Gamification in the classroom – your guide to reengaging the ‘flick generation’

My professional background has been a rich and diverse experience. Having graduated from a bachelor’s degree in science (Chemistry/Pharmacology), I followed my passion for Chemistry and went on to obtain Honours and PhD degrees in Inorganic Chemistry. As a postgraduate, I worked as a Research Associate at Monash University (Australia) and then as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cologne (Germany). I then worked as an Evaluation Services Officer at Swinburne University (Australia) as part of the Strategic Planning and Quality team.
As much as I enjoyed research, I also enjoyed the teaching and instructional aspect of academic life. For that reason, I obtained a Graduate Diploma in Education (Applied Learning) to pursue a career in teaching.
Now, with over fifteen years teaching experience at both secondary and tertiary level, I have been exposed to a range of students in various teaching environments (and countries!), which has ultimately diversified and honed my teaching skills and expertise.
My teaching philosophy is centered on the inquiry-based learning approach. That is, by acting as a facilitator to learning and allowing students to draw on their existing knowledge and skills, the learning process is maximised. Students are thus active ‘partners’ in the learning process rather than recipients of knowledge. My belief is that if we can make students’ learning a memorable experience that arouses enough curiosity and determination to succeed, then we truly set the stage for effective and long-term learning. For it is always the journey that we take that is more memorable than the actual destination.