Here are our Top Four Takeaways 

Schools Are Thinking About Contingency Plans 

Obviously, the global shutdown in 2020 caught everyone unaware; nobody was prepared to move to a fully virtual world. The transition meant quick pivots to new learning tools, embracing distance education, and adopting a whole new outlook on how to accomplish teaching and learning. While nobody wants to see another pandemic, educators are now thinking about contingency plans. 

Several educators mentioned concerns about running through their allocation of snow days too early in the school year due to the unexpected winter storms. Others discussed having alternate plans for students who were out on extended medical leave. Still others talked about the importance of maintaining learning through construction or other building issues. Because of the technology adopted in 2020, we know now it’s possible to maintain continuity of learning through a disruption to traditional in-person learning. Many districts are now actively devising strategies to address these challenges

Having a platform, like ClassIn, in place allows students to access learning materials the same way from any place, at any time and can be an effective – and reliable – way to keep students on track in case of weather or other times when in person learning is not possible or impractical. 

Interactive Flat Panels Are Interactive In Name Only 

Many schools have invested in interactive flat panels for their classrooms. However, the actual application of these panels in enhancing instructional quality or boosting student engagement seems unclear. In short, many of these interactive flat panels are being used as very fancy projectors, even though there’s a clear desire to leverage them more effectively.

One easy way to get more out of your existing interactive flat panel is to download the ClassIn X app on any panel that runs on Windows and use ClassIn’s scrolling blackboard and suite of instructional and engagement  tools.  See how to use ClassIn on your existing board here.

Teacher Shortages May Lead to Creative Staffing Solutions 

This year’s teacher shortage is no surprise and does not seem like it’s going to go away any time soon. Particularly in more specialized subject areas (languages, advanced classes) there simply are not enough educators for each building. In districts where there are mandates that each student must have access to every course offered in the district, this is creating the need for new and creative solutions. 

Enter technology! ClassIn’s instructional platform is designed to work with hardware solutions (interactive flat panels, cameras, microphones) to create hybrid classrooms. This approach removes geographical boundaries and physical constraints, allowing a single teacher to teach students in multiple buildings simultaneously. Not only does the hybrid setup mitigate the impact of teacher shortages but also fosters a more inclusive learning environment for students across campuses.  For a more detailed introduction to implementing a hybrid learning setup in your schools and districts, check out ClassIn’s Complete Guide to Hybrid Learning! 

Ohio Educators are Innovating in Interesting Ways

Given how rapidly the educational landscape is changing, it’s always interesting to see how innovative practices are emerging in today’s classrooms. We heard from so many educators about interesting initiatives going on in their schools. From major VoTech grants and career readiness programs to the application of AI for student check-ins in the counseling office, and the support provided by Ohio’s educational service centers to teachers and students across the state, there’s so much innovation happening! We left these conversations energized and grateful to all who took a moment to share their stories with us.

What’s Next for ClassIn and Ohio? 

We’re so excited to continue the conversations we started and see how ClassIn can enhance classrooms across Ohio. Whether it’s through enhancing the use of installed IFPs to improve learning outcomes, providing solutions that amplify a teacher’s impact, or offering alternatives for too many snow days, we’re here for you! 

Ready to talk? Click here to request a demo. 

Four Things We Learned At OETC最先出现在ClassIn。

When it comes to learning, engagement is really important 

Engagement is the behavioral manifestation of motivation; engagement, motivation, and achievement all are closely linked. If students are unengaged in a lesson, there is a very low chance they’re going to master the content because learning requires active engagement.  Engagement can be broken down any number of ways; one way is Schlecty’s Levels of Engagement that plots attention and commitment; an older view is the 5 C’s of student engagement, recently updated to 8 C’s. Regardless of the framework being used, measuring and monitoring student engagement is key to student success. 

Two Components of Engagement: Belongingness & Self-Efficacy 

Belonging

One way to increase student engagement is by fostering an environment of belonging; students are more likely to be academically engaged when they feel like they belong. One way to foster that sense of belonging is by developing a sense of community within the class and personal connection with the teacher; students don’t want to disappoint teachers they like. 

