Teaching Assistants' Training Program

Abdullah Farooqi, TATP Humanities Trainer
David Chan, TATP Sciences Coordinator
Michael Dick, TATP Social Sciences Trainer

The use of games in Higher Education has recently become more widespread. Research suggests that gamification can help students engage with material, develop critical thinking skills, and teach morality and empathy for others. How can TAs utilize these developments in pedagogy to engage students in a variety of disciplines? In this workshop, we first explore the theoretical arguments for experiential learning, with a specific focus on the use of games and gamification inside the classroom, and then look at how to apply such methods to TAs’ teaching contexts. By the end of the workshop, participants will: know best practices for integrating gamification into their lesson designs; have started thinking about creating their own game for implementation in one of their lessons; and have access to further resources on how to facilitate their students’ learning via gamification.