Mechanics are the specific rules and interactions that define how the game elements work. They are the building blocks of gamification and include elements such as points, levels, challenges, and feedback.

Designing Engaging Mechanics

When designing mechanics for your gamified microlearning assets, consider the following:

Points and Levels: Use points to reward learners for completing tasks and levels to represent their progress. This helps learners see their advancement and motivates them to keep going.

Challenges and Quests: Incorporate challenges and quests that require learners to apply what they have learned. These can be problem-solving tasks, scenarios, or simulations that make learning interactive and practical.

Instant Feedback: Provide immediate feedback to learners. Instant feedback helps learners understand their mistakes, reinforces correct actions, and keeps them engaged.

4. Technology

Technology is the enabler that brings the story, dynamics, and mechanics to life. It involves the platforms, tools, and software used to implement and deliver gamified learning experiences.

Leveraging Technology for Gamification

To effectively use technology in your gamified microlearning design, consider the following:

Choose the Right Platform: Select a Learning Management System (LMS) or gamification platform that supports the integration of gamified elements. The platform should be user-friendly and capable of delivering a seamless learning experience.

Utilize Multimedia: Use multimedia elements such as videos, animations, and interactive graphics to enhance the storytelling and engagement. Multimedia can make learning more immersive and enjoyable.

Track and Analyze Data: Use technology to track learner progress, engagement, and performance. Analyzing this data helps you understand the effectiveness of your gamified learning activities and make data-driven improvements.

Aligning Learning Objectives with Gamification Design

The success of gamification in microlearning largely depends on how well the learning objectives are aligned with the gamification design. Here are some strategies to ensure alignment:

Define Clear Learning Outcomes: Before designing the gamified elements, clearly define the learning outcomes you want to achieve. This ensures that every gamified activity is purposeful and contributes to the overall learning goal.

Map Game Elements to Objectives: Ensure that each game element, whether it’s a challenge, reward, or feedback mechanism, directly supports the learning objectives. For example, if the objective is to improve critical thinking, design challenges that require learners to analyze and solve complex problems.

Measure Impact: Regularly assess the impact of gamification on learning outcomes. Use assessments, quizzes, and feedback to evaluate whether the gamified activities are helping learners achieve the desired objectives.

Case Study: Implementing Schell’s Four Pillars

Let’s consider a case study to illustrate how Schell’s Four Pillars can be effectively integrated into a microlearning program.

Scenario: Onboarding New Employees

A company wants to design a gamified microlearning program to onboard new employees. The learning objectives include understanding company culture, mastering essential job functions, and developing teamwork skills.

Story: The onboarding program is framed as an adventure where new hires are agents on a mission to integrate into the company. The narrative involves characters representing different departments, each offering unique challenges and insights into the company culture.

Dynamics: The program includes rewards such as badges for completing onboarding modules, a leaderboard to track progress, and team challenges to foster collaboration among new hires.

Mechanics: Points are awarded for completing tasks, levels represent stages of the onboarding process, and instant feedback is provided through quizzes and interactive scenarios. Challenges require new hires to apply their knowledge in realistic job scenarios.

Technology: The onboarding program is delivered through a mobile-friendly LMS that supports gamification. The platform includes multimedia elements to enhance storytelling and tracks learner progress to provide data-driven insights.

Conclusion

Integrating gamification into microlearning assets requires a thoughtful approach that considers the motivational and psychological aspects of games. By leveraging Schell’s Four Pillars—story, dynamics, mechanics, and technology—you can create engaging and effective learning experiences. Ensuring that the gamification design aligns with learning objectives is crucial to maximizing the impact on learner behavior and achieving the desired training outcomes. With the right strategy and tools, gamification can transform your microlearning programs and drive significant improvements in engagement, retention, and performance.

[latest-info]

How to Make Learning a Lifelong Adventure

Introduction: The Joy of Lifelong Learning Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep the flame of curiosity alive throughout your life? Why do some people seem to thrive on learning new things while others stagnate? Lifelong learning isn’t just about formal education; it’s a mindset, a lifestyle. In this article, we will explore how you can make learning an ongoing adventure, full of…

[hamletthedane]

Still laughing at Brian May offhandedly writing the greatest understatement in the history of academia in his astrophysics doctoral dissertation:

Ah, yes - “various pressures.” Like being one of the greatest guitarists ever and playing/writing/singing for the most legendary rock band of all time.

Those various pressures.

