Tina Burrell

The assessment of educational games and simulations is crucial due to historical skepticism about their educational value. Modern eLearning environments track learner engagement through interactions with content, offering insights and limitations. Games allow for more direct assessment by recording player actions, known as "stealth assessment." This embedded approach provides continuous, real-time feedback on learning progress and engagement, enhancing assessment and learning experiences. It's essential to align game-based assessments with learning objectives and use tools like Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) to ensure assessments are valid and integrated seamlessly into gameplay.

In an online classroom, leveraging game-based assessments can enhance engagement and provide… >>>

The training discusses the role of digital gaming in education, emphasizing its potential for social interaction and engagement. While gaming is popular, its social aspects are often overlooked, yet they can enhance distance interactions. Games and simulations are noted for their multidisciplinary content, which supports broader learning perspectives across subjects. They also cater to individualized learning paths, reducing frustration by allowing learners to progress at their own pace. Furthermore, game-based learning guidelines stress contextual relevance, interactivity, and integration with curriculum, reinforcing learning through stories and feedback.

These principles can be applied in an online classroom by integrating well-designed educational games… >>>

The excerpt highlights the benefits and challenges of integrating gaming and simulations into eLearning environments. Games and simulations offer engaging, learner-centered strategies that enhance understanding through active participation and application of knowledge in realistic scenarios. They promote deeper learning by allowing learners to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them in a safe environment. However, challenges include the time required for preparation, potential mismatch with course content, and the need for instructional support. In online classrooms, these tools can foster engagement, cater to diverse learning styles, and prepare learners for real-world challenges through interactive and immersive experiences.

The course integrates gaming and simulations into online learning environments to enhance engagement and learning outcomes. It begins by defining gaming and simulations as educational tools, emphasizing their role in introducing, engaging, and reinforcing learning concepts. Learners will explore the advantages and challenges of using these tools, analyze their design and implementation strategies, and learn methods to assess their effectiveness.

To apply this in an online classroom, educators can:

Integrate Interactive Elements: Use gaming elements to immerse students and encourage active participation.
Offer Flexibility: Adapt gaming activities to accommodate diverse learner needs and schedules.
Assess Effectiveness: Regularly evaluate gaming and… >>>

The course aims to enhance online learning beyond factual retention and assessment. It emphasizes adopting Malcolm Knowles' Theory of Adult Learning, highlighting principles like self-directed learning, leveraging accumulated experience, readiness tied to social roles, and immediate application focus. This approach encourages instructors to develop a philosophical foundation for adult education in online settings. It promotes interactive learning activities, respectful relationships, responsive facilitation, and reflective practices to foster deep understanding and application of knowledge. Instructors can apply Knowles' principles by designing activities that promote self-directed learning, integrating learners' experiences, aligning content with learners' social roles, and emphasizing immediate applicability. 

Creating a 5-year plan helps demonstrate goals to achieve and strive for. It also shows the company you are serious about working there, and potentially retiring with them.

Share a smile, remain positive, and upbeat, and model consistent positive behavior.

I always ensure and advise students that my office and our conversation is a "safe space", and they feel comfortable once they realize I am here to help them and care about their success. 

Encouraging, and inspiring students is essential to helping them understand and own their struggles. This allows them to make a change in behavior, adjust their approach, and improve for success.

Getting to know students is essential to their success and to yours as well.