The Eureka Experience #01
AI news, AI in the classroom, Actions, Game design & more!
Hello there Fearless one,
Welcome to the first release of our Eureka Experience.
What to expect this week:
Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of brain food:
💠AI News & AI in the classroom
💠What really is fun in learning?
💠A podcast gamifying curriculum design
💠Tools to cut corners on your design & dev work
and More..
Get ready to be bombarded with the latest happenings in the world of learning & development and beyond! because let's face it, everyday there is something new.
Microsoft and OpenAI are planning to build a massive AI supercomputer. 🤔
You can use ChatGPT without an account & edit images with it too. 🤯
AI in the Classroom
The jury is still out on whether AI leads to more cheating. On one hand, some sources indicate that academic misconduct has become more common in postsecondary institutions since ChatGPT came out. On the other hand, research from Stanford suggests that high-school cheating rates have remained stable.
And no, AI detectors aren’t the solution. Not only are these tools often unreliable, research also suggests that they’re biased against non-native English writers.
Does AI lead to worse learning? It depends. Research shows that active engagement is key for learning outcomes, meaning that if AI is used in ways that encourage passivity in the classroom, it will probably be to students’ detriment.
On the other hand, AI could also facilitate better learning—and better teaching. In this TED Talk, Khan Academy founder Sal Khan argues that AI has the potential to essentially provide students with one-to-one tutoring, which we’ve long known leads to far better learning. AI can also provide personalized support to teachers by generating feedback, facilitating professional development, and letting teachers practice with simulated students.
AI critics are worried it could worsen digital poverty. As pointed out in this report from UNESCO, the vast resources required to build and operate generative AI means that it is far less accessible to countries outside of the Global North. As AI becomes more entrenched in our global economies and political systems, there’s a risk that this gap will worsen inequality.
Have your mind nibbled on by bite-sized pieces of learning & reflection!
I have always had a problem with a specific word when it comes to gamifying a learning design & educational gamification, the word: “Fun”
Yes, a problem!
We receive many client requests about altering their learning curricula and training endeavors into gamified structures, yet when we get to ask why? Their answer is to make the learning more fun!
So, what really is fun?
Fun is the act of life enjoyment to its fullest potential, whether the situation or experience is simple or complex.
Accordingly, it wouldn’t matter if fun was the result of a simple card game, or an immersive VR game. Fun isn’t a concept inside of a box. Fun is defined as the following: “enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure”.
That is right, there are no other qualifiers to Fun. But, when you get to take a closer look at it you can notice that if people are engaged in a learning, succeeding at every stage of their application, able to relate the learning to real world issues and actually building upon on a purpose they have its Fun.
Fun isn’t the act of playing, but rather the purpose behind the play. The game mechanics that aim for concrete purpose. The dynamics that allow a room for thinking, application, and construction. Fun is a human experience is built out of a sequence of events. When someone tells you, what happened to them over the weekend, they describe the events they experienced in details with all its ups, downs and lessons learned.
The same goes for learning games and, of course, stories. If stories are adventures, we experience vicariously through protagonists & character archetypes, then games are just adventures that we experience ourselves. Stories and games are built out of a series of events that work together to create an overall experience. This is called the core loop.
The core loop is the combination of game mechanics, rewarding gameplay, and the degree of personalization that keeps the learners hooked & engaged. It is the gamified system you create, and the storytelling.
A loop that keeps the learners from tuning out of the game; and through clear goals that provide immediate feedback to the learners on every action they take. Providing learners with an evolving progression system basically maintains high level of retention, while caters to their psychological needs of personal satisfaction and sense of achievement.
Once that loop is achieved, that system is created, and those goals are reached then we can call a learning game: Fun!
It is not just laughter & amusement, its achievement.
Grab your popcorn and get ready for video pick every week.
What's the best way to think about the brain? While most of us think of it as a dense gray matter that’s separate from the physical body, that actually couldn’t be further from the truth.
Our brain is actually made up of 3 layers, and each layer not only directly impacts the other, but has control over the physical body and how you feel. Neurologist Robert Sapolsky explores these separate brain systems as individual characters, all with different goals and motives.
The brain comes in 3 functional layers: the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. The reptilian brain controls the regulatory systems in your body like hormones, body temperature, blood pressure, and even hunger. The limbic system is the emotional function of your brain, making you feel fear, anger, joy, or gratitude. Finally, the cerebral cortex is the most evolved part of the brain that oversees impulse control, decision making, and long-term planning. With a better understanding of how each part of the brain functions, we can have more mindful thoughts that will influence more favorable decision-making and outcomes in life.
For example, when you think of your favorite memory or something that makes you happy, your reptilian brain will quickly cool down your body and even lower your blood pressure. This can then lead to feeling less stressed, and finding more joy throughout the day.
Get your auditory senses tingled by the dulcet tones of our hand-picked podcast selection:
Tamer Asfahani Creates the Curriculum Around the Game | Episode 334
Posted on April 1, 2024 by Professor Game
https://www.professorgame.com/podcast/334/
Brace yourself for a mind-bending digging into the quirks and foibles of the human brain, because we're all a little bit biased (especially when it comes to choosing snacks).
What is the Action Bias?
The action bias describes our tendency to favor action over inaction, often to our benefit. However, there are times when we feel compelled to act, even if there’s no evidence that it will lead to a better outcome than doing nothing would. Our tendency to respond with action as a default, automatic reaction, even without solid rationale to support it, has been termed the action bias.
Its our instinct that doing something is better than doing nothing. You may feel that people would judge your failure to make the save less harshly if you could prove that you made an attempt to stop it. Unfortunately, as counterintuitive as it feels it’s often inaction that increases your odds of success.
Picture this: You're designing a learning program, and you're tempted to throw in a bunch of activities just to keep your participants engaged. But hold up! Research actually suggests that sometimes, less is more. Yep, you heard me right. Inaction can sometimes be the key to success.
Studies have shown that in certain situations, resisting the urge to act impulsively can lead to better outcomes. For instance, in the world of investing, traders who trade less frequently tend to outperform those who can't resist constantly tinkering with their portfolios. Similarly, in soccer, goalkeepers who stay put during penalty kicks statistically have a higher chance of making a save compared to those who dive left or right.
Now, you might be thinking, "But won't people judge me if I don't do anything?" Ah, that's where the magic lies! By strategically incorporating moments of reflection and deliberate inaction into your learning designs, you're not only fostering deeper learning but also demonstrating a level of wisdom and intentionality that's truly commendable.
So, how can you harness the power of inaction in your learning and development endeavors? Start by encouraging learners to pause, reflect, and analyze before jumping into action. Incorporate activities that promote mindfulness, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. Remember, it's not about doing something for the sake of it; it's about doing the right thing at the right time.
By embracing the pause and understanding when to hold back, you'll not only enhance the effectiveness of your learning programs but also empower your learners to become more thoughtful, strategic, and ultimately, successful individuals.
Tune in to what we are jamming to this week as we work and design.
Say goodbye to tedious tasks and hello to efficiency with our weekly picks of tools and shortcuts that can make our work easier (and maybe even impress your boss).
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🔷 Adobe Podcast: https://podcast.adobe.com
🔷 Storyd: https://www.storyd.ai
🔷 Lumen5: https://lumen5.com
Here is our weekly comics & games reference, because even the most serious topics deserve a little humor (and maybe a poorly-drawn stick figure or two).
THE OFFICIAL PRELUDE TO THE HOTLY ANTICIPATED DISNEY+ SHOW! The X-Men are back - and the '90s have never looked better!