[quodeck]

QuoDeck Receives Learning Management Software Accolade From High-Ranking B2B Platform

QuoDeck recently received a prestigious award for learning management software from a prominent B2B software platform, adding another achievement to its list. CompareCamp, a respected authority in B2B SaaS reviews, has recently acknowledged QuoDeck as one of the top Learning Management solutions of the year. The platform presented QuoDeck with the esteemed Rising Star Award, a distinction…

[cozylittleartblog]

Columbo and the Knight (1984)

put me in the universe where Columbo ran through the 1980s and had a crossover episode with Knight Rider. I think they deserved it, and I am not just saying that because they're my two favorite Old Shows. @telebeast wrote a little fanfic blurb about it and I HAD to visualize it into a comic (which is also the longest comic I have finished thus far at five pages...), so writing credit goes to them.

Autism W!

[f-identity]

[Image description: A series of posts from Jason Lefkowitz @jalefkowit@octodon.social dated Dec 08, 2022, 04:33, reading:

It's good that our finest minds have focused on automating writing and making art, two things human beings do simply because it brings them joy. Meanwhile tens of thousands of people risk their lives every day breaking down ships, a task that nobody is in a particular hurry to automate because those lives are considered cheap https://www.dw.com/en/shipbreaking-recycling-a-ship-is-always-dangerous/a-18155491 (Headline: 'Recycling a ship is always dangerous.' on Deutsche Welle) A world where computers write and make art while human beings break their backs cleaning up toxic messes is the exact opposite of the world I thought I was signing up for when I got into programming

/end image description]

[disease]

Frank Rosenblatt, often cited as the Father of Machine Learning, photographed in 1960 alongside his most-notable invention: the Mark I Perceptron machine — a hardware implementation for the perceptron algorithm, the earliest example of an artificial neural network, est. 1943.

[nicholasandriani]

How I’m adapting Jacques Ranciere’s “The Ignorant Schoolmaster“ into the Curriculum.

Ranciere’s “The Ignorant Schoolmaster” (1987) is a seminal work in the field of education and has been widely discussed and debated within the realm of game studies. The book presents a unique approach to teaching and learning, in which the teacher is seen as an “ignorant schoolmaster” who is able to lead their students to knowledge through their own ignorance. One of the key arguments in…

[class2learn]

5 Education Technology Gains during the Pandemic

With the advent of educational technology, teachers and parents are starting to use a much more efficient way to transfer knowledge. Here’s how the learning technology industry has done its best to help students cope with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Multiple facets of the educational system have been severely damaged by the COVID-19 outbreak. Nevertheless, it also offered a rare chance to improve evaluation processes and make them more transparent. Real-time evaluations have been made easier by the quick development of eLearning and adaptable learning strategies, which may herald a move towards personalized education. Even if adjusting to new technology may still be a challenge, eLearning is laying the foundation for the future.

If you were to trust the fearful mainstream media, today’s youth would be destined for failure due to the “knowledge deficit” brought on by the emergency classes they had to take during the pandemic.

 Innovative educators (and their students) recognize that this is not the case. There is no single point in time when any particular subject or topic must be learned. Many adults recognize that we remember and apply very little of what we learned in grades K-12. Talk to students before the pandemic, and they’ll tell you that school was often boring, irrelevant, and disconnected from the real world, where they could learn anything, anytime, anywhere using technology that was previously unavailable (or even prohibited) in many schools.

 If educators embrace technology, they will be able to effectively overcome current assessment challenges. Here are some examples of how this might work:

Device Accessibility:

 Both students and adults comprehend that access to technology is critical to preparing students for real-world success. Before the pandemic, there was a huge digital divide. Schools wasted money on things like textbooks, paper, pencils, erasers, ink, and so on. All this while Chromebooks were available for around $ 200 (or $ 50- $ 75 per student per year). Changing to a more effective teaching tool is not only better for students, but is also less expensive. The pandemic has enabled us to provide more devices to students than ever before. This device access benefits all students, but it is especially important for the many students with disabilities or who speak other languages. This is because the devices can provide digital accessibility and translation.

Internet Accessibility:

The pandemic has drawn attention to the resources students need to participate equitably in educational opportunities, especially during distance learning. While computers and the Internet were important in education before the pandemic – as tools for word processing, research and communication after school, or even as primary tools in school – they have now become essential tools for students to engage in the 2020 -21 academic year.

