Game-based pedagogy has come into its own in the last decade. Instructors from many disciplines use games to introduce students to a wide variety of content, such as cultural differences, economic disparities, language, gender studies, strategy, coding, and design. The types of games studied include serious games designed specifically for learning, entertainment games, role-playing games, tabletop games, plus the gamification of grading. Whether you are an instructor who uses games already in courses or you are simply interested in understanding what game-based learning looks like, we encourage you to attend two upcoming talks.
The two speakers are from the University of Michigan, an institution that is on the leading edge of game-based pedagogy. It has both a wide array of courses that use games and the teaching and learning center there has designed a game-based grading app called GradeCraft used in many courses there and at other institutions.
On October 22, Barry Fishman will address the shortcomings of traditional assessments by introducing how gamification can increase engagement with grading and allow students to take risks in learning.
Qian Liu will speak about game-based pedagogy in the design of foreign language courses on October 23. She sees games as an opportunity for students to take charge of their learning and a motivation for deeper learning. Liu will speak about her experience as well as colleagues from the Romance Languages.
The department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is sponsoring these events. Please visit their website for more details. Note, you’ll need to email the contact listed to receive the Zoom link: https://asianmideast.duke.edu/events