[Guest Post] Incorporating Learning Objectives Into Games

 Over so many years in teaching, I have tried and tested different teaching strategies. One of the strategies I found to be immensely useful is to incorporate learning objectives into teaching.
Whether it is Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, or Physics, harnessing the appeal of popular games helps students to appreciate, understand and remember the concepts better.
The game characters, personality, abilities, and context in which they are being employed in conjunction with the lesson materials can serve as excellent attention and memory anchors for students.

You see, the most common complaint raised by students is that they do not see the point of learning certain topics, especially since they are not using them immediately or in the future.
While educators can explain how they are being used in real-life applications, not all students can accept them. For example, we could explain how solving minima and maxima optimization questions in differentiation is commonly seen in supply chain management. Or you explain why there is a need for them to understand pressure calculations which are needed to know how to transport gallons of crude oil through a complex network of pipelines with different diameters and elevations.

While the attempt is commendable, students may still not see the immediate use for it.

“I understand where you are coming from, but I can’t appreciate it,” they would tell you.

It’s akin to telling drug users not to consume drugs now, since they do not appreciate the gravity of their actions until many years later.
A more effective way may be to weave in learning objectives and contextualize them into the games students play. Most students are very willing to help their favorite game characters who are in a bind, even if it involves solving a mathematical equation. To a gamer, it is super exciting to discover that only the role-playing character possesses the special skill sets necessary to solve that particular Physics question.

Maybe he can control gravity? 
Or he could levitate.
Students appreciate the tiny details and that Wow factor!

A few very simple examples can be seen here, I found having such scenarios immensely useful in capturing the students’ attention, and they are also able to retain their memory for a longer period, as well as to recall them easily. However, it is important to do research well to know what the game entails. Ideally, an educator should play the game himself or risk losing credibility.

Using Genshin Impact to Teach H2 Math AP GP Sequences and Series Games have penetrated every aspect of our society on top of education. We can see examples of games being employed in health care education, higher education, training in business, military training.

Militaries use them for training exercises, with the use of smartphones to apply their principles to track fitness. Many of the sectors have adopted games, simulations, or gamification as a means to achieve training or learning goals or simply to attain improvement. Remixing games is also a powerful activity where tools are creatively repurposed to meet the needs of users in specific contexts.

In this case, the intent was to help students understand a game and then to engage the students by thinking of ways to modify one or more mechanics to incorporate lesson objectives so that the game could find an enhanced purpose, a new audience, a new level of complexity, or a new educational outcome. This design experience offers many insights to students from the perspective of playing the original game and making a remixed game with added benefits

Yes, it may not be Singapore Math but it works for my students.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the cat is black, or white.

Ingel Soong is an educator and has taught multi-disciplinary subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Finance, Economics, Statistics, and more. 
See his profile here.

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Guest Post: 3 Useful Content Marketing Tips for Beauty Bloggers

Is your make up review not garnering much traction online? Did you spend hours perfecting that makeup tutorial, only to have your viewers increased by a few in the past weeks? Well, it’s time to get your beauty blog up to par with some content marketing tips!

Connecting with cosmetic brands worldwide is a prime consideration for a successful blogger. However, successful content marketing for beauty blogs does not only rely on a business collaboration. In order to boost online presence, beauty bloggers must leverage on effective content marketing strategies to get ahead of the game. We’re talking about successful social media campaigns and search engine optimised content that is in line with what your audience is looking out for.

Read on for some content marketing tips that beauty bloggers can tap on to enhance their online presence.

Exercise the power of social

There is a vast number of people all over the internet looking for beauty inspiration or simply searching for new products. By tapping on this pool of interested audience, big and savvy brands meticulously plan engaging content for their consumers, especially when they understand their audience profile and what they are searching for. For instance, social media star Kylie Jenner tapped on millennials and Generation Z who are highly receptive to new trends. This profile of netizens grew up in the realm of social media, which made the social

media marketing of Kylie’s line of beauty products very successful.

However, apart from constantly promoting your products, you should also portray a kind of personality to your audience who would then be able to connect with you on a personal level. If you’re able to speak to the inner side of women (or even men), your audience will realise that you are able to relate to them and be more interested to learn more about you.

Nonetheless, content marketing on social media cannot reap success without the basic element – attractive visuals that are share-worthy. Ensure that each makeup review on your blog is accompanied with high-res images of the products. Videos of your makeup tutorials must be engaging yet concise – you have to make use of a good video-editing tool for this.

