Gamification: Theory and Applications in the Liberal Arts
Wednesday, April 9, 2-3 pm.
Held online via video conferencing.
As zoologists, psychologists, anthropologists, and many educators know, playing games is at the heart of learning. Teachers have long used rhetorical games like debates or mind games such as Socratic elenchus to encourage critical thinking. But what about video and computer games? While readily accepted as play, games are increasingly being viewed as a teaching tool. What role might they play in fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and complex decision-making skills in the liberal arts?
Join Benjamin Balak, an associate professor of economics at Rollins College, to discuss the future of education using video games. Learn about his progress developing a gamified course structure, how it engages students and accelerates learning, as well as the difficulties he has encountered as he continues to explore the potential of games in the liberal arts.