Gamification and BYOx in Academic Libraries: Low-end, Practical Approach
Description
Two new trends in education: BYOD (bring your own device) and games and gamification are steadily being recognized and adopted by K12 (High School education) and Higher Education practitioners. Academic libraries are often on the forefront of testing and applying new technologies. A jQuery-generated site for mobile devices is used by academic librarians to gamify students' introduction to information literacy. Students are using their mobile phones to access information through a mobile Web site and are expected to accomplish set of tasks, which reflect their knowledge of literature and procedures on research in the library. Although Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as BlackBoard, Moodle, and similar might offer mobile access, the stereotype of gamification with LMS remains bound to static students taking quiz on a desktop/laptop. A methodological change was sought from class-centered to experiential and project-oriented activities while the learning process is shifted from computer-based to mobile-based setting. The goal is to establish if a dynamic and mobile access to information and feedback and switching from a lecture-based teaching style to a more constructivist approach will encourage students to build knowledge on their own while pursuing a game-like activity out in their working field. The growing affordability and access to the Internet, as well as the global penetration of mobile devices across all ages have transformed e-learning into m-learning (mobile learning). Pedagogy and methodology respectively are in a process of change. The traditional F2F (face-to-face) class is evolving into a hybrid classroom, a place where practices and achievements from e-learning and m-learning are increasingly absorbed and turned into a customary practice. There is a growing need to transform pedagogy from the traditional F2F classroom to learning and teaching practices reflecting student-centered, mobile-based, real-life, project-based environment with authentic, experiential and evidence based learning. The jQuery generated site can be used as a template for in- and out-of-class activities to gamify students' learning experience out of the classroom and in their professional field. Last but not least, an answer was sought whether gamification and use of mobile devices is accepted differently by different cultures. A further exploration is needed if the acceptance of certain methodology based on learning with mobile devices in one culture can be appropriated and applied in a different culture, considering that the use of mobile devices is a global tendency and gamification is a rapidly growing trend also with worldwide recognition. Conference topics: New Trends in the Higher Education Area, E-learning, Information and Communications Technology in Education, Digital Divide, Increasing affordability and access to the Internet, Educational Communications and Technology
Start Date
16-3-2016 2:15 PM
End Date
16-3-2016 3:15 PM
Gamification and BYOx in Academic Libraries: Low-end, Practical Approach
Two new trends in education: BYOD (bring your own device) and games and gamification are steadily being recognized and adopted by K12 (High School education) and Higher Education practitioners. Academic libraries are often on the forefront of testing and applying new technologies. A jQuery-generated site for mobile devices is used by academic librarians to gamify students' introduction to information literacy. Students are using their mobile phones to access information through a mobile Web site and are expected to accomplish set of tasks, which reflect their knowledge of literature and procedures on research in the library. Although Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as BlackBoard, Moodle, and similar might offer mobile access, the stereotype of gamification with LMS remains bound to static students taking quiz on a desktop/laptop. A methodological change was sought from class-centered to experiential and project-oriented activities while the learning process is shifted from computer-based to mobile-based setting. The goal is to establish if a dynamic and mobile access to information and feedback and switching from a lecture-based teaching style to a more constructivist approach will encourage students to build knowledge on their own while pursuing a game-like activity out in their working field. The growing affordability and access to the Internet, as well as the global penetration of mobile devices across all ages have transformed e-learning into m-learning (mobile learning). Pedagogy and methodology respectively are in a process of change. The traditional F2F (face-to-face) class is evolving into a hybrid classroom, a place where practices and achievements from e-learning and m-learning are increasingly absorbed and turned into a customary practice. There is a growing need to transform pedagogy from the traditional F2F classroom to learning and teaching practices reflecting student-centered, mobile-based, real-life, project-based environment with authentic, experiential and evidence based learning. The jQuery generated site can be used as a template for in- and out-of-class activities to gamify students' learning experience out of the classroom and in their professional field. Last but not least, an answer was sought whether gamification and use of mobile devices is accepted differently by different cultures. A further exploration is needed if the acceptance of certain methodology based on learning with mobile devices in one culture can be appropriated and applied in a different culture, considering that the use of mobile devices is a global tendency and gamification is a rapidly growing trend also with worldwide recognition. Conference topics: New Trends in the Higher Education Area, E-learning, Information and Communications Technology in Education, Digital Divide, Increasing affordability and access to the Internet, Educational Communications and Technology