Watch the full webinar recording for strategies on how to develop connectedness and community.

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy refers to expectancies: do students expect that they will be successful in completing an academic task? There are a number of strategies that increase a student’s perceived competence – things like choice, consistency, and creating ownership can all improve student outcomes. Again – check the full webinar recording for strategies! 

Using ClassIn to Drive Student Engagement 

In her presentation, Lindy outlined a number of strategies to keep students engaged and ClassIn can help with so many of them! From providing an easy interface for teachers to film videos, to polls and chat for activities to foster connectedness to an easy, organized home base for course materials, and virtual sketchboard for real-time check-ins. 

The webinar recording shows a number of strategies using ClassIn’s embedded engagement tools. 

Engagement = Achievement 

So, you want to improve student achievement? Start with student engagement! Making sure students feel connected to the class and the teacher, cultivating belongingness and self-efficacy; these are the building blocks of successful students. 

Learn more about building student engagement and how ClassIn helps by watching the full webinar recording here. 

Webinar Recap: Engaging Students with Research Based Strategies最先出现在ClassIn。

Why did you decide to develop TeacherIn? 

ClassIn’s platform manages so many elements of the teaching and learning process – from course planning to lesson planning all the way to the delivery of engaging instruction and measuring student performance. It only made sense to go “further upstream” in the process and add a platform for curriculum discovery and management.  

Over the last several years, both educators and content providers have noted the importance of digital curriculum – citing flexibility, the ability to personalize instruction, and better ability for administrators to measure curriculum usage as main drivers of moving from traditional to digital curriculum.  The team noted that this was a hole in the market: educators currently don’t have a platform to effectively discover and manage their digital curriculum – tracking versions, collaborating on edits, knowing when last updates were made – these seemingly simple functions couldn’t be completed in any of the many tools and platforms educators currently have access to. 

The solution became obvious: ClassIn developed TeacherIn to give educators a comprehensive platform to manage their digital curriculum that also integrates with the rest of ClassIn’s comprehensive suite of capabilities. 

What problems does TeacherIn solve for educators? 

TeacherIn solves a number of problems for today’s educators: 

• Provides a consolidated curriculum & content discovery platform, making it easy for teachers and curriculum coordinators to find and access needed resources
• Allows for easy course creation; TeacherIn’s “builder” mode makes it easy to create courses that can be shared and modified 
• Makes managing digital curriculum seamless; TeacherIn provides curriculum management that is cloud-based, collaborative, and easy for educators 
• Creates a seamless link between curriculum and instruction with the “one click” integration between curriculum materials and ClassIn’s LMS 

How can publishers and other content creators work with TeacherIn?

Publishers can upload their content to TeacherIn for educators to discover and educators can purchase curriculum and content directly from the TeacherIn platform. TeacherIn manages licenses, prevents downloads, and helps monetize to a broader audience. You can schedule time to speak with the TeacherIn partnership team here. 

Individual educators who have developed materials can take advantage of TeacherIn’s builder functionality to upload and share resources they’ve developed and take advantage of TeacherIn’s monetization programs for educators. 

What are you most excited about for the launch of TeacherIn? 

I’m excited to launch TeacherIn for the same reason I get excited to launch any new feature – to give educators better tools. By bringing the ability to manage curriculum into ClassIn’s already existing workflows for planning and instructing, ClassIn becomes an even more seamless platform for educators and students.  In addition, we’re excited to work with new partners in the education space to bring their curriculum and content to a wider audience.  

Are you ready to try TeacherIn? 

Introducing TeacherIn: A Place to Discover, Manage, and Use Curriculum & Content最先出现在ClassIn。

What are the costs of too much edtech? 

Lack of Consistency: Disparate tools have distinct workflows, pedagogical approaches, and user interfaces. Managing multiple systems creates cognitive load for students and teachers, stresses student executive functioning, and adds switching time between learning tasks. 

Integration and Interoperability: Disparate tools will have different ways of assessing student progress and achievement (raw scores, standards tagging, competency tagging, etc.) which makes it difficult to see a true picture of student/class performance and understanding. In addition, getting all tools to flow to a central gradebook in a meaningful way can be challenging. 

