In another article, we explained the importance of data and learning analytics when it comes to creating educational content, The Importance of Data and Learning Analytics When It Comes to Creating Educational Content. The significance of this next-level learning is that it helps to improve the student’s overall learning experience.
Through our research at ryco.io, we’ve found that personalized learning, modularity, asynchronous discovery-based learning, engaging interactive activities, and gamification are all tools in encouraging self-learning and a general growth mindset in students.
Keep reading to learn more about personalized learning and gamification as well as a few applicable examples in education.
What Is Personalized Learning?
You might hear the term personalized learning being thrown around casually, but for educators, this is not something to be taken lightly. Essentially, personalized learning takes each individual student’s skill level and adjusts as necessary using adaptive software.
The principle behind personalized learning is to create a more connected learning experience, even through a digital context. Data and learning analytics proves that personalized learning helps to nurture and promote each individual students’ emotional, social, and physical development.
Benefits of Personalized Learning
But why is personalized learning so valuable for educators? Take a look at just some of the benefits of this approach.
Increased Motivation
Learning relevant topics with immediately actionable information naturally motivates students.
Improved Retention
Each step of the learning adds to the one previous, making retention rates much higher. Recalling learned information becomes a simpler task for students.
Promoted Engagement
Content that is personalized and relevant engages students more. When students are more engaged they are more likely to be interactive in their learning.
Better Results
Personalized learning elevates the learning process to promote better learning results.
Time Saver
Remove any irrelevant content based on individual skill sets of learners allowing them to move through courses at their own speed.
What Is Gamification?
Anytime you add a type of game element to a traditional non-gaming environment this is considered gamification. For example, in the education sector, gamification refers to the addition of gaming mechanics into traditional online learning experiences.
While the term might be relatively new, the concept of gamification has been happening in education for centuries. Some of the more traditional gamification applications in education you might be more familiar with include game elements such as leaderboards, badges, and point systems.
Benefits of Gamification
Check out some of the major benefits of incorporating gamification into your learning.
Safe Practice Zones
Students don’t have to feel pressured to advance through a course until they are ready, allowing them to properly retain the information at their own pace.
Instant Feedback
Gamification enables instant feedback to students, allowing them to immediately correct any errors and learn from them.
Progressive Levels
Through progressive levels, students can map out their proficiency gain while achieving a sense of accomplishment.
Individualized Scoring
Scoring on an individual basis allows students to stay motivated and aim for their own goals.
Highly Rewarding
Courses with gamification are highly rewarding to students who find them challenging, motivating, and fun all at the same time.
ryco.io Personalized Learning & Gamification Applications
At ryco.io, we believe in personalized learning and gamification when it comes to the design of all of our digital courses. Data and learning analytics provide us with the backing necessary to show that this type of learning experience is needed in today’s digital world.
Responsive Design
Our responsive design courses are created using adaptable content for all devices. Whether students are learning from a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet, they have seamless accessibility, including interactivity and course assessments.
All of our courses are designed using:
HTML
SCORM
xAPI (TinCan) Exports
All of which are compatible with web, app, or LMS integration.
You can see our responsive design live in action with The History of Ramen Noodles course.
Improved Comprehension
Utilizing data and learning analytics allows us to provide students with self-checks, promoting improved comprehension. Before a student is able to advance through a course, they must review the concepts.
Short, interactive assessments help to improve student comprehension of each course. You can see how these self-checks work in our Parts of a House course.
Discovery-Based Learning
All ryco.io courses provide students with the opportunity to explore the subject matter in their own way. This discovery-based learning is supported through multiple media formats, including touch screens, for a more engaging learning experience for the student.
Check out our discovery-based learning through our Orchestra Adventure course.
Scenario-Based Learning
Our courses are based on real-world experiences, providing students with scenario-based learning opportunities. ryco.io takes that to the next level with gamified activities that are based on lesson standards and objectives.
Try out our scenario-based learning courses, like Take a Taxi Ride.
Visual Cues & Sensory Help
Digital ancillaries, such as visual cues and sensory help, support new curriculum initiatives. Through these tools, we are able to turn existing print materials into dynamic digital content.
See how we maximize visual cues and sensory help in our Nightly Navigators course.
Real-World Connections
Although our learning is digital, we make sure to make real-world connections in order to immerse the students in their learning environment. Through unconventional chapter overviews and human-narrated voiceovers, our courses allow students to feel connected to their materials.
Experience these real-world connections in our courses, like the Tour of Mexico course.
Articulate 360
In order to build some of the interactives within the ryco.io courses, we use an authoring tool called Articulate 360. While you may not be familiar with the company name, Articulate is responsible for building online training apps for all 100 of the Fortune 100 companies.
Rather than using traditional programs, like PowerPoint and Word Documents, Articulate is completely transforming the way the world learns. Their award-winning authoring apps develop custom and interactive courses formatted for any learning device.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, ryco.io has made strides in terms of integrating personalized learning and gamification in online educational materials. Our research, including data and learning analytics, prove that these tools help to promote student growth and encourage a self-learning atmosphere.