EXPLORING THE ROLE OF MENTAL GAMES IN CAPTURING ATTENTION AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY IN ONLINE COURSE

Having the students’ focus during classroom sessions, especially in online courses, is of great importance. On the other hand, considering the characteristics of the new generation, innovative approaches should be highlighted in the classroom. This paper proposes several practical solutions based on gamification. These proposed methods are particularly employed at the beginning, middle, and end of the class. At the beginning of the class, activities with full interaction between students and the instructor are suggested to prepare students’ minds. In the middle of the class, brief relaxation activities are introduced to relieve students’ fatigue. At the end of the class, innovative group activities are introduced to summarize the class discussion. These methods aim not only to emphasize cognitive knowledge, which is the lowest side of the success triangle, but also to focus on strengthening students’ skills and attitudes. These approaches have been employed over several semesters at Shahid Beheshti University in various engineering disciplines and academic levels. The survey results of these experiences indicate the positive reception and participation of students and the creation of an engaging atmosphere for better understanding of scientific concepts. Starting with mental preparedness, instructor-student interaction, stimulating interests, mental organization, learning through entertainment, dynamism, review and emphasis on important scientific points, and reducing anxiety are among the benefits of the proposed method.