Data Privacy & Security Risks: Each tool used in a district has its own methodologies for data privacy and security which comes with a set of risks. In addition, many of these tools have connection points between them where data is passed back and forth – each connection point could be a potential risk. 

Limited Focus on Instructional Goals: Juggling numerous edtech tools can divert educators’ attention from instructional goals to administrative ones, sometimes becoming more “tech support” than educator. 

Cost Concerns: Many districts opted to use ESSER funds to prepay for several years worth of access to a solution (usually in exchange for favorable discounting); as these prepaid periods come to an end, districts will need to determine if those costs can be absorbed into the normal operating budget. 

How do you decide what tools to keep and which to cut loose? 

When faced with the list of tools in use, it can be hard to determine what to keep and what to cull.  Here are some questions to help you make those tough decisions: 

Is the tool being used? Determine the acceptable usage and activation rates (usually around 40%) and put each solution to the test – does it meet the minimum usage and activation thresholds?

Is the tool having an impact on student outcomes? In a perfect world, you’d have a baseline of student performance data before the tool was implemented and then another measurement after the completion of a benchmark. But, we know we don’t live in a perfect world. Look at metrics like engagement, achievement, and qualitative feedback from students.  

Does the tool make the job of teachers and tech directors easier or harder? This is where interoperability comes into play – does the tool easily work with your existing SIS and SSO systems? Can student performance data and grades easily move back and forth across systems? Do outputs from the tool help teachers develop a better understanding of student performance? 

Does this tool provide a redundant capability? The lifecycle of educational tools typically follows a similar trajectory: a need is identified, a solution is developed that solves that one problem, the tool is adopted, then other, larger platforms add that capability. When evaluating your list of tools, check to see if one of your larger platforms has added the capability. 

How disruptive will it be to remove access to the tool? Sometimes, when evaluating a solution, you can get “remove” as an answer to all of the above questions but still keep it. Why? Some tools are so ingrained in the day to day workflow for students and teachers that removing access would simply be too disruptive.  

So what now? 

Given the need to consolidate systems, many districts are moving back towards large, multi-capability platforms where many functions exist in one seamless platform – no integrations needed.  Districts need to be judicious about the technology tools in use, to ensure that the technology is leading to student achievement.  

Webinar Recap: How Many EdTech Tools is Too Many?最先出现在ClassIn。

1. There will be a lot of one capability solutions. 

AI tools are popping up every day and, as is the case with all emerging technologies, most of them only do one thing – or at least do one thing well. When you’re thinking about what solutions to try in your classroom, remember that every new tool will need to be integrated into your existing teaching & learning methods. Be mindful of not to overwhelm yourself by adding too much at once.

2. AI isn’t just for students. 

Much of the current focus on AI tools centers on their potential impacts on students – concerns about increased plagiarism, challenges in assessing understanding, and the difficulty of incorporating technology while still offering challenging assignments. While these are all good questions, ask not what AI can do for your students but what AI can do for you! New solutions are being introduced everyday that can free up your time by helping create lesson plans, instructional materials, and assessment questions, among other tasks. Finding ways for AI to simplify your workflows could go a long way towards taking tasks off your plates, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: teaching and inspiring your students. 

3. Pay attention to the interface when evaluating new products. 

As of now, most AI tools are built off the same few language models. This means that the primary value offered by new entrants in the market often comes down to how easily they allow users to extract meaningful results. When you’re evaluating AI tools, pay careful attention to their user interface and the design of their prompting structures; the more user-friendly and intuitive these elements are, the better the overall quality of the product. 

4. Remember that AI doesn’t work without a human touch. 

For years, there have been concerns that technology, and educational technology in particular, is going to displace the human element crucial to teaching and learning. Particularly with AI, there’s been a lot of conversation about how Ai solutions will impact hiring and staffing. However, it is important to remember that the language models are far from flawless – and likely never will be. Current models don’t come near 100% accuracy on simple things like high school algebra, so it’s unlikely they will come to a place that removes the need for a human to guide, facilitate, and check the use of the tool. 