 The pandemic has drawn attention to participate equitably in educational opportunities, especially during distance learning. While computers and the Internet were important in education before the pandemic – as tools for word processing, research and communication after school, or even as primary tools in school – they have now become essential tools for students to engage in the 2020 -21 academic year.

Access to Educational Resources 

As a result of the pandemic, school districts have implemented learning management systems and platforms such as Google Classroom. Finally, all students and families now have easy access to content. This means that if the student needs to see the content again, it will be available. If parents want to know what their child is working on, they are here. If a student changes schools in the middle of the year, he has easy access to study materials.

Accessibility to trustworthy websites

The preparation phase is completed with a student presentation in front of the class and a teacher evaluation. A moment that has been lost and forgotten. Schools now have the ability to access a variety of platforms thanks to the pandemic, enabling staff members to carry out their duties in the most efficient manner possible. Students may post projects to Flipgrid, for instance, and then examine and comment on one other’s creations. Families may go through the grids to see what their kids have created. With the help of resources like Seesaw or Wix for Education, several students were able to build authentic digital profiles for the first time.

Communication Made Easy

Before the pandemic, video conferencing was news, but now climbing has become a verb and everyone knows how to communicate via video. Video conferencing softens conversations and allows voices that were previously ignored to sit at the virtual table. For example, the ability to use chat helps retired or timid students share their ideas. The editing made it easier for people with disabilities or students who speak other languages ​​to understand the speech. Many teachers discover how easy it is to bring teachers, guests and experts into their virtual classrooms.

 Conclusion: 

Finally, let us not be too quick to return to normalcy as society returns to school. The digital separation was normal. Old textbooks and exams were commonplace. Students with disabilities or those who speak other languages ​​are not supported by Normal. Normal doesn’t know how technology has helped us serve underserved (or underserved) students. Innovative educators, leaders, and elected officials must recognize that the pandemic has revolutionized education. Now we need to decide how to use the lessons learned to build on these gains.

[prokopetz]

With all the effort they're putting into making sure that ChatGPT never says or does anything even the tiniest bit unmarketable I give it even odds that within two years we end up with a situation where you ask it the wrong sort of question and it automatically calls the cops.

[pilloclock]

Learn about Congo 🇨🇩 We cannot , after finding out so shamefully late about the genocide, continue as per. We have to change our choices and make the effort to be as ethical as we can and talk about this!

[bunnieswithknives]

Okay but does Peri KNOW that Dev has a robotic leg when he shows up? Something about the fact that Peri's wand is a cane and the fact that Dev could have kept his leg and just had a cane for the rest of his life instead tickles my brain.

I mean he doesn't know immediately, he wasn't like briefed or anything, but he basically lives in Dev's house so he definitely finds out. Peri doesn't comment on or react to it all though really, there's no reason for him to think anything of it, plenty of people have missing limbs, a lot of people are born without them, it doesn't necessarily mean anything sinister happened. He had no reason to pry or ask and I think Peri's lack of reaction to it helped Dev feel a bit more comfortable in his skin. (Not by much but.. a little bit.)

[talos-stims]

dreamcast DIVERS 2000 CX-1 | source

[quodeck]

QuoDeck Earns Learning Management System Recognition from Leading B2B Review Platform

QuoDeck humbly earned an esteemed industry award for its groundbreaking software innovation and outstanding service offerings. FinancesOnline, a renowned B2B review site, has given QuoDeck the highly coveted Rising Star Award for its impressive performance within a short period, citing its remarkable growth as a new software product. Besides QuoDeck’s growing success and positive mentions on…

[4ce-of-2pades]

When is Echo going to give up on Narcissus and go to Camp Half Blood and make some actual friends?

[Echo finds Leo at CHB]

Leo: Do I know you?

Echo: [statement] I know you.

Leo: Really? Did I fight you or something?

Echo: Or something.

Leo: Why do you keep repeating me? It’s kind of… wait!

Leo: [facepalm] Echo! Dang, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to forget!

Echo: [annoyed] Mean to forget.

Leo: But isn’t people forgetting you part of the curse?

Echo: [shrugs, resigned] Part of the curse.

Leo: Girl, we have got to get you some text-to-speech tech.

Echo: Text-to-speech tech?

Leo: Come on, I think Chiron’s got a smartphone.

Echo: Smartphone?

Leo: [laughs, starts to lead her away] Now who’s asking all the questions?

Echo: [firmly] Questions.

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BRAD GEIGER AND WIKIPEDIA

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