By January Pearson
How can online instructors increase student engagement during synchronous seminars? In some online settings, instructors have used gamification to increase participation, but are busy adult online learners motivated by these strategies? This blog post examines a gamification experiment conducted in College Composition II courses at Purdue University Global, where students participated in a seminar contest based on points and badges. Compared to a control term, the contest produced promising results, increasing both brief and in-depth seminar responses.
Gamification in the Online Classroom: A Seminar Participation Experiment
One of my favorite things about teaching at Purdue Global is the live seminars. I enjoy getting to know my students and helping them with their writing in real time. However, once we moved away from graded seminars, some of my colleagues and I noticed a decline in student participation. Students didn’t participate as much because they didn’t have to, and so many attended passively – cooking, driving, or tending to the tasks of their busy lives rather than fully engaging.
Purdue Global WACademic Podcast: Episode 3 [June 2026]
with Bob Musante & Jessica Love
What does it mean to be a jack-of-all-trades in the world of education? It means having a story for every student and a passion for every subject. Today, we’re joined by professor Jessica Love. In her own genuine and absorbing words, she shares the secrets of her dynamic journey and her passion for motivational teaching.
Purdue Global WACademic Podcast: Episode 1 [April 2026]
with Bob Musante & Jan Watson
Purdue Global WACademic Podcast: Episode 2 [May 2026]
with Bob Musante & Stephanie Thompson
