What is gamification? Gamification is the use of game design and mechanics to enhance non-game contexts by increasing participation, engagement, loyalty and competition. These methods can include points, leaderboards, direct competitions and stickers or badges, and can be found in industries as varied as personal healthcare, retail—and, of course, education. We’ve seen gamification already in a variety of settings: completing a punch card to win a free sandwich, receiving a badge for being the first of friends to check in at a particular restaurant, or expanding our profiles on LinkedIn to bri ..read more

Blended learning is an educational approach that allows students to learn through electronic and online media, as well as traditional face-to-face teaching. During the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the blended learning approach became more prevalent out of sheer necessity. But the model has been growing in popularity for several years, thanks to its plentiful advantages, which include allowing instructors to play to the strengths of both online and in-person course delivery. For example, consuming lecture content through video streams, along with readings and other assignments, lets instruc ..read more

STEM programs are recognized for the practical skills they offer college students. Such courses have been reinvented online—but here’s why they’re just as important in today’s economy. Attending biology labs, drawing parabolas and examining various life forms under a microscope were once common activities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes at colleges and universities. Professors teaching STEM courses have since had to reinvigorate their curriculum with the shift to virtual learning. While STEM-based learning experiences look different, the value that a STEM deg ..read more

In-class discussion forums sound good in theory, but in practice, they’re too often abandoned within your LMS as soon as the first thread is posted. With discussions in Top Hat Classroom, you can say goodbye to zero participation, and realize the potential of class discussion as an active, mobile in-class participation tool. Discussions have all the features of forums—posts can have multiple comments, can be made for credit and be anonymous if necessary. But they also add more features, such as a clean mobile interface, real-time updates (great for an active class) and even allow drawings inst ..read more

The students have spoken and one thing is clear: They view their mobile devices as an essential part of in-class learning. In early November, Top Hat’s inaugural Student Pulse Survey was sent out to over 500 students, asking them for their opinions on textbooks, technology, cellphones in school and the ways that higher education might better help them learn. Among the findings: 75% of students feel that digital devices help them learn more effectively 94% of students want to use cellphones in school for academic purposes 40% of students feel that money is their greatest obstacle to college su ..read more

In an extract from our new teaching guide, Innovative and Unexpected Ways to Teach Your College Class, we look at a couple of great gamification examples that can get students enthusiastically preparing for your class while they hope for victory over their peers… and have the side-effect of learning. Innovation isn’t always synonymous with technology. While the digitally-native students of today have learned to thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards—behaviors reinforced by video games and the immediacy of social media and smartphones—a healthy competitive spirit can also be ..read more