Page 12 - • IFV 8 2020.indd

Estate News

CODEBREAKERS:

Redefining elearning

BY DR REOLYN HEYMANN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

n the middle of the first academic And then, after dealing with the initial way of mastering the work. The students
semester of 2020, with limited shock and stress of moving to a new enjoyed the break from the traditional
Iwarning, universities had to change system, one can start thinking of innovative online activities of recorded lectures and
to an online learning model, also known methods of improving emergency online tests and competed for spots on
as eLearning. However, as pointed out learning. One method that we used, we call the leader boards. The different game
by many scholars, this change was not ‘serious games’. Although there is not one worlds were played more than 500 times,
motivated by carefully studying different commonly accepted definition for what even though the class only consisted of 77
teaching and learning methodologies constitutes a serious game, in this context students.
and chosen as the preferred option. It was it is accepted to be a game that is designed Life will return to normal at some
forced upon us by circumstances, and as with not only entertainment in mind. point, but we can keep a few things that
such, the ‘e’ in eLearning should rather A team consisting of Japie Greeff, Carl we learned from life during lockdown.
refer to ‘emergency’. Heymann, Murray Heymann and myself For me, that would firstly be to not stop
We are in a period of emergency created an online serious game called questioning the way we do things and
learning. This is important to keep in Codebreakers*. The game was developed rather try new and innovative ways to
mind when dealing with anybody that for an Electrical Engineering fourth year solve problems. And secondly, and most
is attempting to learn during this time, Telecommunications module. The goal of importantly, let’s not stop checking in on
whether it is helping your primary school the serious game was to give students the each other.
child count to 100 while the teacher is opportunity to practise Information Theory *If you are interested, you
waiting on Zoom or supporting a tertiary problems in a fun and relaxed way. The can play Codebreakers at
student. It is not business as usual. It is an game consists of four different game worlds, www.codebreakers.co.za/play, use your
emergency; it is stressful, and we are all and each world corresponds to a specific email address as your username and
affected by it. part of the curriculum. The challenges are choose any password.
Once you accept that this is emergency different in each section to keep the game
learning, you realise that a different interesting and are randomised from a big
approach is needed. It is not enough to database of questions, thus students can
ensure that all the work is covered and play the game until they have mastered
that academic standards are ensured. It is the work. Students’ efforts are tracked by
also needed to find out where everyone the system and personal score boards and Dr Reolyn Heymann
is, how are they doing, do they have overall leader boards are used to motivate (D. Eng. Electrical and
access to all the necessary equipment, are students. Electronic Engineering)
they coping academically and mentally. With the switch to online learning, Director: Centre for
Collaborative Digital
Checking in on each other has become an the game was used as a tutorial for Networks, University of
important part of everyday life. students. This was a fun and stress-free Johannesburg

10 • Issue 8 2020 • The Villager