Gamification Storyboard - Dr. Jane McGonigal

Gamification Storyboard - Dr. Jane McGonigal

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1.  Introduction:  Greetings!  I am Jennifer Rae Smith a Ph.D. student at Walden University.  I am currently working on a dissertation concerning the gamification of learning.	A video of me talking to the screen.
2.  Gamification is the integration of gaming strategies and methods to everyday activities.  Learners can earn badges, rewards, and points by accomplishing goals (New Media Consortium Horizon Report, 2014).	The definition of gaming comes to the screen.
3.  Gaming has been found to improve the learning experience for students.	A picture of gaming equipment.
4.  For example, James Gee looked at the benefits of gaming to learning.  He found that games promote problem solving, teamwork, and continuous feedback (Gee, 2005).	An image of James Paul Gee and then the words (problem solving, teamwork, and continuous feedback) flash across the screen
5.  My interest in gamification makes introducing this guest speaker particularly exciting for me.  I am honored to introduce – Dr. Jane McGonigal.	A picture of Dr. McGonigal with music playing in the background.  Fade to a picture of her.
6.  She is the director of the Games of Research & Development at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California.  She has a Ph.D. in performance studies from Berkeley University and develops game workshops (McGonigal, n.d.).	An image of Jane McGonigal’s business and then a picture of her.
7. She has written two books on gamification – Reality is Broken:  Why Games Make Us Better and How They can Change the World and SuperBetter (a game she developed to help people feel better from health problems) (McGonigal, n.d.).	An Image of her two books.
8.  Furthermore, she has made several appearances in TED Talks and has been a guest speaker at a variety of conferences around the world (McGonigal, n.d.).	A picture of Jane McGonigal at a Ted Talk.
9.  Finally, I am certain that we will all be enlightened today.  Please, put your hands together for Dr. Jane McGonigal.	A picture of Dr. Jane McGonigal will move across the screen with background music.

 

Digital image of Jane McGonigal retrieved from her website (McGonigal, n.d.)

References:

Gee, J. P.  (2005).  Good video games and good learning.  Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33 – 37.

McGonigal, J.  (n.d.).  Jane McGonigal:  You found me [Blog post].  Retrieved from http://janemcgonigal.com/meet-me/

New Media Consortium Horizon Project.  (2014). NMC Horizon Report:  2014 Higher Education Edition.  Retrieved from http://cdn.nmc.org/media/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN-SC.pdf

Module 2 - Elements of Distance Education Diffusion - Global Diversity

Module 2 – Elements of Distance Education Diffusion – Global Diversity

Diversity:  the art of thinking independently together. ~ Malcolm Forbes

The biggest bonus of distance education versus face-to-face education is the global diversity component.  There are people from other countries attending in-person universities; however, in an online environment there is a bigger mix of individuals from around the world.  Students get the chance to interact and learn from a diverse group of people that they otherwise may not get to meet (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008).  I have attended both online and in-person colleges, and I can honestly say that I have met a more diverse group of people at my online college than the in-person college.

Before distance education became available, students would have to travel to the actual country for the chance to learn from their peers.   Now, people can learn from the comfort of their home.  Do not get me wrong there are benefits to traveling to a country in person.  One can experience the sights, sounds, smells, and interactions that online schools cannot provide.  However, e-learning provides students with a unique perspective of the world.  Online students get to learn about people from other cultures and life experiences. Students get to see that people from around the world have similar ideas despite their lifestyle or get to look at something in a different way due to the lifestyle differences. 

Students can interact with people from other countries due to the technology provided by the college.  Students interact on discussion boards and online forums.  Also, webinars are another excellent resource that students use to interact with their peers.  Finally, Skype can be an option to chat with other students.  In my experience, Skype has not been used in my classes.  Skype tends to be used more by instructors to talk with their students.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc.  (2008).  Principles of distance education:  The future of distance education.  Baltimore, MD:  Author.