Abstract
Gamification in educational settings has been shown to increase engagement and motivation in students. The researcher has been exploring the use of games to enhance learning in both the classroom and in online environments through the development of a grammar game for an introductory course in professional communication. This game helps students improve upon basic writing and compositional skills, focusing on the most common weaknesses such as errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and word choice. Imitating the American quiz show Jeopardy and using enriched PowerPoint slides, the game is divided into several categories with four levels of increasing challenge and complexity. Divided into teams, students are shown one sentence at time with a varying number of mistakes, and they then have 90 seconds to correct the error/s and explain the problem in their own words. Through the use of hyperlinks embedded in the PowerPoint slides, students have access to correct answers, straightforward explanations of grammar, challenge exercises, and links for further information. The game is made available online after class to provide students the opportunity for further engagement. Instructors assess students’ general knowledge of writing mechanics while providing a lively activity within a low-stakes environment. Writing skills are part of all course assessments in this introductory communication course. The game, in conjunction with instructor feedback, improves the overall average writing competency. A game demonstration is included.
Presenters
Michael LapointeSessional Lecturer, Professional Communication, Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Considering Digital Pedagogies
KEYWORDS
DIGITAL, PEDAGOGY, GAMIFICATION, GRAMMAR, PRACTICE, WRITING, COMMUNICATION