5. Does your district have a defined code of conduct for AI? You probably don’t need one yet.

Districts around the country are looking to each other for someone to be the first mover in publishing a thoughtful, useful policy regarding the use of AI tools that can be replicated. Current district policies are running the gambit from “all use of AI is considered cheating” to “Educators – use this year to explore tools while we put together a steering committee”. Most guiding bodies are advocating a wait and see approach and there’s a thought that this academic year’s student conduct cases will inform future policy development.

6. Be wary of the tools that lack educator input. 

Technologists are off to the races to develop AI solutions. They have a vision of the future that they are aggressively working towards. What’s missing from that vision? In many instances, there’s a lack of educator input in the solutions being developed. When you are evaluating new tools (not just AI tools!), make sure that the companies behind them have consulted with teachers.Whether it’s through advisory boards, educator feedback programs, or having recent educators on their staff; such consultations are essential to ensure the solution is classroom-friendly. 

7. Get ready to embrace change! 

Education is an ever adapting discipline; as the world changes, so does the process of teaching and learning. Throughout history, teachers have worried over the impact of new technologies on students – wondering, for example, if calculators would make learning basic arithmetic obsolete, or if Wikipedia would undermine one’s ability to evaluate valid sources.In each case, the educational landscape has adapted so that the new tools enhance, rather than compromise, what students learn. Generative AI will be no different; it’s up to today’s teachers, learners, and technologists to define the role that AI tools will have on education going forward. 

Want to learn more? 

ClassIn has recently visited 70+ key players in the AI industry and have put together a comprehensive guide on what solutions are being developed, how they’ll impact teaching & learning, and what to look out for next.  Download our full guide here.

Seven Things to Think About Regarding Generative AI This School Year最先出现在ClassIn。

SEL helps children perform effectively in school and life. On a personal level, SEL is great for managing emotions, formulating plans, making effective decisions, and tackling tough challenges. On a social level, it contributes to evoking empathy and building affinities. Children with strong social-emotional skills such as self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal communication are more likely to benefit academically, professionally, and socially.

More and more research also points out that schools that promote social and emotional learning are instrumental to the academic, professional, and social success of students. Keep reading for 7 tips on how to enhance social-emotional learning in virtual classrooms!

7 Tips to Enhance Social and Emotional Learning in a Virtual Classroom

1. Emotional Check-Ins

Emotional check-ins give students an opportunity to pause, reflect on, and share how they feel. Set aside some time each day and encourage students to describe their emotions in a safe environment. If someone is reluctant to share in front of a big group, you may conduct one-on-one check-ins or offer the option to express through drawings or quotes.

Although without the in-person connection, online learning often comes with many bells and whistles to make emotional check-ins fun. For instance, students can send emojis to articulate their feelings, write down their thoughts on ClassIn’s individual small blackboards, or create a drawing on the interactive board.

2. Apps, Games, and Websites

Take advantage of SEL-specific tools to help students practice social and emotional learning.

• Breathe, Think, Do: this app teaches problem-solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence.

• Sanford Harmony SEL App for Teachers and Students: this app helps create lesson plans and activities to strengthen classroom relationships.

• Digital Gaming: games such as “consequences,” “circle of friends,” and “wisdom: the world of emotions” help deal with anger, stress, depression, etc. and foster cooperative and group learning.

• Emotional ABCs: this website teaches students to identify their feelings and make decisions based on their emotions.

• GoNoodle: this website uses movement and mindfulness videos to promote physical wellness, academic success, and social-emotional health.

A kid plays an online game

 

3. SEL Activities

 

In a virtual classroom, you can actively and carefully design some brainstorming activities to promote SEL. Activities like student journals, interactive videos, or webinars are highly recommended. They can aid students in personally regulating emotions and socially interacting with others.

 

 

Journaling for mental wellness

 

Some kids may not love journaling or sharing. Don’t worry! Self-reflection through art is another fantastic way to assist students in minutely understanding their feelings and creatively expressing them. Ask your class to paint their feelings or tell a story through what they’ve drawn. By using visual techniques and engaging sensory practices, virtual classrooms find a new path to promote SEL.

