Bulletin No. 2, 2016

From Cyber to Hyper 9 Wired to Habits of Net Generation L arge l e c ture cla s s e s in hi ghe r educ at i on s e t t i n g s p o s e ma n y c h a l l e n g e s t o c l a s s interaction. KEEPoll is a polling facility that can be deployed for instant feedback, which addresses this issue. Students can scan the QR code with their networked portable devices and answer the que s tions, both multiple - choice and open - ended. Real -time re sult s will be projec ted on the screen, giving the teachers an idea of whether students are able to grasp the class content. ‘Answers to open- ended questions can somehow trigger further discussions and invite interesting responses, enhancing learning atmosphere in class,’ said Professor King. ‘Gamification is also central to e-learning,’ he continued. KEEP is co-branding a game engine (PaGamO) which models a world in which a user’s territories will be expanded with points obtained from taking educational quiz zes. Teachers can customize the game template by supplying questions from their own disciplines. The gamification approach encourages student engagement in-class and out-of-class, and results in a motivating blended learning environment. In future, KEEP will also develop social and collaborative enhancement tools to foster a more active and inquiring way of learning. ‘Students’ self-discovery process nowadays is different from 10 to 15 years ago. Inevitably, e-learning implies more work for teachers and learners. But teachers will find it worth pursuing as long as they see better student engagement enabled by shifting parts of lectures online and allowing more time for classroom interaction,’ Professor King concluded.