GAMIFICATION IN EDUCATION. A NEW APPROACH TO TEACHING SOUND DESIGN

Teaching sound at the Film Faculty in Bucharest is a mixture of both theory and practice. Students are been taught the basic principles of acoustics, they learn about sound waves, frequencies, dynamic range, etc. They also learn how to record and process sound, how to edit elements of the sound track and do the final mix of the film.

A lot of emphasis is been put on the practical approach – they record location sounds, assist the crew on the set, create sounds and work in the post-production studio.

Starting this year, I included a new teaching method with my students – gamification in education. I proudly affirm that it was never done before.

Technology can’t be excluded anymore from almost all fields, including film and teaching. Therefore, I introduced the principles of gamification in my classes, by using a free application, personalized specifically for them.

All students got this app and could access it from their mobile phones. I sent them various tasks, quizzes and assignments, which they could see in their app and complete directly there.

Working on the specific tasks, gave them the opportunity to gain points which at the end of the semester counted for the final grade.
This interactive and innovative teaching method made them very enthusiastic. They were eager to get new tasks, to gain points or awards and to receive positive feedback at the end of the semester.

I conducted also a survey among the students, questioning their opinion regarding the introduction of gamification in education. Their opinion was very favorable, concluding that the method was efficient and increased their motivation during classes.