 

4. Collaborative Classrooms

 

A collaborative virtual classroom helps students understand the group in a socially interactive way, cultivating students’ self-awareness and cooperative consciousness. As a hub for social learning, these collaborative virtual classrooms comprehensively showcase diverse roles of individuals and how they interact with each other.

 

Collaborative classrooms give rise to group learning which plays a vital role in distance teaching. A diverse and inclusive virtual classroom allows students to self-reflect, work independently within a group, and eventually function as team members. Also, they interact with and learn from their peers in a cooperative way as they will do in society.

Communicate with families about their kids’ emotions, behaviors, and social goals. Remind parents to give a helping hand when their children are frustrated and an encouraging smile when their children perform well in team works.

At the same time, educate parents on the value of failure. An appropriate degree of difficulty is necessary for children’s SEL. Just step back and let them experience struggles and growth.

7. Build Communities

Many characterize virtual learning with a sense of disconnection. Students seem to be isolated from their teachers and classmates, and parents are further separated from schools, which could spell big trouble for social-emotional health.

Educators can take steps to rebuild connections in virtual classrooms. Daily sharing is one productive way. Dedicate the first few minutes of each class to telling stories about your emotions and life. Let it become a routine and mark of your communities.

Setting eyes on the larger picture, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development of UNESCO referred to SEL as “learning that allows all learners to identify and navigate emotions, practice mindful engagement and exhibit prosocial behaviour for human flourishing towards a peaceful and sustainable planet.”

How to Enhance Social and Emotional Learning in a Virtual Classroom最先出现在ClassIn。

What Is Game-Based Learning (GBL)?

Game-based Learning vs. Gamification

Typically, video games begin with design, either with a great idea or by pursuing a creative solution to a complex problem. It is critical to test and refine your ideas to ensure they meet the requirements of an excellent educational game.

The design phase expands your initial design concept, similar to going from a rough outline to your first draft of a paper. Going from a pitch concept to a finished game is the game development equivalent.

In the production phase, all the work and communication have been done to make the game’s actual development run as smoothly as possible. Production is a time-consuming and expensive phase. It is relatively simple if everything goes according to plan.

Board games: Monopoly can be thought of as an educational game. It contains all the necessary elements, including a story, characters, points, competition, and many other features. There are numerous examples of Monopoly-like school games with modified rules for various subjects, such as History Monopoly or Math Monopoly.

Real-life games: Real-life games, as the name suggests, are based on reality-based scenarios. These games have proven to be highly motivating but also cause stress in some situations. Children are required to make body movements and use their brains. These games engage the learners in almost every aspect of their education.

GBL in hybrid space: Hybrid learning spaces are spaces that can be filled with a variety of resources. You can use digital resources in various ways, such as media games or any open media, as well as physical spaces as a creative space for those resources to be engaged with.

GBL is a great way to improve young learners’ creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. GBL is highly based on the notion of imagination. Instructors can give students the freedom to come up with solutions and ideas which boost their level of creativity.

ClassIn Gamification and Game-based Learning Tools

Virtual Badges

Reward students by providing badges based on the quality of their performance. If a shy ESL student finally speaks up in ClassIn classroom, you can give him/her a trophy.

Dice and Slot Machine

Many students are hesitant to raise their hands and participate in online classes. Use slot machine to randomly choose who is the next player to guess the word.

Authorize Function

You can easily manage the class and students by using the toolbars underneath the teacher and students’ cameras. Once you ‘authorize’ student, they will have access to a range of interactive tools.

EDB Template

Use ClassIn Blackboard Editor to create EDB files and make your online class engaging. EDB files combine the traditional chalkboard with the digital teaching tools. What makes EDB files stronger and easier is that EDB files can be edited at your convenience, and can be saved and reused whenever you need them. You can import images, type words and hand-write on a ClassIn board. When the class begins, you can import the prepared materials from the cloud to save time.

Why Game-based Learning is important?最先出现在ClassIn。

Before embarking on this journey, we ask ourselves: what is lifelong learning? What competencies are we looking to develop, and how do we build lifelong learning skills? Keep reading to find out!

What is lifelong learning?

