Joy is vital to the process of true learning. We know this from neuroscience: Brain function is connected to the rest of the body, and when students feel minimal stress and are engaged, the brain is better positioned to process information and store it in long-term memory.
The teacher is the architect of joy in the classroom, possessing a uniquely human ability to translate relationships with students into a deep understanding of each learner’s strengths and needs. Curriculum providers also have a responsibility to facilitate joy. We can create pedagogically sound, empathetically designed, innovative instructional technologies that enable teachers to foster joyful moments with ease, even under the most challenging circumstances.
Here’s a look at what I consider some of McGraw Hill’s most promising uses of technology that foster classroom joy today:
Augmented reality makes the abstract tangible.
McGraw Hill AR, our free augmented reality (AR) app created in partnership with Verizon for its Verizon Innovative Learning initiative, promotes deep conceptual exploration. Our designers deliberately selected abstract, complex topics (like the Pythagorean Theorem, photosynthesis, and the Industrial Revolution) for AR to bring to life through superimposed, interactive models.
Joy is perhaps most visible in learning when it culminates in an “aha” moment. The impossible becomes possible when a student explores a three-dimensional version of the human heart. A student enjoys the freedom to fail and fail again, without negative consequences, in a gamified skiing activity about slope. The moment a concept that was previously out of reach suddenly becomes accessible is a genuine source of motivation, excitement, and pride.
AI addresses individual learning gaps. When paired with empathetic design, it also fosters a love of learning.
The dynamic AI engine in our early math program, ALEKS Adventure™, identifies exactly what a student is ready to learn next and allows them to select from learning experiences that fall within their Zone of Proximal Development. This precise AI output allows teachers to use math time efficiently while taking advantage of what we know about motivation: Students progress quickly when the experience is tuned to their present ability, and success boosts their perception of their own overall math ability.
But students—even the youngest ones—are complicated people whose relationships to learning extend far beyond achievement. The most advanced AI only gets us so far in our endeavor to make math joyful. The designers behind ALEKS Adventure placed instruction and practice within a thoughtful storyline that gamifies math not only through explicit rewards but also through the opportunity to help others and exercise autonomy. Our future mathematicians crave and respond enthusiastically to early encounters with math that spark curiosity, confidence, and ultimately, joy.
A student reviews their progress through the McGraw Hill Plus® Standards and Skills Graph.
Data science makes gaps and growth clear to teachers (and their students).
Advancements in data science position us to provide educators with greater insights into student learning than ever before. McGraw Hill Plus® for PreK-12 connects and transforms data from multiple digital solutions and uses that data to generate personalized instructional recommendations. Our data scientists meticulously aligned all activities in our integrated programs to state standards and corresponding skills to create a real-time depiction of student progress, called the Standards and Skills Graph.
This detailed multidimensional pie chart guides teachers in addressing performance gaps. But our early adopters have reported an unexpected surprise: Students love it! Students are willingly able to interpret the graph and select experiences in ALEKS® that help them master the yellow portions of their graph. Teachers can see the pride on their students’ faces as yellow turns to green and another important skill is mastered—not unlike a state of flow that researchers have documented when observing high-performing adults in a variety of occupations.
The future of learning should be joyful.
There’s no shortage of work left to do. Joyful moments are difficult to cultivate in schools that still suffer from the follow-on effects of the pandemic. In response, we are working harder to leverage technology so that teachers can create joyful learning experiences for all students more frequently. While the future of learning is full of unknowns, we are certain that we must commit to thoughtfully designing greater opportunities for teacher- and student-led moments of classroom joy. Not only is that within our reach tomorrow, but we also witness vibrant examples today.
For student perspectives on the joy of learning, visit mheducation.com/joyoflearning.
Copyright © 2024 Sean Ryan
