Scientix webinar: It’s a Game Changer!

The webinar “It’s a game changer! How to motivate and engage students with game based learning.”took place in the Scientix online meeting room on 13 April 2018 at 17:00 Central European Time. Webinar outline: Calculus is critical to degrees in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), yet it has one of the highest failure rates of any university course, according to the Mathematical Association of America. What’s more, calculus ranked number one on the list of courses most disliked by students, according to College Stats. These alarming trends have educators turning to game-based learning to improve students’ success rates, not to mention their attitudes towards mathematics. Join long-time gaming enthusiast, professor and developer André Thomas and award-winning mathematics teacher Panagiota Argyri to explore ways in which game-based learning can be used to motivate and engage students and push them to go for the epic win, in this case subject mastery. During this webinar, Mr Thomas discusses research in game-based learning and shares tips for utilising games in the classroom. Ms Argyri highlights her experience using Variant: Limits, Triseum’s calculus game, in the STEM Ahead Competition, and European Schoolnet’s Game-Based Validation Study. About the presenters: André Thomas’s passion for game-based learning resonates inside and outside of the classroom. He founded and serves as the director of the LIVE Lab in the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M University, where he also teaches game design, game development and interactive graphics techniques. In 2014, he founded Triseum, where he serves as CEO and leads the creation of its award-winning academic video games. He is an EdTech Leadership award winner, National Academy of Sciences board member, National Arts Education Association lead instructor, and Chillennium Game Jam chair. André also has been invited to speak at numerous education and technology events both in the US and abroad, including SXSW, TEDx, ASU-GSV, BETT and European Schoolnet. His game-based learning insights and ideas are featured in the Huffington Post, Austin Business Journal, eCampus News and Learning Solutions Magazine, to name a few. Previously he was Head of Graphics for EA Sports Football games (including NCAA, Head Coach, NFL Tour and Madden, the longest running and most successful sports franchise in games industry). He also created graphics for such notable films as Men in Black, Con Air, Independence Day, Valiant, Ant Bully and Tomorrow Never Dies. An award-winning mathematics teacher in primary and secondary education, Panagiota Argyri has researched and applied games in her classrooms to inspire students, as well as boost curriculum knowledge and retention. Her commitment to innovation in teaching and learning is exemplified in her work as a tutor for teachers to help them embrace advances in education and as an author of educational and pedagogical materials and scenarios for STEM lessons. She led her students through Europe’s STEM Ahead competition and published numerous science papers both in Greece and across Europe. She is a Triseum Game-Based Learning Teacher of the Year award winner and also participated in the European Schoolnet Game-Based Learning Validation Study. Panagiota holds two Master’s degrees, including a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning Mathematics.