Lifelong learning is a form of self-initiated education that gives rise to personal development. Even though it is hard to determine a standardized definition of lifelong learning, this term, more often than not, is associated with learning that occurs outside of a formal educational institute, such as a school, university or corporate training. Its purpose lies in achieving personal fulfilment.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) highlighted that “Our rapidly changing world calls for opportunities to learn throughout life, for individual fulfilment, social cohesion and economic prosperity.” As a result, the institute works hard to formulate effective and inclusive lifelong learning policies and systems, positioning its goal to be skills enhancement for the benefit of individuals, communities, and the planet.

On the other hand, Dr. Maylyn Tan, Assistant Dean and Head of Academic Development at Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) cautioned that “some of us might be ambitious to jump into the deep water and transition fully outside that takes totally different skills, while lifelong learning is about incremental changes and looking at what can you do right now and combine it with different disciplines to create more value.”

The changes and skills in the 21st century, therefore, should be identified to promote value creation via lifelong learning.

What are the skills for the 21st century?

The skills for the 21st century help students succeed in keeping up with this ever-changing era. Specifically, Applied Education Systems stressed 12 essential abilities: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social skills.

Such skills are also theorized and integrated into national systems. Most prominently, Singapore’s Ministry of Education identified core values-based 21st-century competencies, which prepare students for a globalized context and a future of challenges.

Charles Fadel, global education thought leader and author, underscored in his speech for OECD, “We are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don’t yet exist . . . in order to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet.”

Educators in the 21st century are prompted to think about new environment adaptability, the fourth industrial revolution, and innovative pedagogical approaches to foster students’ skills. Nayeema Rahman, senior lecturer and LMS specialist at Daffodil International University, pointed to characteristics such as being globally aware, civically engaged, collaborative as well as thinking critically.

But how can we get there? Here are 6 tips.

6 tips to develop skills for lifelong learning

1. Cultivate a growth mindset

While a fixed mindset hinders you from becoming a lifelong learner, a growth mindset emphasizes student agency and continuous changes. With a growth mindset, “you believe your intelligence and life skills can be developed with concerted effort and thoughtful feedback, not that they’re innate and immutable,” the University of Phoenix shared. If you have an idea of what you want, there’s always a way to get there.

Students who are armed with a growth mindset continue to improve their skills and grow both personally and professionally during every season of life. Kevin Dickinson, writing for Big Think, suggested that students should “recognize that they will always have room to grow.”

2. Set SMART goals

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely, which help keep lifelong learning on track. The following five questions can help you make sure the goals you agree are SMART:

• Specific: what do I need to do?

• Measurable: how will I know I have been successful?

• Achievable: can I do it on my own or with a little help?

• Relevant: will it help me be better at one certain subject?

• Timely: when do I need to complete it?

Such a framework can help students become disciplined and emboldened to set goals and obtain achievements in an effective manner. It also boosts continual reflections, allowing students to “view their investments of time, energy, and resources through the lens of what is most important for them to achieve their aspirations.”

3. Find motivations

Figuring out what inspires you puts you in the driver’s seat to achieve what you want to do. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s what sustains a lifelong learner. Re-igniting what makes you tick as a person reduces boredom, makes life more interesting, and can even open future opportunities.

Dickinson believed that “the transition from studying course material to obtain a good grade to learning in order to attain continual self-improvement or career advancement may be the most important paradigm shift that a lifelong learner will make.”

4. Encourage independent learning

Online education that predominates in the 21st century can serve as a practical model where many teachers laid more emphasis on students’ autonomic and independent learning with the aid of technology.

As a pioneering advocate of the adoption of self-directed learning, Malcolm Knowles dissected such mode into five steps: individuals take the initiative, with or without the assistance of others, in

1) diagnosing their learning needs,

2) formulating learning goals,

3) identifying human and material resources for learning,

4) choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and

5) evaluating learning outcomes.

In a word, research showed that independent and self-directed learning offers learners the “freedom and autonomy to choose the what, why, how, and where of their learning.”

5. Foster critical thinking

Dr. Peter Facione defined critical thinking to be “purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based.”

It is intertwined with diverse cognitive, interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies, including creativity, self-direction, motivation, effective communication, and more, which pave the way for students to become lifelong learners.

