Pedagogy in the life sciences and the (potential) dangers of gamification!

Hey everyone,

It's been awhile since I've been around here but it's really great to see new and old faces keeping the forum alive and well. I have looked through a few of the recent questions and I think it's important to remember that as fellow teachers (and students ourselves), we're really here to help guide the question-asker to the right answer. The goal of teaching is never to simply provide the correct answer. In fact, some of the most rewarding work we can do is to work with our peers and have them

Question

Pedagogy in the life sciences and the (potential) dangers of gamification!

Hey everyone,

It's been awhile since I've been around here but it's really great to see new and old faces keeping the forum alive and well. I have looked through a few of the recent questions and I think it's important to remember that as fellow teachers (and students ourselves), we're really here to help guide the question-asker to the right answer. The goal of teaching is never to simply provide the correct answer. In fact, some of the most rewarding work we can do is to work with our peers and have them

anonymous · Answer

experience the joy of solving problems on their own. This is especially pertinent in the life sciences, when it is simply so easy to give the right answer, get a medal, and move on. But, in the long term, I don't think the student truly benefits, and nor do you, as a developing teacher! I have been a longtime fan of @blues and I link her responses here as an example of what I think is great teaching: http://openstudy.com/study#/updates/533b21dae4b0b30299661738

abhisar · Answer

I'll recommend this http://openstudy.com/study#/updates/539e5d3de4b0a128973fee1e

anonymous · Answer

Gamification is part of what makes OpenStudy so fun + addicting. Getting medals for your hard work and titles for those who go above and beyond is pretty rewarding. But the danger is that we lose focus of why we're really here - to teach + learn, as opposed to simply collecting medals. OpenStudy is more than simply a place for answering trivia :) 

Happy to hear your thoughts. Thanks for the link @Abhisar

somy · Answer

nice :3 agreed :D

abhisar · Answer

$\Huge\text{Anytime !}$
$\huge\ddot\smile$ @kma230

abhisar · Answer

btw u should probably post it in $\large\sf\color{blue}{\underline{\href{ /study#/groups/OpenStudy%20Feedback}{Openstudy~Feedback}}}$

somy · Answer

i guess it mostly happens in science section thus this person post it here @Abhisar

abhisar · Answer

No offence committed by @kma230 by posting it here $\color{green}{\huge\ddot\smile}$

koikkara · Answer

@kma230 $~Nice~To~Meet~You.~Seems~like~I~know~or~May~Not~Know~You~!!$

koikkara · Answer

@Abhisar Finally tortoise Moved to $82$.... $\Lol/$

abhisar · Answer

$\color{green}{\Huge\mathcal{Congos !!}}$