It's that time of year - Faculty learning from each other

I've spent the past two days at worked sequestered away at a faculty orientation. Although the orientation itself was held in the library, it occupied the entire day. The orientations are always a nice way to dive into the new semester by working on a few issues together and catching up from last spring. This year the discussions were good, but one discussion peaked my interest... one that potentially opens the door for game-based learning and video game strategies.

The faculty discussed the changes in the type of student that enrolls. The discussion included how the students are learning less from traditional teaching methods and the pedagogy changes that this suggests. One faculty member said, "Their learning strategies may not be ours, but it does not mean they are wrong." Another member talked about the need to "relinquish control" in the classroom.

These concepts are not new and hopefully part of continuing movement in Higher Education. But it was great to hear them out of the people I work with. The understanding of our students' learning styles opens the door for more discussion about game-based learning.

I hope that this discussion and the public recognition (round of applause) of my Fantasy Football activities may create new opportunities for incorporating video game strategies into the classroom.