6. Use technology

We live in an age with access to an abundance of information, rapid changes in technology tools, and the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. To be lifelong learners in the 21st century, students must be able to exhibit a range of independent learning and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology.

One way to blend technology with lifelong learning is through the use of edtech. There are plenty of platforms directed at online learning, among which ClassIn plays an active and essential role. For example, it provides a platform for learners to learn independently, think creatively, and act cooperatively.

How to Build Lifelong Learning Skills最先出现在ClassIn。

For the particular term of gamification–the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, researchers found its first documented uses in 2008 and widespread adoption in the second half of 2010.

As the term entered public discourse, gamification of education had also become a mainstream and structured practice.

The Institute of Play (IoP) was founded in 2007 in New York City, signaling a growing interest in gamifying education. “There was a golden era for funding games and learning from the mid-2000’s to the mid-2010’s…Our goal was to develop toolkits, frameworks and resources and share our work,” Katie Salen Tekinbaş, co-founder of IoP, told EdSurge.

Meanwhile in 2007, James Paul Lee, emeritus professor at Arizona State University, published his classic book What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Soon in 2013, academia witnessed a steep rise in the number of publications on gamification in education.

Most recently, gamification strategies were naturally integrated into online learning environments during the pandemic, in an effort to boost engagement and connection.

How Does Gamification Benefit Learning?

Scot Osterweil, research scientist and creative consultant to the Education Arcade and Game Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), laid down guiding principles for gamification with the Four Freedoms of Play. In cooperation with Oxford Analytica, the World Government Summit further explained that

• The Freedom to Fail: Games are predicated on the assumption that mistakes and failures will repeatedly happen but with little consequence, which mitigates the natural human tendency to avoid failure in learning.

• The Freedom to Experiment: Games encourage exploration and discoveries of different strategies. With gamification, students are better prepared for self-directed learning.

• The Freedom to Assume Different Identities: Taking on new roles and perspectives, students open their eyes to diverse viewpoints and develop language skills as well as empathy.

• The Freedom of Effort: The internal rhythm of games allows students to shift between highly focused learning sessions and relaxing breaks. Students will have the chance to refresh their attention spans and efficiently carry on long-term tasks.

Outside of pedagogical transformation, gamification is most commonly associated with improving engagement in class. Researchers from Spain summarized that game elements, including leaderboards, points, simulation, and quizzes, led to reports of “an increase of and/or motivation”.

What Are the Pitfalls of Gamification in Practice?

Is it gamification, or is it mandatory fun? Taking one of the most successful educational games, Math Blaster, as an example, MIT professor Eric Klopfer observed that “It’s also what others have referred to as chocolate-covered broccoli…one of the problems with this methodology is it’s actually teaching kids that math isn’t any fun.”

On top of reflecting on the underlying messages of the game design, the World Government Summit cautioned that when misused in education, gamification can end up hindering learning outcomes.

Specifically, the report Gamification and the Future of Education published by the World Government Summit pointed out that poorly designed gamification courses will distract students from intended teaching objectives. In addition, while games take into account social dynamics, group assignments with inadequate execution may give rise to social tension. For instance, when there are freeloaders in a project, the entire team could still get the same grade.

Taking a deeper look into the impact of gamification, researchers in Turkey conducted learning activities with elementary school kids for three weeks to examine the effect of awarding badges. Establishing a positive relationship between rewards and extrinsic motivation, the study found little increase in intrinsic motivation.

How to Shape Gamification Strategies for Better Learning Outcomes?

“Understanding the role of gamification in education, therefore, means understanding under what circumstances game elements can drive learning behavior,” scholars at Teachers College Columbia University suggested.

Similarly, in his book, Kapp debunked gamification as simply incorporating points and badges. He encouraged approaching the learning experience in its entirety, where game mechanics have to work well with storytelling, motivation, and more.

Mindful course design also means taking into consideration individual differences of students, especially as education shifts toward personalized learning. Conducting an empirical study with 40 college students, researchers discovered that “gamification in general and, especially the ranking element, is more beneficial to introverts.”

Looking beyond gamification designs and student characteristics, educators face implementation in different capacities.

