How three Ryerson profs are changing the game of online learning
Professor Kristopher Alexander is projected on screen in a computer-simulated lecture hall he created for his virtual classes. Photo credit: Kristopher Alexander.
Imagine playing a video game in front of all of your classmates as part of your university degree. Or, taking a Cineplex-style quiz for class, or creating a personal avatar and hanging out with your classmates in a virtual student lounge.
Sound like a fun way to learn? In the new era of remote learning, these are some of the innovative ways Ryerson professors at FCAD (Faculty of Communication and Design) are teaching this fall.
鈥淲ith remote teaching, we're seeing that having lengthy lectures or drawn out discussions on video chat can be quite draining, and it's difficult to keep people tuned in,鈥� said Journalism professor Adrian Ma.
Instead, he says breaking out certain concepts and aspects of lessons and applying them in the digital space can help make them more 鈥渄igestible and interactive鈥�.
鈥淭he more online content we can introduce that emphasizes activity, immediate feedback and even just a change of pace, the better we can help meet students' different learning preferences and keep interest levels up,鈥� he continued.
RTA School of Media professors Kristopher Alexander and Alexandra Bal agree. They, too, are applying interactive tools and a creative approach to teaching in the digital space.
Below, learn more about how these three profs are thinking outside the box to engage and inspire this fall.
Professor Kris Alexander
Check out Prof. Kris Alexander teaching his video game design course. This was the second class of the semester, live streamed on September 21, 2020. (YouTube)
Video game design professor Kristopher Alexander says that for decades, students have been learning from sites like YouTube, and Twitch, and interacting directly online with their favourite streamers and online celebrities.
鈥淭his is their world. As professors, we need to meet this standard so we can reach them,鈥� he said.
Learning through play
What better way to learn about video games than by playing them? In Alexander鈥檚 classes, he cues up video games on his screen and gives students the chance to take control remotely, using the Steam video game platform for PC.
鈥淲hen the students see the theory we鈥檙e learning in the games we play, live and in real-time, it tends to stick a bit more easily鈥� he said.
For example, he says, when teaching about 鈥渢unnelling鈥�, a persuasive technology in which the user is subtly guided down a particular path, Alexander shows the class how it works through a student鈥檚 game play.
Classes mimic what students consume
Alexander also wants his classes to look and feel like the YouTube videos, podcasts, Twitch streams, shows and forums that his students engage with every day.
His online lectures include Discord, and real-time chat boxes that appear on-screen, so students can converse and ask questions in real-time.
He also uses digital effects in his lecture that are similar to the effects used in video games, such as a 鈥渨ipe鈥� or scene transitions to signal one part of the lecture to another.
His lectures also feature subtitles in real-time, thanks to Google Slides.
鈥淭hat way, both students and I have the ability to look, listen, and read at the same time - core components of my educational research,鈥� he said, adding that this feature also makes his classes accessible.
Students can also sign up to be randomly picked to answer questions and play games in the class.
鈥淲hen they do this, the suspense for answering questions is incredible,鈥� Alexander said.
Professor Alexandra Bal
Students in Prof. Alex Bal鈥檚 classes will create avatars and 鈥渉ang out鈥� in a virtual student lounge using Minecraft. Photo credit: Alex Bal.
New media and online education expert Alexandra Bal says one of the outcomes of the pandemic could actually be an improvement in education.
鈥淪tudents are more than ready to learn online,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he question is, how are professors going to meet them there?鈥�
Bal says teaching in the virtual world will create a shift away from a passive learning model to a more active one, 鈥渨hich is a really powerful way to engage the student,鈥� she said.
Virtual student lounge
One of the new techniques Bal is using this year to promote interactivity in the online space is a virtual student lounge.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important students have a place to connect with each other, especially this year. So why not do it virtually?鈥� she said, explaining that students will be able to create avatars and 鈥渉ang out鈥� with each other鈥檚 avatars in this virtual space.
It will all be done using Minecraft, a popular video game in which players create and break apart various kinds of blocks in three-dimensional worlds. Bal鈥檚 students will use the platform to socialize, build art and learn about creative processes.
鈥淎s soon as we use one of their platforms in class - they light up,鈥� she said, adding that she also uses Discord, where students can chat, build communities and socialize.
Showing more than the virtual world
Another strategy for Bal doesn鈥檛 actually involve the virtual space - but rather, letting students see into hers.
She鈥檚 hung a large mirror up behind her workspace, which is visible to her students, and reflects a large window showing trees in the countryside. 鈥淭his way, students can watch as the leaves change colour.鈥�
She鈥檒l also wear flashy, colourful pants to show her personality, and she鈥檒l encourage students to do the same.
鈥淚 want them to see our virtual interactions as more than just information sharing. Watching seasons change through my windows, and me wearing crazy pants, will help me appear as a human to my students, and someone who is isolated just like them, but who is making the best of the situation. Humour is always super important, but this year even more,鈥� she said.
Professor Adrian Ma
In a newsroom simulation video game, professor Adrian Ma鈥檚 journalism students will be put to the test by playing the role of the managing editor in high-stress scenarios. Photo credit: Adrian Ma.
Like Alexander and Bal, digital news expert Adrian Ma sees the virtual semester as an opportunity to create new ways of teaching and engaging with students.
For example, students may want to grab the popcorn for knowledge quizzes this year. This year, Ma will be designing tests similar to the way Cineplex theatres produce interactive 鈥淭imeplay鈥� games before a movie starts.
This means that as students are being tested on newsroom practices, there will be real-time competition, which helps to gamify the learning activity.
鈥淚鈥檝e found the program useful for this, as it allows you to create multimedia-rich live quiz games in just minutes,鈥� Ma said.
Students can participate using their phones or computers and get real-time scoring and leaderboard updates throughout the game. In the past, Ma has offered small prizes to winners to add to the fun.
Newsroom-simulation video games
While Prof. Ma readily admits he鈥檚 not a 鈥済amer鈥� - his video game experience peaked with Nintendo 64 in 1997, he jokes - he鈥檚 proving that you don鈥檛 need to be one to teach in this space.
鈥淔or teachers like me, with no experience using game engines like , there are still relatively easy ways to put together fun little games using a combination of accessible e-Learning tools,鈥� he said.
Ma has been creating animated video segments with the platform and then adding interactive quiz elements through software.
In his game, the student plays the role of the managing editor in a fictional newsroom, and needs to address various editorial situations.
Different decisions will lead to different outcomes for the newsroom, which Ma says, 鈥渨ill help illustrate the potential real-life consequences that we're trying to prepare them for.鈥�
360/VR video field trips
Think field trips are out of the question in the era of Covid-19? Think again.
Students in Professor Ma鈥檚 classes will be able to go on virtual field trips instead.
Using a 360 camera, Ma says he can capture an omnidirectional video of a space or place relevant to the topic he鈥檚 teaching about.
For example, in his course, 鈥淏uilding the Brand鈥�, students study the different ways clothing companies express their brand identities in their physical stores through their use of background music, visuals and store layout.
Using programs like or , Ma can then add information hotspots or interactive annotations to the 360 video.
鈥淏y posing questions along the way or pointing out specific details I think are important, I can develop more of a guided and purposeful experience for my students,鈥� Ma said.
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