A teaching utopia

Young scientists who have teaching experience were asked by Science (as a part of NextGen Voices series (#NextGenSci)) to?describe an effective learning experience they had when they were students and then to imagine an ideal world in which teachers had the time, materials, funding, and support needed to consistently teach effective lessons.?

When I was a student, my most effective learning experience occurred when I learned more about the renewable resource management and sustainable development not from sitting at the lectures but by playing a simulation game called “Fishbanks” with other fellow students in the class. Similarly, I learned more about game theory by participating in economic experiments in behavioral laboratory using a Z-tree software to play bargaining experiments with my classmates than by reading about it in textbooks.

Enough of the boring lectures, zooming and “taking heads”! Modern-day students can only listen to the online lectures for 30-40 minutes before their minds shut off. In an ideal world in which I had all the time, resources, and funding to consistently teach effective lessons to my students, I would have a virtual reality computer game (similar to the Age of Empires or the World of Warcraft) created for teaching them in real time with their full attention, engagement, and immersion. And I would use another augmented reality smartphone game (like Pokémon Go) to make them go outside during the breaks to get some fresh air and a bit of an exercise.

Find out more at:

Srivastava, S., Heim, A. B., Yoho, R., Moore, E. B., Richter, W. E., Strielkowski, W., Coulibaly, A., Li, K., Penders, B., Sojli, E., & Cao, B. (2021). Imagining a teaching utopia.?Science,?374(6563), 31-32. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abm1361