Game Theory Used in Redesign of Human Development Course

Quests, challenges, and grand adventure await the students in Lamar Univeristy's FCSC 3341 Human Development in Emerging/Early Adulthood course! Using elements of game theory, I developed a semester long adventure for my students as a guide through exploration of course content. Known as "Willeaux's World", students are invited into the journey through a short Tellagami video (below) and are then provided with a Quest Log filled with adventure details (syllabus) and quests (assignments).

This is an exciting and fun method for presenting course material in a new way that will encourage higher level thinking. Although some in academia believe that using game theory trivializes the learning process, I believe that game theory uses strategies and techniques that have been found to increase conceptual retention through use of goals, repetition, and rewards. I have obtained approval through Lamar University's Institutional Review Board to gather data and conduct an exploratory study on the use of game theory in the traditional classroom setting.

To visit the FCSC 3341: WIlleaux's World class website, click here.

For more information about the concept of gamification, please watch Jane McGonigal's TED talk here.