Fun in the College Classroom: Examining Its Nature and Relationship with Student Engagement

Tews, Michael J.; Jackson, Kathy L.; Ramsay, Crystal M.; Michel, John W.

doi:10.1080/87567555.2014.972318

Cited by 37 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…'Fun' was one of the most used words in the open-ended comments and it is well established that fun learning environments promote engagement and enhance deep learning (Tews, Jackson, Ramsay, & Michel, 2015). Fun, joyful learning environments reduce anxiety and increase motivation by creating positive social environments, preparing the mind to be more receptive to new information and ideas (Garner, 2006).…”

Section: Student Engagement and The Student Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Hunting for answers: Linking lectures with the real world using a mobile treasure hunt app

Hartman

Lydon

Rasmussen

2019

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact Statement Plants underpin our society providing food, fuel, medicines, clean air and water, positive mental health, and are central to biodiversity conservation. Despite this importance and an increasing need for people with plant‐identification skills, many societies are becoming increasingly ignorant to the species with which they interact. To benefit both our undergraduates and the society they will enter, we applied mobile technology to improve plant identification and appreciation, while providing opportunities to practice transferable team work and verbal communication skills. Encouraging 'plant vision' will improve conservation efforts while increasing personal connections with green spaces, leading to mental health improvements for society. Summary Despite the importance of plants to human civilization, many societies are becoming increasingly ignorant to the plants that inhabit their surrounding environment. A phenomenon known as ‘plant blindness’. To address plant blindness in undergraduate students we designed an outdoor activity using a mobile phone app. Our aims were to identify the level of ‘plant blindness’ in our students; investigate engagement with the app and activity; determine if we can raise awareness of links between lecture content and real world scenarios; and assess the student experience as a result of the activity in large classes. The app chosen was ActionBound. Students were asked to find and photograph local examples of four plant families, along with identifying physiological benefits of features covered in lectures. Two different first year classes were exposed to this activity – Plant Science and Life on Earth. The Plant Science students (60% success rate for three families; 55 students) were less plant blind than Life on Earth students (less than 44% success rate in any of the four families; 200 students). Students engaged well with the activity with all groups submitting sensible attempts at the responses. Most students reported that the activity increased links to lecture material and all but one student reported positive experiences. Our students found the treasure hunt learning environment is a fun way to engage with the plant topics covered in lectures. In future iterations, we will more explicitly explain the links to potential careers and will address some of the logistical challenges faced in this first cohort.

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Section: Student Engagement and The Student Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Hunting for answers: Linking lectures with the real world using a mobile treasure hunt app

Hartman

Lydon

Rasmussen

2019

Plants People Planet

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“…It has been found that when applied correctly, these novel methodologies have the potential to greatly increase students' engagement, attention span, and other related issues that can significantly influence students' academic success (Aljezawi & Albashtawy, 2015;Claman, 2015;Entertainment Software Association, 2014;A. Huang & Levinson, 2012;Sanchez Martin, Yu-Ju, & Tsun-Ju, 2014;Simões, Redondo, & Vilas, 2013;Tews, Jackson, Ramsay, & Michel, 2015).…”

Section: The Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although some studies have addressed the use of GBL and Gamification in adult teaching and learning (Aljezawi & Albashtawy, 2015;Coleman, 2012;A. Huang & Levinson, 2012;Korolov, 2013;Ryoo, Techatassanasoontorn, Lee, & Lothian, 2011;Tews et al, 2015), the majority of the research have remained confined within the elementary, middle, and high school educational levels. In addition, their application in post-secondary education together with their impact on higher learning have remained largely unexplored (Perrotta, Featherstone, Aston, & Houghton, 2013) and in clear need of further study.…”

Section: Deficiencies In the Evidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering the fact that GBL and Gamification can significantly increase students' engagement and have a positive impact in the effectiveness of learning (Entertainment Software Association, 2014;Mayo, 2009;Middendorf & Kalish, 1996;Neef et al, 2011;Robinson & Kakela, 2006;Tews et al, 2015), dismissing games' potential in higher education is a negligent mistake that should not be ignored. Understanding more about students' experiences with games and their engaging qualities help us maximize their academic impact and reach a more common set of practices that could be applied to increase their effectiveness, facilitate their application, and widen their usage in education.…”

Section: Significance Of Research Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The goal of increasing our students' academic performance remains a challenge at all levels of our educational system. While it is common to associate academic success with grades received from standardize evaluations (Coates, 2005), it can be argued that the quality of education would be more accurately measured by using a combination of factors that prominently include the degree of students' engagement in their academic activities (Coates, 2005;Floyd et al, 2009;Jagannathan & Blair, 2013;Krause & Coates, 2008;Tews et al, 2015).…”

Section: Chapter 2: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Students' experiences with games and their academic potential : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Pisano¹

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The purpose of this research project was to explore students' gaming experiences in relationship to engagement and learning to expand our understanding of the essence of such experiences and produce valuable results for educators seeking to create a more student-centered learning environment, facilitate active learning, and increase students' engagement. Utilizing flow theory as theoretical framework and Interpretative Phenomenological analysis, this study explored the gaming and academic experiences of five college students. Participants' interviews, transcriptions, annotations and preliminary analysis led to the emergence of five core themes: (1) manifestations of flow; (2) engagement, expectations, and feelings; (3) health related issues in games; (4) social aspects of games and learning; (5) games, learning, and the real world. The analysis of participants' interviews and additional data pointed out a variety of engaging factors the typical classroom experience lacks, but that were found to be abundantly present in certain games. Several important implications were found and discussed. These included implications related to: engagement and active learning; motivation and feelings; social dynamics; teaching, learning, and the teachers' role; teaching, learning, and the real world; game based learning; institutional support and faculty development; and the gaming field. This study's findings supported the idea of incorporating games and gamification in the college classroom. Transporting certain factors present in games to the classroom in the form of positive and memorable experiences was not only desired by students but also important for their engagement and academic success.

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The Paradox of Serious Fun

Middlebrooks

2016

Creative Contradictions in Education

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Fun in the College Classroom: Examining Its Nature and Relationship with Student Engagement

Cited by 37 publications

References 41 publications

Hunting for answers: Linking lectures with the real world using a mobile treasure hunt app

Hunting for answers: Linking lectures with the real world using a mobile treasure hunt app

Students' experiences with games and their academic potential : an interpretative phenomenological analysis

The Paradox of Serious Fun

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