On a micro-scale, which is often the case for gamifying learning, individual teachers make ad hoc introductions of gamification to class activities and lesson plans. It may be as small as incentivizing a reading assignment or something grander like taking a novel approach to a college class. However, researchers at the University of Almería warned that improvising a gamified environment is often associated with unclear guidelines, and therefore little participation from students.

On rare occasions, gamification is integrated on an institutional level. Quest to Learn (Q2L), a fully gamified middle and high school operated by the New York City Department of Education, was made possible with the support of donations and IoP’s game theory-based curriculums.

“In practice, few people will ever get the opportunity to design a school from scratch,” scholars at Teachers College Columbia University recognized. “However, we believe there is an important role for gamification projects that stretch beyond single classes.”

At last, researchers believed gamification of education can transcend beyond any particular learning environment, whether it is in-person or online learning. Reviewing gamification practices during COVID-19, researchers not only found that the approach can be effectively integrated with traditional teaching methods, but they also expressed great optimism for the role gamification will play in a technology-enhanced future of education.

Gamification of Learning: From Theory to Practice最先出现在ClassIn。

Why do we need to practice lifelong learning in K-12 schools?

1. Develop habits

3. Provide spaces for collaboration

Classrooms should not be constructed as sectioned-off spaces to keep students until the bell. Instead, we need to design these spaces as opportunities to promote interaction and cooperation. For example, we can use moving seats and even movable walls to create breakout space for group work. Another famous K-12 school design trend is the use of blended learning spaces. Rather than building separate spaces for students who need extra support or resources, we incorporate these needs into every room!

4. Encourage community building

“Taking the time to get to know your students and for them to know each other will make for a better learning environment, enhance student belonging, and lower the barrier for students to come to you when they may need to ask for more flexibility,” according to Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. The center advocates for such activities as writing exercises or short discussions to mediate stressful moments as well as to build a community with shared affection and atmosphere.

5. Use technologies in classrooms

To be lifelong learners in the 21st century, students must be able to exhibit a range of independent learning and critical thinking skills related to information, media and technology. One way to blend technology with lifelong learning is through the use of edtech tools. For example, ClassIn, an online and hybrid learning solution, provides a platform for learners to learn independently, think creatively, and act cooperatively.

Success stories of K-12 schools with flexible designs

1. Map Academy

Map Academy is a free, charter public high school open to all Massachusetts students up to age 24. It holds the belief that every student can succeed though some may take some detours along the way towards success, “putting students at the center of their own learning journeys.”

Students choose Map Academy for a number of reasons, but often as a result of insurmountable barriers in other schools. Map provides a new start for young dropouts or exiles to continue their plans and goals in K-12 education.

Map Academy allows students’ learning experience to flow within the space and outside the walls in flexible ways. Its model is founded on four key principles:

• Competency-Based – Students master skills or knowledge before moving on

• Highly-Supportive – Students get what they need to succeed

• Flexible Pathways – No one path to success looks the same

• Career Development – Students are ready for life after high school

In this way, students are involved in their own learning and already live in the real world, making education relevant, engaging and meaningful and preparing for lifelong learning after high school. At Map Academy, “I get to experiment on what I want,” commented Virginia, a beneficiary of Map. “It opens my mind and challenges me more. . . . It helps me find myself as a person in a way too.”

2. Lakeville Schools

Lakeville Schools in Lakeville, Minn., serving 10,800 students, have gained tremendous value in long-term planning with flexible designs. Designed to meet current and future needs, Lakeville schools accommodate seamless additions and renovations along with demographic shifts, programming changes and technology.

Lakeville schools implement seven strategies to ensure their flexibility in support of the educational programming of future generations. The strategies include collaborating during design, designing with change in mind, designing for the greater community, investing in quality materials, considering expansion, assuming technology will change, and considering the future of energy.

“Discussing proactive consideration and implementation of these strategies into a school’s design will facilitate future adaptability,” Vaughn Dierks of Wold Architects & Engineers, a partner of Lakeville for 25 years, observed.

What Does Lifelong Learning Mean in K-12 Education?最先出现在ClassIn。