Take part in storytelling

Anyone can be an influencer in the beauty business – you don’t need celebrity power to be one. Social media has provided everyone with an equal platform where any individual can be an influencer of their own brands. If you’re a beauty blogger, you’re also an influencer as your thoughts and opinions on beauty products and trends are meant to drive discussions among those interested in the subject matter. As such, you can establish connections with beauty brands worldwide who are often supportive of influencer marketing as they help to boost their brands through content. The content must be SEO-friendly such that the right keywords are used to tell the story of the brand which consumers typically search for when they are looking out for the brand’s products. Therefore, be it a sponsored or an original post, your story about a beauty brand can get you ranking online. On the other hand, if you do have a makeup line, link up with the right influencers who will tell genuine stories on your behalf.

Keep your customers on the spotlight

If you already have a pool of consumers engaging with your content, be it a review, makeup tutorial or beauty product, you can use their stories as part of your marketing strategy. At the same time, you can invite your followers to have genuine conversations with you on your blog or social media platforms. When you share beauty tricks and tips, you can get viewers to comment on their experience and provide them with a platform to ask questions. This way, you show that you care for your audience. Engaging your audience on specific occasions such as International Women’s Day or initiating a beauty challenge as part of your content marketing strategy can help to grab the attention of your audience.

It’s time to get cracking on your content marketing strategy for all things beauty!

By Parveen Kaur

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Guest Post: The Complete Beauty Routine of Doe Deere

The rituals that you perform on your body every morning before leaving your house can either break or make your day. Beauty gives you the freedom to interact with people and perform your daily duties with confidence. Therefore, before your daily routine starts, you have to choose the right products to keep your skin attractive and protected throughout the day. 

Deere’s daily beauty routine allows her to begin her days in the right spirit. She is the Founder of one of the leading cosmetic brands in the world known as Lime Crime. According to Deere, her daily beauty routine plays a vital role in the success of her career in cosmetics. After getting eight to nine hours of comfortable sleep, the beauty queen and fashion diva wake up exactly at 8:30 a.m. every day. She does not need an alarm because she believes that she has an excellent biological clock that keeps her awake at the right time. Getting eight to nine hours of sleep every day allows her body to relax and her skin to stay clear before applying makeup.

Deere lives in Los Angeles in the United States, a city that has dry air most of the time. Therefore, after waking up at 8:30 a.m. she consumes a full glass of water that helps her body to stay hydrated throughout the day. After taking a glass of water, she stretches her body to stay fit and relaxed. The camel exercise suits her body. 

It is not possible to have a complete beauty routine without an excellent diet. Therefore, after stretching and performing daily exercises, Deere moves on to make a perfect breakfast. Her breakfast must include her favorite hot cereal, grits. Grits are nutritious to consume because they are extracted from corn. In addition to this, the beauty queen must consume a variety of fresh fruit juices that play a significant role in keeping the skin hydrated and beautiful. She gets some of the fruits from her well-maintained garden and juices them for her daily consumption.

After a workout and consuming a healthy breakfast, Deere gets on her mobile phone to check the trending activities. Through the internal chat system of the company, Deere communicates easily with her Lime Crime Team, which enables her to know the key activities in her business before leaving her house to the office. She likes opening her Instagram application to stay updated on the trending things in the cosmetics world. Deere responds to official emails frequently to ensure that her business runs smoothly.

Deere listens to music that motivates her when doing her daily makeup. Currently, The Beatles are her favorite records that she must listen to every morning. To ensure that her hair is dry in the morning, the fashion diva showers at night before going to bed. This enables her to come up with her desired hairstyle each morning when doing her makeup. After washing her face, she uses a perfect moisturizer, Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence of Murad, to keep her skin hydrated. Next, Deere chooses the right foundation for her face.

Currently, her company, Lime Crime, does not manufacture foundations. However, she has plans to introduce the products soon for her clients. She chooses the right products to fill her eyebrows while checking herself keenly in the mirror to ensure that everything goes well. The favorite part of her makeup process is applying lipstick and blush. She chooses the right colors for her face and ensures it matches with her hair and other accessories. She takes approximately 15 minutes to an hour every day to complete her make up.

After getting her signature looks and wearing her best clothes, she leaves the house and arrives in her office at 12:00 noon. At the office, she interacts with the Lime Crime Team, clients, and enjoys a wonderful lunch. She attends crucial meetings and usually arrives back to her house at 6:00 p.m.

by Kelly Hammond

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