Student Success in College: A Gaming-based approach

Student Success in College: A Gaming-based approachUC1000

A comprehensive skills attainment course developed by Cliff Poole, M.S., MDIV, Ed.S, Education Researcher, Reich College of EducationFor CI 5921- Dr. CheneyUC1000: Student Success in CollegeGAME ON!AnalysisCharacteristics of LearnersCourse Structure: learner outcomesMy Instructional Philosophy

DesignCourse IntroductionCourse GoalsLearner AssessmentsScheduling

UC1000: Student Success in CollegeDevelopInstructional Tools and Content ObjectsHosting PlatformsPrimarySecondary

Implement and EvaluateEvaluation of course pre and postMaintenance of course- continual evolution

This course is designed for first and second year students who either self-identify or are identified from referral as needing extra assistance in gaining additional study, life, financial, and relationship skills during their beginning years of college. Learners in the past have been students identified with executive function disorders, students having trouble adjusting to college life, student athletes who wish to learn school-life balance, and those who enjoy the world of knowledge brought to them through the gaming experience. In addition, some students in this course have been researched to be from lower socio-economic family backgrounds, be from minoritized groups, have part-time or full-time jobs while attending college, and are likely to have struggled on the placement tests once admitted even though their SAT scores were in a very acceptable range.Characteristics of Learners

Course StructureLearner Outcomes1. Gain additional knowledge on prioritization in life, studying, and financial practices

2. Complete financial aid forms and create a budget based on goals and responsibilities: Gamification of these activities will take the form of two mystery games (SolveIT and DiscoverIT).

3. Discover new ways of note-taking, analysis of notes, re-train study habits, design a note taking system that works for them (Student will learn techniques through watching and participating in gaming sessions.

4. Develop relationship skills for peer, career, and social interaction5. Enhance and improve writing skills: Students will create an avatar in the game Skyrim and use this character as their basis for writing about biographic, financial, and relationships

Associated Competencies Create life map and career pathway using online toolsGo to federal financial aid pages and complete all required forms using the steps learned in SolveIT. Use the steps acquired in DiscoverIT to create a note taking system that incorporates analysis, summation, and strategiesCreate a social map of their peer, career, and social contacts for the semester. Student will be able to write an introductory letter/email, a cover letter, and act out a positive social interaction in the gaming realm.Students will write blogs weekly that each will review and reflect upon showing not only competence in writing, but also care for their fellow participants. Learners will also write a group wiki on their experience demonstrating competence in collaboration and team work.The course concludes with a project based on one of the gaming events that the student will attend or conduct. Planning, analysis, design, and implementationMy belief is that education should be an arena for mindful, useful, and thoughtful play such that learners are engaged, challenged, supported, redirected, presented with critical insights, allowed to roam the intellectual landscape, and produce feats and works that contribute to the learning of those around them.We continually endeavor to assist all learning styles and students with disabilities in the fullest manner possible. All tools and objects used in this course will be provided free of charge and with equity in access.We instruct under the powerful concept that gamification provides an engaging and intellectually profitable way of designing, delivering, and assessing educational offerings.My Instructional PhilosophyThere is Power in Play.

DesignCourse introCourse GoalsLearner AssessmentsSchedulingStudent Success in College: A Gaming-based ApproachIntroductionThis course is designed to aid students who have experienced various issues in college life; who have been identified as at-risk for experiencing difficulties; or who are simply interested in a gaming approach to first year seminar.The course will use gaming as its conceptual center to allow learners to play through to their goals of learning imperative life, financial, and study skills. We will use Skyrim as the realm of choice for investigating and acquiring strategies for successful career, financial, and social interaction dynamics.Board gaming using tools such as RISK, Talisman, Key to the Kingdom, LIFE, and The House on Silent Hill will be used to aid in learning about team vs. individual, tactics vs. strategies, and planning vs. habituation.New gamification works like SolveIT and DiscoverIT will be provided so that participants/learners may develop internalized knowledge of how to find, analyze, debate, assess, and fulfill requirements for financial aid, for university policies, for assignment fulfillment, and for career/internship placement.1. Provide in-depth information on financial aid processes and requirements including FAFSA, scholarship, grants, and work-study2. Develop learners knowledge of internships and their impact on career pathways as part of career planning and investigation3. Produce writers who can research, identify, assess, summarize, and reflect upon ideas that are central to them based on social, political, and economic insights garnered from the gaming experience.4. Connect learners with their peers, with career insiders, with campus organizations, with community service prospects, with the university, and with themselves as individuals5. Have Fun while Learning! GAME ON!Course Goals

Students will be given badges for their accomplishments in gaming during the semester. Each badge is worth one (1) extra point onto the final grade. (Level Up)Weekly blogs count for 10%.The three (3) writing assignments count for 15%.The participation in the common wiki counts for 10%.The budget and FAFSA plan count for 20%.The career pathway project counts for 20%.The final project will count for 25%.

A = 92 to 100 plusB = 84 to 91C = 75 to 83D = 70 to 74F = Roll a D6

Learner AssessmentsHow do students WIN at this course?

Week One- Introduction to course and to gaming & Who am I as a person? (Your life style, skill set, financial mind, and career ideas)Week Two- Introduction to Skyrim: Social, political, economic, and strategicWeek Three- Continuing with Skyrim: Strategy and tactics of successful livingWeek Four Financial Aid as agent of assistance and agent of restraintWeek Five Budgeting and BehaviorsWeek Six Doing College: All fun and games until the first roommate fight!Week Seven Study skills: Note taking and SummationWeek Eight Study Skills continued: Analysis and PrioritizationWeek Nine Board gaming: interpersonal communication, networking, and social engagementWeek Ten Board gaming continued: Executive Functioning and successWeek Eleven Career planning and Community InvolvementWeek Twelve Career planning and Community Involvement continuedWeek Thirteen Avatars, Avatars, and the real you!Week Fourteen Final projects presented in classSchedulingDevelopInstructional Tools and Content ObjectsHosting Platforms: Primary and SecondaryThe Games the thing: There is Power in Play!Instructional ToolsLearner assistance segments presented on a YouTube channelChat and Messaging available during office hours and at other designated times (devoted cellphone for this purpose)Demonstration segments on vimeo recorded by local gamersWorksheets and online tools from the Dept. of Ed. For financial aid and budgeting informationGamification tools developed for course: SolveIT and DiscoverITVideo and board gamesAnimoto, Google Chat, GoAnimate, Prezi, Smore, and other online multimedia tools

Content ObjectsGaming resources onlineYouTube gamer videos Visual Maps of financial and career planning

Hosting PlatformsPrimary and SecondaryAsULearn: Primary Moodle platform

Wordpress: and Skyrim: Secondary

14Implementation and EvaluationEvaluation Continual Evolution and MaintenanceEvaluationEvaluation will be conducted by peers before the course is introduced in this online format using the gaming concept.Evaluation will be provided by learners who participate in the course at mid-term and at the conclusion of the course.Instructor will do a pre and post self reflection on the course as a part of its design and evolution. Continual Evolution and MaintenanceThe course has been designed to be an interactive course such that changes and adaptations may be made in real-time for the learners. The expectation is that no two offerings of this course will be exactly the same. Once up on the platform though, the course can be easily and readily duplicated.