I'd like to say that the time spent on this academic journey has flown by, but it hasn't! I started Fall 2014. Two years later and I still have four more classes to take after this semester. It's been a long, challenging two years.
But... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I have enjoyed all (most) of my courses. Most importantly, I have further developed my ideas for a dissertation research project and am gaining confidence in being able to conduct quality research.
In the beginning, I knew I wanted to investigate the use of games or gamification in the New Employee Orientation sessions here at the university. Just how I was going to accomplish that was still very much undetermined. I admit that I am entering my research with certain presumptions regarding the benefits of using digital games in learning. To be more exact, I believe games are an excellent method of teaching and the outcome of my research will prove that. I know, that's not the correct approach for an academic scholar, but I'm just being honest. I also have to be prepared and open to learning the opposite: that a digital game is not a good method for teaching new employee orientation.
But in my mind,
- games equal fun .....
- and fun equals engagement ...
- which means the brain is active and attentive ...
- which means the player has a good chance of absorbing and remembering the content enveloped in the game!
Therefore, games are a great method of conveying information.
I can say with relative confidence that I will use a digital scavenger hunt to test my assumptions. This semester I have been able to test a short scavenger hunt as part of a class assignment and received positive feedback. My task now is to identify the "right" scavenger hunt app/provider for my actual research.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. For now I'll stay focused on my weekly assignments and write two more papers before calling this Fall 2016 semester DONE! Then I'll enjoy a glorious 5 week break!
I'm inching ever closer to the notorious dissertation stage of my doctoral journey!! Yep... starting to see a little light.
But... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I have enjoyed all (most) of my courses. Most importantly, I have further developed my ideas for a dissertation research project and am gaining confidence in being able to conduct quality research.
In the beginning, I knew I wanted to investigate the use of games or gamification in the New Employee Orientation sessions here at the university. Just how I was going to accomplish that was still very much undetermined. I admit that I am entering my research with certain presumptions regarding the benefits of using digital games in learning. To be more exact, I believe games are an excellent method of teaching and the outcome of my research will prove that. I know, that's not the correct approach for an academic scholar, but I'm just being honest. I also have to be prepared and open to learning the opposite: that a digital game is not a good method for teaching new employee orientation.
But in my mind,
- games equal fun .....
- and fun equals engagement ...
- which means the brain is active and attentive ...
- which means the player has a good chance of absorbing and remembering the content enveloped in the game!
Therefore, games are a great method of conveying information.
I can say with relative confidence that I will use a digital scavenger hunt to test my assumptions. This semester I have been able to test a short scavenger hunt as part of a class assignment and received positive feedback. My task now is to identify the "right" scavenger hunt app/provider for my actual research.
But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. For now I'll stay focused on my weekly assignments and write two more papers before calling this Fall 2016 semester DONE! Then I'll enjoy a glorious 5 week break!
I'm inching ever closer to the notorious dissertation stage of my doctoral journey!! Yep... starting to see a little light.
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