Abstract:

Innovation in teaching is of vital importance for meeting the evolving needs of learners today and for preparing them to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. This paper starts with a review of innovative teaching strategies, exploring their implementation, effectiveness, and challenges. Some of the trends examined include technology integration, flipped classrooms, project-based learning, micro-learning, and the use of artificial intelligence in learning environments. Particular attention is paid to the practice of gamification in a hybrid learning environment. The review examines research work done in the area and investigates the challenges associated with implementing innovative teaching practices, including resistance to change, resource constraints, and the need for faculty development. Following the introduction, the paper presents an experiment which employs the use of gamification in a Moodle-based university level course involving a large group of students. The experiment is discussed in detail, its results are presented, and a link is established between a highly innovative approach to teaching and overall student satisfaction, engagement, motivation, and success. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relevance of research done in the area, including the results of the gamification experiment, and offers some recommendations for future directions. The main conclusion drawn is that studying innovation in teaching helps foster creativity, empowers learners, and addresses challenges and opportunities in 21-st century education.

Keywords:

Innovation, Teaching, Education, Gamification, Moodle, Adaptive Learning Platforms, Microlearning, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, Flipped Classrooms, Project-Based Learning, Personalized Learning, Artificial Intelligence.