Dr. Nayef Alyafei with a student at Academyati Academy.
Doha: A new game-based learning programme developed by Dr. Nayef Alyafei, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university was piloted at a session at QF-school Academyati recently.
The programme brings together elements of communication, teamwork, and critical thinking capabilities to help students understand the different concepts they are learning.
Based on the idea of an Escape Room and treasure hunt, students will need to solve a series of puzzles by answering questions focusing on five core skills: memorize, visualize, identify, compute and analyze. These puzzles will help them crack the combination codes that enable them to unlock boxes one after the other to reach to the final box. It is meant to be interactive, and to give the students a hands-on experience.
Dr. Alyafei said, “Growing up, we had a more traditional approach to learning. Schools were about memorising, and holding on to information. It felt like a chore. And although they are developments, schools still use a lot of traditional methods in imparting education. I believe students will retain more of what they are learning if they can actually experience it. And that is what I am trying to do with this programme: to make learning fun.”
The unique aspect of this pilot programme is that it can be adapted to any course by changing the questions for the combination locks of the puzzles. Dr. Alyafei showcased three levels of the programme at Academyati.
“At the school, we completed the programme that was developed for primary school students. It was a very exciting experience for me as well,” said Alyafei.
“I loved seeing the enthusiasm and passion of the young ones towards learning. It was truly heart warming to see their faces light up when they understand a concept, and get an answer. As an educator, I found it incredibly inspiring to see how they were committed to learning and understanding and solving the puzzles. Their eagerness was truly encouraging.”
The students at Academyati said that they thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience. Hamad Nayef Al Ibrahim said, “I liked it because we had to work as a team – with my own group and with other teams as well to “leave the room” and get to the next stage. It was a lot of fun.”
Haya Al Busaidi, said, “We were working together as a team, and also learning problem solving skills. He encouraged us a lot, and I look forward to the next session.”
Hamad Al Thani said, “I really enjoyed being in this programme, especially solving the mathematics problems. I love math.”
Yasmeen Munshi, collaborator at Academyati lauded Dr. Alyafei’s program, on how child-friendly and appealing it was.
She said: “When Dr. Alyafei first approached us about designing learning experiences for the children, I had no idea what to expect. Since then, I have learned that he is remarkable with our learners and his thoughtfully designed experiences are fun and engaging. He really has a talent for tapping into their creativity and challenging them to think critically. Dr. Alyafei is reflective and makes each session better than the last. We feel so fortunate to be able to collaborate with him as part of our larger QF community and look forward to more amazing experiences with him.”
