Title- Gamification and Flow: A Presentation on Using Games in the Classroom to Improve Motivation
Presenter- Bryan Jennings
Abstract- Games create engagement, and engaged learners are motivated learners. A fascinating method that is currently the subject of a fair amount of research is gamification in the classroom. To put it simply, gamification is the addition of gaming elements into the classroom to incentivize learners to use recently taught material. This presentation will focus on some of the research surrounding gamification, its roots, how it can improve motivation within the classroom and other related topics such as the 'flow' state. Flow is a state of motivation in which the subject or learner loses all sense of time because he or she is totally engrossed in an activity. This subject matter is relevant to almost any teacher, since finding ways to enhance our student's motivation to learn is perhaps one of the most salient services teachers can give.
Bio- Bryan Jennings is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and a recent graduate of the Applied Linguistics MA program at the University of Birmingham with a focus on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). His dissertation was on using fantasy role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons as a TBLT device. He's also an avid reader, a history buff, and a mountain biker.
