Track: Computers and Computing

Abstract

Abstract

Online learning has empowered students at traditional contact universities as well as those in distance education to transform engineering education. The landscape of higher education, the cultural environment and the competitive ecosystem is changing rapidly and disruptively. Recent events at universities have illustrated this fact. Higher education is rapidly changing and technology is the catalyst for the change. In the new paradigm, students expect to be able to work, learn and study whenever and wherever they are. Consequently, the appeal of digital games based learning (DGBL) has become more attractive and commonplace in lecture rooms. The appeal of DGBL is derived from the unique nature of gaming education and its ability to integrate theory and practice. Gaming has the ability to: 1) capture students interest, 2) to motivate students in progressing to higher and more difficult levels of learning, and 3) to learn from and interact with other students. The research methodology adopted is one of a case study approach. The paper presents a comprehensive example that illustrates the application of DGBL in industrial Engineering teaching and learning, in an ODL setting. Results analysis will display how students benefited from game based learning.

Key words: DGBL; Pedagogy; Online; Learning; technology